Just A Thought - 6/22/17
Editors Note: I wrote this as a stream of consciousness exercise while combatting blog post writer's block. I liked it enough to share here. Features like this may be shared in the future under the title 'Just A Thought.' I hope you enjoy, thank you for reading. Photo credit to Jay Sales @NFSAmericana.
I want to stress emphatically that, in my opinion, violence is never the answer. I have witnessed, and you may have as well, an increase in both calls for and acts of violence over the past several months. It is my hope that Trump supporters, conservatives, Democrats, progressives, and all Americans, in general, are willing to hear me on the following point: We are all brothers and sisters, united by our love of country. There is nothing to be gained from expressing your political unrest, frustrations, and/or dissent in a way that harms others. Whether you believe Trump to be a Russian spy or the Clintons to be the architects of a historic global criminal empire is irrelevant here.
When it comes to the day to day lives of the average human citizen, political rivalry rarely does much good. Let me be clear. Justice is not optional. Justice must always be carried out whenever and wherever needed. Still, when it comes to REAL people, the only thing preventing us from ensuring that justice equally serves us all is our deeply carved divisions. We, the 9-to-5ers and unemployed, bloggers and college students, doctors and lawyers (i.e., ANY American who isn’t a hand-picked member of the elitist political class of this country) must come to understand this essential truth: We the People are ONE. We the People hold the power. It is a founding tenet of this nation.
The possible criminal exploits of those in power do impact our tax rate, our health coverages and our falling wages, but that is due only to our mass complacency. A reluctance to discuss the most important issues respectfully among ourselves, compounded by the consent we've handed over to "Big Media" to spin our information has led to a crisis of political discourse. Take into account that corporate America buys our politicians and rewrites our laws and frankly, it is amazing we've lasted this long. These are uncomfortable truths, but they are still truths.
In America, bribery is legal. In America, charity fraud is rampant. In America, the working class is hurting. It is for these reasons I find it so disheartening when I see masked college students shouting in the faces of blue collar workers on the streets of middle America. It is why I sincerely fear Antifa defaming property and assaulting Trump supporters. These things are the antithesis of what our country needs right now. By allowing violence to become the language of politics, we invite violence to become our mode of governance.
It matters little who started what. An individual Trump supporter and an individual Democrat are both capable of the same heinous acts. This has nothing to do with their political ideologies and everything to do with their humanity. Being a human is hard. Conservatives face similar (if not identical) hardships as Liberal citizens. If the Trump presidency somehow devolves into a Nazi-esque discriminatory murder machine, conservatives in this country will suffer alongside their progressive compatriots. Likewise, if the "Deep State" cabal and military industrial complex thrust the U.S. into war with North Korea or Russia or somehow destabilizes the political or economic interests of the country, all sides of the political spectrum will have to cope with the consequences.
No one is perfect. At times, we will all say something mean or offensive or insult someone; that is not the point I am trying to make. I simply wish to highlight how very important it is that we see past ideological differences and value each other based on something more intrinsic to who WE are. We all live here. We all work here. We all have families and friends who we love and cherish and want to see thrive in a vibrant and pleasant society. So, while we may not all always agree on what is BEST for the country, we all can agree that we WANT what is best.
By all means, be engaged. Debate feverishly on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook or wherever it is you feel the space best houses your opinions, but leave the violence behind. When you cannot use your words to change the hearts and minds of your opponents, the only thing violence will do is ensure you NEVER will. The only power violence has is the ability to further our divisions. Divisions are the tools the establishment use to distract us from our own exploitation. Unity in common purpose will allow us to move our country from the stagnation of the past into a future of better equity AND liberty.
Please, live every day with the understanding that by being decent to those you discuss politics (or literally anything) with, you make a positive change in our society as a whole. Discuss real issues, with real facts as politely as you can, even when it is hard. Be patient, be generous and be those things in spite of hatred and vitriol. Bring peace even in the face of violence. Be the light, even in the depths of darkness. Be the change you want to see, perhaps then we will see that change come to America. God bless our land, it’s people and our world.
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