So, we are now several days past the execution of Saddam Hussein. Where are all the massive reprisals promised by the terrorists? Why haven't the islamic extremists abandoned their differences and rallied together to avenge the death of Hussein? Shouldn't America be on their knees begging for mercy by now because of the vicious attacks from these brutal and fearsome Islamic warriors?
Attacks will come, you can be sure. You can also be sure those attacks would have come anyway. These people are cowards who only strike where we are weakest and when they have a minimal chance of being caught. The execution of Hussein reinforces the fact we WILL come after them if we can prove they are responsible for any future attacks. Extremist groups are certain to be moving cautiously right now, regardless of the promised revenge for this execution.
Americans and our allies need to wake up and realize this war is not going away anytime soon. I don't mean the war in Iraq, I mean the war on terrorism around the globe. We have become so conditioned to Hollywood happy endings that we can't conceive of this war continuing. So, people begin to delude themselves into believing they can just walk away and maybe the terrorists will go home. Fat chance! These people want us dead! They want America destroyed. The attack on 9/11 and previous attacks such as the bombing of the USS Cole (have you forgotten about that?) are the tip of the ice berg. Left unchecked, islamic extremists would happily reign death, chaos and destruction on America and her allies every chance they got. They are NOT going away! They believe in what they are doing so much they are willing to die in these attacks. What do we believe in? What do Americans believe in strongly enough to die for? About half of the population doesn't even care enough to vote, much less be willing to die for anything!
And so, we fight the battle abroad, in the hopes we won't have to fight it within our own borders. And, for a short time at least, we have given the leaders of these radical movements pause, because they now know not ALL Americans are weak and impotent. If they stick their head up too far, at least one of us will be happy to shoot it off, or put it in a noose.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Saddam Hussein Must Die
The clock is ticking down for Saddam Hussein. He had his day in court (which actually lasted several years) and now awaits execution sometime before January 27 of 2007. I say sooner is better! The party that supports Hussein is already threatening reprisals if the execution takes place as planned. What more are they going to do? With the help of Iran they have already laced the roads with IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) that kill people daily, and they routinely blow up both civilian and military targets of opportunity. If it was within their power to wrest control of the government away from the current leaders they would have done so already. Further, I can guarantee if Hussein is NOT executed these attacks will NOT stop. No, the threat of reprisals ring pretty hollow in a country scarred by terrorist violence on a daily basis.
Allowing Saddam Hussein to live is the worst thing that could happen in Iraq. Any legitimacy or credibility the current government now has would crumble under the perception of weakness and fear. Worse than that, Hussein could become an islamic version of Nelson Mandela, perceived to be unjustly imprisoned. We don't need to give islamic radicals another martyr to rally around. When Hussein is executed, the radicals supporting him will blow up a few things in his name (targets they were already planning to blow up, I might add) and then move on. But, left alive Hussein remains a figure of power in an unstable region who still has a cadre of loyal supporters. One small shift of power in this region (such as a US withdrawal) and Hussein could find himself liberated and back on top. If that were to happen the US would be humiliated in so public a fashion that our credibility might be lost forever.
It is time for Saddam Hussein to join his victims. This execution must happen! This is the only way to close the door on the old regime forever. It also gives Iraq a new opportunity to strengthen the current government and begin to restore peace in their country.
Allowing Saddam Hussein to live is the worst thing that could happen in Iraq. Any legitimacy or credibility the current government now has would crumble under the perception of weakness and fear. Worse than that, Hussein could become an islamic version of Nelson Mandela, perceived to be unjustly imprisoned. We don't need to give islamic radicals another martyr to rally around. When Hussein is executed, the radicals supporting him will blow up a few things in his name (targets they were already planning to blow up, I might add) and then move on. But, left alive Hussein remains a figure of power in an unstable region who still has a cadre of loyal supporters. One small shift of power in this region (such as a US withdrawal) and Hussein could find himself liberated and back on top. If that were to happen the US would be humiliated in so public a fashion that our credibility might be lost forever.
