Sunday, August 27, 2017

COMMENTARY – YOU LOSE!


Every time I read or listen to the news I am convinced that we, as a species, are doomed. It has nothing to do with the environment or nuclear weapons. It is about the division and hatred that is being fostered by the extremes. The worst part is, these extremes comprise such a tiny portion of our society.

I read this morning how the city of San Francisco blocked a Patriot Prayer rally because they feared violence. The coordinator of the rally is an Asian American. Some of the major supporters are African Americans. The idea was to promote a peaceful dialogue. It wasn’t shut down due to the fear of angry mobs; it was shut down because it didn’t fit with the ideology of San Francisco. What was once the home and bastion of the free speech movement has become the exact opposite.

At one point, there was talk of succeeding California from the rest of the country. Most of the people I spoke with were thrilled with the idea. In fact, they wanted the wall idea shifted from the Mexican to the California border. I have lived in California. I have relatives and friends in California. I’d rather not have to use my passport (and probably pay an exorbitant fee) to go see them. California is an important part of the economy of the United States, so before you wish them ill of any kind, I recommend that you study exactly what the state contributes to the whole.

The problem isn’t California. It isn’t liberals versus conservatives. The problem is and always has been our own prejudices. There isn’t a human alive that doesn’t have some, regardless of what they say or even may believe. The media, every outlet that I’ve been able to find, does nothing to help.

The sad fact is, the media does everything it can to fan the flames. While they may state that their job is to inform, their real job is to sell whatever their advertisers want. It isn’t sex that sells; it is controversy. When you see a headline that reads, “Trump Bans Transgenders!”, what is your first thought? Most people form their opinion just from the headline, which is exactly what the media is counting on. The truth may be that the President has left it up to the Pentagon to formulate a policy and present it to him. It doesn’t matter, people will say, he is the Commander-In-Chief. Yes, that is true, but he is also inexperienced with the military and has to depend on expert opinion. Does this hurt and marginalize a fraction of our population? Absolutely. Does it cater (presumably) instead to the majority? Yes, it does. Why is that wrong? Isn’t that what democracy is, the majority rules?

I can hear some of you screaming about the Constitution right now. Are you the same ones yelling about abolishing the 2nd Amendment and even parts of the 1st Amendment? Maybe you believe that the Constitution is a menu for you to pick and choose from? Is it that you think that the Constitution only applies to some people and not to others? I notice that public schools don’t have a nondenominational chapel, but the same school has a special room for Wahoo for Wudu, room for Muslims to do their ceremonial cleansing, why is that? Are Muslims immune to the phantom ‘separation of Church and State’ that does not exist in the Constitution? I would really like to understand that one. If someone tells me that it is a part of their religion and that they have to be able to do this, then I need to inform you that praying is a part of my religion and I have to be able to do that…anywhere at any time. Just like some of the coaches in high schools and colleges.

What I see is that it’s okay to marginalize certain majorities because a minority doesn’t like it, but the reverse is unacceptable. If that is the truth, then we no longer live in a democracy. Each state, each community appears to be making up their own rules as they go along. We have reverted to fiefdoms. The only difference is that if you don’t like the one you are in, you can move to another. There really is no ‘rule of law’ because locales are changing the laws or ignoring existing ones to fit their own ‘convictions,’ in other words, they are doing the same thing that any criminal does, justifying what they do even though it is against the law.

As long as we, the citizens of this country, tolerate these illegal acts, we will continue to lose, all of us.

KM

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