Hate , Intolerance and Discrimination

Today was my last meeting at IBM Labs ToastMaster [link].


I was supposed to be just a greeter today, but Maciej who was the toastmaster for the meeting got sick and I had to chip in to take his role. The theme of the meeting was "Hate, Intolerance and Discrimination".


Samer, who was the meeting chairman selected this topic intentionally, because he is homosexual and was disturbed by discrimination towards homosexuality in his family and around him. For instance, his family does not welcome the idea of him bringing his significant other to his sisters wedding and claimed that "we're not coming to your wedding" etc. He particularly handled the issue quite well and I think it was very brave of him to speak on the issue in-front of a dignified audience that too at his work place !

After Samer's introduction , it was time for my toast. This is similar to what I said:

Our supposed to be toast master seems to have practiced raising toasts so many times that he got a sore throat from all those drinks. So he asked me to step in for the role of toast master and all of you will have to bear me for that :)

I checked that the theme of the meeting today is hate intolerance and discrimination. The first thing that comes to mind is all these are evil; but since I am still in the mood of a debate from our last weeks debate meeting; and owing to the fact that I should raise a toast to something positive. I would like to say that some evils are necessary so that life remains sweet and sour, I think manifestation of yin and yang in nature.

I feel that even these evils can be seen in a good way like "hate" towards laziness, "intolerance" to injustice.

Having said that, I would invite everyone to rise in their place and raise a toast to "necessary evils and yin and yang of life".

After my toast, few speeches followed and some more impromptu speeches by guests and members. At the end I announced that it was my last Toast Master meeting in the labs, I could see everyone jumping in their seats that I would be gone finally :).

Overall, I was bit sad to leave toastmasters group from the labs. You guys rock and thanks for making my Wednesdays eventful :)