It is time for Saddam Hussein to join his victims. This execution must happen! This is the only way to close the door on the old regime forever. It also gives Iraq a new opportunity to strengthen the current government and begin to restore peace in their country.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
What Should America Do About Darfur?
For those of you who don't know, a civil war is taking place in Sudan. Since 2003 an estimated 400,000 people have been killed and over 1 million have been displaced as their villages have been systematically burned to the ground. I have heard about this conflict, but I have not taken the time to learn much about it until today. I will not bore you by going into the details of the conflict. If you wish to do so yourself, there are several excellent resources on the Internet. The one I used most was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict.
As with all similar conflicts, there are a large number of issues that all swirl together in a complicated mass. There is no “good” guy or “bad” guy. People are divided along both racial, tribal, and religious lines. There is an arab-african aspect to this conflict. There is a muslim-non-muslim aspect. And, there are numerous other aspects I cannot begin to comprehend. The result, as I stated above is hundreds of thousands of people are being killed and millions are being displaced. There are frequent reports of women being raped, dismemberment, torture, and ethnic cleansing. In some cases, villages have been burned to the ground and completely wiped out, while muslim villages as close as 500m have been completely untouched. It is a horrible situation the likes of which we in American cannot even begin to comprehend. But, still, it exists and it demands a response from us as a nation.
The situation in Darfur is not unique. Across the globe people are killing each other by the hundreds of thousands. The Hutus and the Tutsis, the Serbians and the Croats, the Isrealis and the Palestenians. It is a tragic reality that the human capacity for love and self-sacrifice is only matched by our capacity for evil, hatred and violence. How is America supposed to respond to this?
We could do nothing at all. Or, we could do so little that it amounts to doing nothing. After all, the Sudan is across the ocean on another continent. We are in no danger of having their problem spill over onto our soil. The war is a civil one, between the people of the Sudan. It is none of our business. Both sides have committed atrocities you can be sure. There is a wholesale slaughter of people on both sides, and eventually, one group will emerge victorious. This is a scene that has repeated itself for millenia and who are we to interfere without invitation? In this same category of inaction are such things as voting for U.N. sanctions against the warring groups and endless diplomatic discussions that yield few or no results while people continue to die. If only the pesky problem of morality did not present itself, it would be easy to make this choice. But can we live with that. Can we live with the knowledge that we stood by and allowed over 400,000 people to die while we did nothing? What about when it becomes 1 million people, or 6 million? What is the magic number that stirs us up and requires us to act, regardless of the opposition, simply because it is the right thing to do?
We could put on our cape, mount our white horse, and ride off into battle, intent on vanquishing evil and restoring truth, justice, and the American way. In the case of Darfur, I can only conclude this means sending in our military to suppress both sides and “force” a cease fire. In the meantime, the conflict between both sides will continue to simmer, boiling over here and there while American troops get caught in the middle of a fight we don't understand. Fewer people will die, it is true. But we will have traded those deaths for the lives of our own troops. And nothing will have been resolved. The Sudanese government has made it crystal clear they will not allow any foreign military presence on their soil. Unless we are prepared to overthrow the existing government and hand the country over to the rebels, the rebels will not be satisfied with our presence. From their view point we will only be maintaining the status quo, neither advancing their cause, nor hindering it. Any peace we could achieve would be temporary if the underlying issues are not identified and solved. The moment we fail to keep the peace, the fighting will erupt anew, only now both sides will have had time to rest and rearm, eager to make up for lost time.
What are we to do? Were you looking for an answer? I have none. We must make these decisions as the situations require us to. Each conflict is unique and brings its own unique complexities to the table. My heart grieves for the violence and death of the people in Sudan.But, we are powerless to change them and what they want. The rebels want to be free from the oppression of the government. The government wants to the rebels to go away or acquiesce to their rule. The muslims want a muslim state. The non-muslims want religious freedom. Which of these things are in our hands to give?
