Put your head back in the clouds and shut your mouth
World shut your mouth, shut your mouth
Put your head back in the clouds and shut your mouth"
Julian Cope-"World Shut Your Mouth"
I love a good discourse, because it is spreading ideas.
The Market Place of Ideas has always had its shelves stocked to the full due to the free and open exchange of different opinions and viewpoints. That is the beauty of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. No matter how appealing or appalling your viewpoint is, you have a right to share it. Of course, others have the right to display their displeasure or sing their praises of your opinions as well. So, if you have a viewpont that divides a fair share of popular opinion and the opinion of those who you know and love, be prepared to have your armor ready. You are going to hear and see some things that may hurt your feelings or cause you major discomfort. Be prepared to take it, and to take it with dignity.
This blog is my Market Place of Ideas. You can be a satisfied customer with my opinions, or you can return them for a full refund. I still love you just the same. My goodness, living in a Market Place of Ideas is much better than living in an Echo Chamber of Horrors. Can you imagine what that would be like...living in an echo chamber? Hearing the sound of your own voice all of the time! It would drive me to madness! I have to hear different opinions being brought forth to me in an intelligent and reasoned manner. I don't want to be surrounded by "yes men" and "yes women".
Me? I used to love getting into furious but fair and fun discussions on the issues of the day. Now, I don't do it anymore. Why? I'll explain...
I'm going to show my age with this next reference. I think the chorus of the famous Kenny Rogers song "The Gambler" contains words to live by: You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, and know when to run. So simply said, yet so brilliantly stated.
In short, I know when to say something and when not to say something. I know what to discuss with who and what not to discuss with who. I learn what offends people and what doesn't. I know when to speak up and when to keep quiet. Honestly, it's a real pain in the ass, because I wish everyone had thicker skin and could take constructive criticism and honest disagreement, and not think that it meant your life was in danger.
Oh, the things I could have wonderful discussions on with people, but I don't do it out of respect for the feelings of others. Not that it would be anything offensive or controversial, it is just that with many people today EVERYTHING is offensive or controversial. Someone shows the other a different point of view and instead of responding with intelligence or standing strong, the "straw man" arguments come out, the ad hominem attacks start, and the name calling rules the day. A rule of thumb to know is that when you start name-calling, it means that you have lost the argument because you cannot counter in an intelligent manner. Civility is out the window.
People on the Left call the Right "Bullies". People on the Right call the Left "Snowflakes". I personally think that is wrong and both sides have their bullies and snowflakes. Let's call them "bully snowflakes", because they act all tough, but then melt like snowflakes when the argument waxes hot and things are not going their way. Don't be a bully. Don't be a snowflake. Be intelligent and always be friendly, but if things are not going your way, don't throw a temper tantrum and toss your toys down in anger. Be strong. Stand firm. Always be respectful.
Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan were close friends despite their political differences. "The Ragin' Cajun" James Carville and Mary Matalin got married! Those people I just mentioned were political oppposites, yet they were close friends and stayed close friends, or in the case of Carville and Matalin, got married and go around the country giving talks on how they make their marriage work. Some of my best friends believe things that I consider to be wishful thinking at best and unicorns and rainbows at worst, and I'm sure that some of my beliefs and opinions are considered just as fanciful and silly and preposterous by my best friends as well! And that is OK! Doesn't mean I don't respect their opinions and they mine, just means we don't agree on them. I take the words of wisdom of Thomas Jefferson:
"if we do not learn to sacrifice small differences of opinion, we can never act together. Every man cannot have his way in all things. If his own opinion prevails at some times, he should acquiesce on seeing that of others preponderate at others. Without this mutual disposition we are disjointed individuals, but not a society."
And most importantly: "I never consider a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend."
Free discussion is dying. The minority that just wants to share and express their opinions groans under the weight of the social media spammers and the late night snark show blowhards. All people like John Oliver and Seth Meyers can do is call people who are right of center names. All people like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity do is make fun of liberals and talk about how great conservatives are. Either viewpoint is the holy communion of the Church of the Poisoned Mind (sincere apologies to Culture Club). The bullies and the snowflakes claim to be against each other, but share the same goal: to opress freedom of thought and freedom of opinion, whether it be by a despicable insult, or cowering in the corner in fear.
Now, I hear a lot of people say "WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BIGOTS!?! YOU ARE GIVING THEM A FREE PASS!" Bullshit. Truckloads of Bullshit. Enough Bullshit to fill Yankee Stadium.
Yes, everyone has the right to an opinion, even hate groups. The KKK have the right to have rallies. As a practicing Catholic (yes, they hate Catholics), I'm a target of them as well. They have a right to tell me what they think of me, or anyone else, no matter how abhorrent I find their point of view. I also have the right to tell them back that they are full of shit and that only ignorant fools find their point of view appealing. As long as they just talk, they have a right to do so. However, if the talk turns to violence on their part, I have the right to knock the living shit out of their bigoted asses. It's called self-defense. By then, the situation has gone WAY BEYOND just simple freedom of speech.
However, let us not pigeonhole those who disagree with you as an extremist. Don't be a bully. Don't be a snowflake. The person who disagrees with you probably holds an honestly and well meaning belief that just contradicts you that might come from a set of core values that are honestly held. That's not bigotry, because they do not hate you or anyone. They just have a different opinion. Allow them to have it, and state your case with them. If you both can't see eye to eye, agree to disagree, and shake the dust from your feet.
I'll end my statement today with another quote from Thomas Jefferson: "Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education & free discussion are the antidotes of both." So, I say to you, do not be a barrier to free discussion. Encourage it.
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