If you have been following this column, you may have noticed that I have been sticking to pretty tame subjects lately. My children, the weather, my moods, basically pretty banal stuff. We are living in a time where some of us feel that we cannot voice our opinions for fear of retribution from others. It’s a sad and frightening time for this country.
I have always been very forthright with my opinions. I feel like we should treat each other as we wish to be treated. I feel like we should treat each other with respect, kindness, love, and acceptance. We have become a world that loves to judge others. To say that what we are doing is right and what the other side is doing is wrong.
We have been split into two halves, the same two sides that have been pitted against each other for as long as man can remember: good vs. evil. I know it sounds pretty cut and dry, and we all know that is not truly how it is, but it certainly seems this way.
Family members are fighting, not speaking, or are just plain disgusted with each other. We are literally being ripped apart and that is exactly what those in power want to happen. What better way to control the population than through fear. The best way to do that is to create a bad guy, for some those are the Trump supporters, for others those who oppose Trump and his regime. What would happen if we came together, quit screaming at each other and calling each other names, and opened our hearts and minds to the thoughts and views of others? I honestly don’t know what would happen if that miracle were to occur, because it never has before. Why not do the hard work, and let us be the first society to actually accomplish it?
I wish it were that simple. Honestly, I try to have conversations with people I do not agree with, and it usually gets pretty heated. I have tried to sit down and open myself up to the opposing side’s views, but I find that I can’t stomach it. It goes against every moral fiber in my body to believe that some humans are worth more than others. I can’t be around a person who thinks that being poor is a choice, that living in poverty means you shouldn’t have children, and that you don’t work or don’t want to work. The reality is that most people who make these horrible assumptions have never, EVER struggled to feed their children while working a 12-hour shift at the local restaurant (to which they walk because they have no transportation). My hope is that people really, truly try and feel empathetic towards people who are going through difficult times and living differently than they do.
I am going to try and be less judgmental, I am going to work on listening to the “other side,” and I am going to try and forge ahead to create a community of peace, acceptance, and love for all people. That includes people who think differently from me, and the same goes for us all, no matter which side you feel like you are on during these terrible and exhausting times.