So, we watch and we wait. We remain vigilant for an opportunity to have a positive impact on the situation. I pray it comes soon.
As with all similar conflicts, there are a large number of issues that all swirl together in a complicated mass. There is no “good” guy or “bad” guy. People are divided along both racial, tribal, and religious lines. There is an arab-african aspect to this conflict. There is a muslim-non-muslim aspect. And, there are numerous other aspects I cannot begin to comprehend. The result, as I stated above is hundreds of thousands of people are being killed and millions are being displaced. There are frequent reports of women being raped, dismemberment, torture, and ethnic cleansing. In some cases, villages have been burned to the ground and completely wiped out, while muslim villages as close as 500m have been completely untouched. It is a horrible situation the likes of which we in American cannot even begin to comprehend. But, still, it exists and it demands a response from us as a nation.
The situation in Darfur is not unique. Across the globe people are killing each other by the hundreds of thousands. The Hutus and the Tutsis, the Serbians and the Croats, the Isrealis and the Palestenians. It is a tragic reality that the human capacity for love and self-sacrifice is only matched by our capacity for evil, hatred and violence. How is America supposed to respond to this?
We could do nothing at all. Or, we could do so little that it amounts to doing nothing. After all, the Sudan is across the ocean on another continent. We are in no danger of having their problem spill over onto our soil. The war is a civil one, between the people of the Sudan. It is none of our business. Both sides have committed atrocities you can be sure. There is a wholesale slaughter of people on both sides, and eventually, one group will emerge victorious. This is a scene that has repeated itself for millenia and who are we to interfere without invitation? In this same category of inaction are such things as voting for U.N. sanctions against the warring groups and endless diplomatic discussions that yield few or no results while people continue to die. If only the pesky problem of morality did not present itself, it would be easy to make this choice. But can we live with that. Can we live with the knowledge that we stood by and allowed over 400,000 people to die while we did nothing? What about when it becomes 1 million people, or 6 million? What is the magic number that stirs us up and requires us to act, regardless of the opposition, simply because it is the right thing to do?
We could put on our cape, mount our white horse, and ride off into battle, intent on vanquishing evil and restoring truth, justice, and the American way. In the case of Darfur, I can only conclude this means sending in our military to suppress both sides and “force” a cease fire. In the meantime, the conflict between both sides will continue to simmer, boiling over here and there while American troops get caught in the middle of a fight we don't understand. Fewer people will die, it is true. But we will have traded those deaths for the lives of our own troops. And nothing will have been resolved. The Sudanese government has made it crystal clear they will not allow any foreign military presence on their soil. Unless we are prepared to overthrow the existing government and hand the country over to the rebels, the rebels will not be satisfied with our presence. From their view point we will only be maintaining the status quo, neither advancing their cause, nor hindering it. Any peace we could achieve would be temporary if the underlying issues are not identified and solved. The moment we fail to keep the peace, the fighting will erupt anew, only now both sides will have had time to rest and rearm, eager to make up for lost time.
What are we to do? Were you looking for an answer? I have none. We must make these decisions as the situations require us to. Each conflict is unique and brings its own unique complexities to the table. My heart grieves for the violence and death of the people in Sudan.But, we are powerless to change them and what they want. The rebels want to be free from the oppression of the government. The government wants to the rebels to go away or acquiesce to their rule. The muslims want a muslim state. The non-muslims want religious freedom. Which of these things are in our hands to give?
So, we watch and we wait. We remain vigilant for an opportunity to have a positive impact on the situation. I pray it comes soon.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Making Us Safer By Stripping Our Rights
Another one of our constitutional freedoms will be permanently chipped away if Kansas lawmakers have their way. It turns out they are debating a law that will allow the police to pull people over for not wearing their seat belts. Now, someone reading this is asking themselves, “Can't they do that already? After all, the law requires us to wear our seat belts.” That is a good question, so, let's recap. We are protected by several rights, among which are the rights against unlawful detention and the right to privacy. The police do not have the right to indiscreminantly detain and question people to find out if they have broken any laws. They must have a reason, such as speeding, or failing to signal before they can violate those protections. In other words, they must have reasonable suspicion you have broken a law before they can pull you over. Yay! Win one for freedom.
