This
title is a little pretentious and so is my thinking that somehow, something may
be conjured up that fits the stated concept. And I’ll say it before you think
it… true to form, I shall plod ahead and do myself proud in proving me a fool.
It
has ben said once and again, and then again… that there are some core elements
or topics which will bring out the beast within. This general reaction can’t be
controlled either by education or by societal standards, nor by established etiquette.
Politics
and Religion. Racial issues and Sports.
When any
of these elements is brought into play during a discussion, there’s almost a
guarantee there’ll be some fireworks going off. And when two or more of these
elements are mixed into a discussion where opposing views are the main catalyst,
fireworks easily become an oral and even, a physical altercation.
Now
we come to where my concerns rest. This particular election cycle in the US has
become, for reasons which are far too extensive to go into here, a major hotbed
of name calling, hate, flight of fancy accusations, violence and threats. And
this is just the beginning and even though there are culprits on all sides, seems to come mainly from one side of the ideological
division line. We can expect the heat to be raised much higher, for we are
almost 2 years away from the actual election.
So,
in the mix, we already have the political division. Into this, a major dose of
religious powder has been added. This is, again, coming mainly from one
side (the same one). A religion which
is more than simply a religion; it is a socio-economic-political-legal-religion
complex which is totally alien to the way of life in our country and society; yet, the more acerbic proponents already here (including two representatives elected in an area where they have
become a majority) are telling the rest of us that, in fact, we will have
to either become a part of this religion, or else. We can easily and readily
see what their idea of “or else” is in those countries where this religion is a
majority. And it is not pretty.
Now
we come to the race card. Heretofore, this was reserved for the African-Americans
to use at their discretion. But apparently it has been so over-used that
most (with a few exceptions, all in the
same alluded to party) have stopped using it. So, in order to revive its usefulness,
it is now being tied to the illegal immigrants this same party wants to force
on this country in order to harvest their (illegal)
votes. So now, if anyone wants to secure the borders and/or require positive ID
to vote, that person is automatically a “racist”. The fact that wanting to have
a secure country and fair and transparent elections will work on behalf of
citizens of all races and has nothing to do with “racism”, eludes these people.
Or maybe not, and it is a studied use of terminology and labels. In any event,
the concept of “racism” has been lost to the priority concept of “political
expediency”.
So,
we come to sports. This should be an easy walk, right? Guess again. Without
going into the kneeling, not kneeling issues (I personally kneel for God and stand for the flag… but you knew that)
we are now at the doorstep of the Superbowl. Seems that one of the QBs (Tom Brady of the Pats) was or is a
friend of the President. That little bit of news has a whole faction in
hysterics demanding his removal from the game or calling for him to be brutally
maimed by the opposing team. Like in many other aspects, those who yell and
scream do so at the urging of a few puppeteers; they just follow suit.
I
guess that leaves me no option but to add one more element to this volatile mix
we now live in: Blind Stupidity.
Which
brings me back to the beginning. The complexity of the human being; the
simplicity of the human being. How easily manipulated has the unprepared human mind
become.
Just
one last rejoinder: don’t take anything at face value. Ask, then ask again.
Be
Well … Be Back!!!
Final Notes:
· Pray
for those who are
fighting an illness which may take them away from their loved ones… Every
request is heard, and counts!!
