Schools and children’s advertisements are very busy with anti-bullying campaigns and demonstrating how wrong it is to bully people. They show the merciless wounds caused by bullies, who are usually larger physically but have low self-esteem issues.
Apparently this information has not made it to any politician running for office.
How can we expect young people to stop bullying when they are bombarded with adults behaving so poorly? Have you seen a news channel discussing politics in a rational, kind, respectful manner? Are both or three of four sides to an issue presented where all views are presented in a classy manner with etiquette? How often have you seen more than two views presented? We have become such an either or society that we refuse to think broad enough to look for other options or opinions. That, in itself, is a shallow way to think. When was the last time you saw, heard or read discussions on or in the media that honored all people when discussing race, religion or politics?
The people with the money [read ‘control’] over the presentation usually show their side as the only rational, intelligent view while vilifying the other side with ad hominem attacks: "If you believe like that, then you are a hateful, bigot from the dark ages." We have failed at becoming a kinder, gentler nation. We attack each other in the USA with more verbal violence than we attack world-wide hunger, poverty, sex-trafficking, slavery and violent regimes. Are our priorities correct? Do we make the main thing the main thing? We seem to be more concerned with our personal liberties than we are with our societal responsibilities to make our neighborhood and world a better place.
Have we left common sense and decency behind for the sake of pursuing hedonistic pleasures that will never satisfy our souls? That is one reason why the Declaration of Independence phrases the epicurean world view as "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." When we place the pursuit as the priority, we redefine the first two on the basis of our perception of the third; which is unending and never fully satisfying. "If you don’t allow me to do what I want in this pursuit of happiness, then you are judging me by getting all up in my bizness and robbing me of life and liberty also. Therefore, I will call you names and demean you as evil so others will side with me as we bully you into submission for being stupid for thinking the way you do."
Look and listen carefully to what you read, hear and watch. Do you see this bullying? Is it being fair and unbiased? Are you getting all sides and views to issues? Have you thoroughly explored options and searched for truth? Are you open to having decent and orderly dialogues with people of differing opinions? Are you getting facts or just passionate emotional arguments? There is a HUGE difference between those. A lot of angry emotional heat is being spewed all over. Bullying is passionate from all sides. Is it possible or conceivable that you might possibly be wrong?
Can we talk like civilized humans? We seem to have forgotten the rules of kindergarten about being nice and sharing. We seem to have thrown out the golden rule about treating others like we desire to be treated. It’s very easy to dismiss the views of people we turn into our emotional enemies. What if people are not the real enemy? Can we be gracious and loving toward those who despise us or our views? Are we doing what is right? Are we pursuing truth? Where are we getting out information? How valid are the facts we use? Is it possible that our perception is incorrect?
Will you make a difference in the USA to stop this intellectual violence and make the world a better place?
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