But, not in Kansas apparently. Kansas lawmakers want to strip us of those protections and give police the ability to pull people over on a whim. I say this because, there is no way police officers can accurately tell if you are wearing a seat belt or not until you are stopped. The next time you are sitting at an intersection, try to look into the cars as they pass and see who is wearing their seat belt. You will encounter no end of difficulty. The sun will reflect off the glass so you cannot see inside. Many older cars have lap belts only. Some people will have clothing that closely matches the set belt making it difficult to tell whether they do or don't have their seat belt on. And all of this must be determined with in a fraction of a second. Now, add night into the picture, and this law becomes completely useless. If this law is passed, a police officer need only say they could not see your seat belt and they would have the right to pull you over. Consider for a moment the potential abuse of this power. Minority groups already encounter situations where they are pulled over for questionable reasons.
Maybe you think this is no big deal. “Yes, we may be sacrificing a small amount of personal freedom, but we will all be safer for it in the end.” you say. The problem is we have lost too much already. Our freedoms have been chipped away for decades, and if we don't draw the line somewhere we run the risk of losing them all. I wear my seat belt and I believe they save lives. I think people who don't wear seat belts are taking a foolish risk. However, it is none of the government's business if I take foolish risks, and using this as the platform for further erroding our freedoms is unconscionable.
But, not in Kansas apparently. Kansas lawmakers want to strip us of those protections and give police the ability to pull people over on a whim. I say this because, there is no way police officers can accurately tell if you are wearing a seat belt or not until you are stopped. The next time you are sitting at an intersection, try to look into the cars as they pass and see who is wearing their seat belt. You will encounter no end of difficulty. The sun will reflect off the glass so you cannot see inside. Many older cars have lap belts only. Some people will have clothing that closely matches the set belt making it difficult to tell whether they do or don't have their seat belt on. And all of this must be determined with in a fraction of a second. Now, add night into the picture, and this law becomes completely useless. If this law is passed, a police officer need only say they could not see your seat belt and they would have the right to pull you over. Consider for a moment the potential abuse of this power. Minority groups already encounter situations where they are pulled over for questionable reasons.
Maybe you think this is no big deal. “Yes, we may be sacrificing a small amount of personal freedom, but we will all be safer for it in the end.” you say. The problem is we have lost too much already. Our freedoms have been chipped away for decades, and if we don't draw the line somewhere we run the risk of losing them all. I wear my seat belt and I believe they save lives. I think people who don't wear seat belts are taking a foolish risk. However, it is none of the government's business if I take foolish risks, and using this as the platform for further erroding our freedoms is unconscionable.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Victory or Death
As I listen to the radio and watch the television, it seems everyone is talking about how badly things are going in Iraq and asking how quickly we can get out of there. I agree with the first part in this respect – bad things are happening in Iraq. People are dying every day, both soldiers and civilians. News flash: It is a war! Nothing points out America's soft pink underbelly more than our reluctance to lose even a single life, even in the pursuit of our enemies. Consider this for a moment, during a supposed time of peace, terrorists killed approximately 2000 American civilians in a single day on 9/11, yet during a time of active war our enemies have only managed to kill a little more than 3000 US soldiers in over 3 years. No major US victory has ever taken place without bloodshed and the war on terrorism will be no exception.
Wake up! Our enemy understands the importance of winning this war. In the face of an enemy that is better financed and far superior technologically they have pulled out all the stops to ensure victory. There seems to be no end to the amount of time, money, manpower and material they are willing to invest in this war. You see, they understand! If we are successful in establishing a working democratic government that can protect its people and provide an environment where the people of Iraq can be prosperous, the terrorists stranglehold on the middle east will crumble. The only viable weapons the terrorists have are fear and intimidation. If we strip them of that they are beaten.
