Advocate, probably a word many of us hardly ever hear or think about, is one that can be used as a noun or a verb. The noun is used to define a person that publicly supports or recommends a particular cause, and the verb form is the action taken to publicly support or recommend a cause.

To be an effective advocate we must first truly believe in the cause that we support or recommend, otherwise we are no better than a commercial script writer that describes the product they are talking or writing about saying “nothing is better than xyz” What he is saying in reality is that the xyz product is as good as the competition, it has nothing better or stronger to offer, and works the same as the competition’s products.

Many causes are started to support or enhance the life quality of a very narrow sector of the population, when the truth is that many of the plights of that one small group are not limited to just that group of people, the same plights affect people from the full spectrum of our society in general, not just for our country or state or city.

When we champion a cause, that is, we become advocates, we need to make sure that the language we use does not imply that we are talking about helping only one sector or group of people, we must make sure that all people that are in need of what we are advocating for are included. If we are championing for immigrants, then we need to make sure that ALL immigrants are included, after all, when truth is told, each and every one of us in this country, including the Native-Americans have been immigrants to this continent and country at one time or another.

Being an all-inclusive advocate is not easy, it requires that we look at every person regardless of background or ethnicity or social status the same, with no preference for a group or only some groups.

Just imagine a world where we all are on the same footing, we understand each other, and we talk to each other and never see a look of distrust or hear a harsh word said!