Yet, still everyone seems focused on how quickly we can get our troops out of there. When can we bring them home? Let me ask a different question. How long did we have to leave troops in Japan and Germany after World War II? How long did we have to leave troops in South Korea? We must adjust our mindset. It took decades to reform Japan and Germany into productive allies that no longer threaten us. And Korea is a lesson we are still learning. North Korea remains one of our most serious problems, largely because we refused to do what was necessary to win there. Now, decades later, they are a fledgling nuclear power on the cusp of developing missiles that can reach our shores. This is what happens when we allow our will to waver.
We absolutely cannot leave Iraq! Not this month, not this year, not this decade! We must dig in and show the world we will not settle for anything less than complete victory. Only when Iraq is a free and democratic nation capable of defending itself from all enemies, foreign AND domestic, can we leave. In short, we will leave when we are no longer needed.
Yes, things are bad in Iraq. And you can bet they will get worse before they get better. We have a short memory. If you think our troops are fairing poorly you should remember the battles of World War II. It is a slap in the face of the veterans who fought at places like Iwo Jima and Normandy to even suggest the current casualty rate is unacceptable. The world has never seen a less bloodless war. We must firm our resolve! The storm is upon us. We must not be lured back to the illusion of safety by the comforts of our own camp, where we can ignore the effects of this storm. The storm will only increase in strength until it is powerful enough to consume us. If we give up and go home, the terrorists will only be encouraged to fight harder. What will they attack next while we think we are at peace? Will it take a 747 crashing into a stadium of 60,000 people to wake us up? Must we wait until a nuclear weapon is smuggled into our country and hundreds of thousands of us are killed? Will the current price we pay in lives seem too great then? The attack on 9/11 was our wake up call. Those who choose to ignore this call will never hear it. But, those who do hear the call, no matter how faintly, must act! Now is the time. Iraq is the place. If we do not win here, then history will look back and record this as the time when America's fall began.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
The Grinch is alive and well!
I work for a great company, a great boss, and I really enjoy my work. So, I was stunned when my boss told me we were having an office "holiday party" instead of the traditional Christmas party. "What?" I cried? "Did some whacky new policy come down from the corporate office?" He said, "No, but if someone is offended because we call it a Christmas Party, they might sue." They might sue? You can sue for being offended? I get offended on a daily basis, but I never knew you could sue for it. I might retire early!
I asked him if anyone was planning to sue, and he said they were not. He also assured me no one had complained, nor was he aware of anyone who was going to complain this year. Further questioning revealed the corporate office was still having a Christmas party, but he clearly had the same concern about them being sued. Now keep in mind, our office is only four years old. Every year we have had a Christmas party and there have never been any problems.
So, this is where the current climate of political correctness has brought us. We are now trying to stave off lawsuits by proactively removing anything that might "offend" people. Good luck! You can't get 5 people in the same room and discuss anything of significance without offending one of them. And, I guarantee the idea of having a "Holiday Party" offends me. Christmas is a national holiday for crying out loud! Since when is it offensive to celebrate a national holiday?
And another thing, Christmas is not just some "Joy to the world and peace on Earth" day. It is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (*gasp* He is talking about God again. That is two posts in a row. I knew he was a religous nut!) Hey, think what you want. If someone is offended by an office Christmas party because they don't believe in Christianity, they can choose to not attend, or put together an office party for their own faith.
But, if Christmas really has become some non-religious observance of universal peace and happiness punctuated by shorter days and cooler weather, then why doesn't someone change it? Why doesn't Congress pass a law renaming Christmas to "Winter Holiday" or some other non-specific holiday observance? Why don't the retailers start selling Holiday trees and drop all other references to Christmas completely? Oh wait, Target already tried that and was overwhelmed with protests and a drop in holiday sales. Neither would Americans stand for it if Congress tried to change the status of Christmas, and create a different national holiday. Conservative estimates are that over 75% of Americans consider themselves Christians, and anyone who would argue this country was founded by Christians refuses to look at history honestly.
It is time to stop apologizing for the things that make America unique, and Christmas is one of those things. Every country has its own indentity built around the idealogies and beliefs of the majority. I am sick to death of people taking advantage of the benefits of America when they find it convenient, and then having the nerve to get offended by things like Christmas. We have a word for people like that. Grinch!
I asked him if anyone was planning to sue, and he said they were not. He also assured me no one had complained, nor was he aware of anyone who was going to complain this year. Further questioning revealed the corporate office was still having a Christmas party, but he clearly had the same concern about them being sued. Now keep in mind, our office is only four years old. Every year we have had a Christmas party and there have never been any problems.
So, this is where the current climate of political correctness has brought us. We are now trying to stave off lawsuits by proactively removing anything that might "offend" people. Good luck! You can't get 5 people in the same room and discuss anything of significance without offending one of them. And, I guarantee the idea of having a "Holiday Party" offends me. Christmas is a national holiday for crying out loud! Since when is it offensive to celebrate a national holiday?
And another thing, Christmas is not just some "Joy to the world and peace on Earth" day. It is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (*gasp* He is talking about God again. That is two posts in a row. I knew he was a religous nut!) Hey, think what you want. If someone is offended by an office Christmas party because they don't believe in Christianity, they can choose to not attend, or put together an office party for their own faith.
But, if Christmas really has become some non-religious observance of universal peace and happiness punctuated by shorter days and cooler weather, then why doesn't someone change it? Why doesn't Congress pass a law renaming Christmas to "Winter Holiday" or some other non-specific holiday observance? Why don't the retailers start selling Holiday trees and drop all other references to Christmas completely? Oh wait, Target already tried that and was overwhelmed with protests and a drop in holiday sales. Neither would Americans stand for it if Congress tried to change the status of Christmas, and create a different national holiday. Conservative estimates are that over 75% of Americans consider themselves Christians, and anyone who would argue this country was founded by Christians refuses to look at history honestly.
It is time to stop apologizing for the things that make America unique, and Christmas is one of those things. Every country has its own indentity built around the idealogies and beliefs of the majority. I am sick to death of people taking advantage of the benefits of America when they find it convenient, and then having the nerve to get offended by things like Christmas. We have a word for people like that. Grinch!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
On the Edge
I am a man on the edge. Not on the edge of sanity or on the edge of some major breakthrough. I am on the edge of abandoning the shackles of social courtesy and of telling them what I actually think. It is not pretty. The thoughts I have, but seldom share, can be mean, sarcastic, and injurious. I also have kind, polite, and happy thoughts, but I am obviously less hesitant about sharing those.
In spite of allegations that I can be cold, distant, or even arrogant, I actually care about other people, and I don't want to cause them pain. This is why I usually keep these thoughts inside. If I am occasionally distant it is to prevent myself from saying the things I am thinking. It is in the best interests of others and not myself that I do this, for while I often do not say out loud what I am thinking, I still have those thoughts. They still exist and I must deal with them. Even though I do not share them, I fume over them, I obsess about them, and I deliberate over what to say, or not to say and how best to deal with each unique situation so that I don't hurt other people with my words.
Regardless of my behavior, there are others who do not feel bound by these types of social courtesies. They are evidently free to say whatever comes to mind, regardless of the impact on others. Their ideas are so well thought out as to be above reproach and only an idiot would disagree. Never mind that their ideas are based entirely on emotion, 5 whole seconds of thought, and a complete lack of factual information.
This, of course, is a broad over-generalization which I have exaggerated for emphasis. Yet, it is often closer to reality than I would care for. And, when I intrude on their social, political, or religious tirade with a contradictory fact or a question that challenges their supreme grasp of a particular topic, I am labeled intolerant, racist, insensitive, or worse. Well, here is where that ends. If they believe I am insensitive face-to-face, where I have deliberately held back as not to cause harm, then wait until they read what I write here (which they most certainly will not).
I am tired of subordinating my thoughts, beliefs and principles just to avoid an emotional outburst from others. There ARE two sides to every issue (at least) and here is where I will record my side. I will do so bluntly and without apology. If you are offended, good. So have I been for too long. Where appropriate I will use the facts at hand as I see them. On other issues, I will simply state my opinion. For instance, God exists. I can't prove He does, and you can't prove He does not, but I believe He does and that is enough for me. If that is not enough for you, then accept it as a point of disagreement and move on, or leave. This is NOT a religious thread, but neither will I shrink away from the topic, as a belief in God is fundamental to the rest of my foundational beliefs.
You see, the difference between what others are doing by carelessly airing their views in public regardless of how they affect others, and the airing of my views here, is that I am forced to hear the opinions of others and you are not forced to hear mine. You are here by choice. You may leave at any time and ignore me forever. I hope you stay. I hope you take the time to read the thoughts of one among you who allows himself to be shouted down in order to preserve the peace. Because, here you will learn that my silence is not agreement.
I have never blogged before. I have never followed anyone else's blog. This is a new experience for me. This first entry serves as my introduction. If you care to learn more about me you will find it in my writing and not in my biography. My goal is one entry per week. I may post more frequently, especially at first, but those are bonus entries. An absence of 5 or 6 days should be considered normal. Your responses are welcome and even hoped for, but personal attacks are not.
In spite of allegations that I can be cold, distant, or even arrogant, I actually care about other people, and I don't want to cause them pain. This is why I usually keep these thoughts inside. If I am occasionally distant it is to prevent myself from saying the things I am thinking. It is in the best interests of others and not myself that I do this, for while I often do not say out loud what I am thinking, I still have those thoughts. They still exist and I must deal with them. Even though I do not share them, I fume over them, I obsess about them, and I deliberate over what to say, or not to say and how best to deal with each unique situation so that I don't hurt other people with my words.
Regardless of my behavior, there are others who do not feel bound by these types of social courtesies. They are evidently free to say whatever comes to mind, regardless of the impact on others. Their ideas are so well thought out as to be above reproach and only an idiot would disagree. Never mind that their ideas are based entirely on emotion, 5 whole seconds of thought, and a complete lack of factual information.
This, of course, is a broad over-generalization which I have exaggerated for emphasis. Yet, it is often closer to reality than I would care for. And, when I intrude on their social, political, or religious tirade with a contradictory fact or a question that challenges their supreme grasp of a particular topic, I am labeled intolerant, racist, insensitive, or worse. Well, here is where that ends. If they believe I am insensitive face-to-face, where I have deliberately held back as not to cause harm, then wait until they read what I write here (which they most certainly will not).
I am tired of subordinating my thoughts, beliefs and principles just to avoid an emotional outburst from others. There ARE two sides to every issue (at least) and here is where I will record my side. I will do so bluntly and without apology. If you are offended, good. So have I been for too long. Where appropriate I will use the facts at hand as I see them. On other issues, I will simply state my opinion. For instance, God exists. I can't prove He does, and you can't prove He does not, but I believe He does and that is enough for me. If that is not enough for you, then accept it as a point of disagreement and move on, or leave. This is NOT a religious thread, but neither will I shrink away from the topic, as a belief in God is fundamental to the rest of my foundational beliefs.
You see, the difference between what others are doing by carelessly airing their views in public regardless of how they affect others, and the airing of my views here, is that I am forced to hear the opinions of others and you are not forced to hear mine. You are here by choice. You may leave at any time and ignore me forever. I hope you stay. I hope you take the time to read the thoughts of one among you who allows himself to be shouted down in order to preserve the peace. Because, here you will learn that my silence is not agreement.
I have never blogged before. I have never followed anyone else's blog. This is a new experience for me. This first entry serves as my introduction. If you care to learn more about me you will find it in my writing and not in my biography. My goal is one entry per week. I may post more frequently, especially at first, but those are bonus entries. An absence of 5 or 6 days should be considered normal. Your responses are welcome and even hoped for, but personal attacks are not.
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