Since I have lived 80 years on this earth, I have experienced and witnessed an amazing amount of “history” and its impacts.
Therefore, I am offering information on some related history to what I am seeing today – using FEAR of communism to control a population and to distract from what some are doing
This is not the first time it has been used for political purposes – — to get an agenda approved by people — to silence those who disagree — to retaliate against perceived enemies and many other “shady” goals that usually involve gaining power and wealth
In order to anticipate any cries of bias, I am including the AI OVERVIEW for your review.
— Mc·Car·thy·ism(noun) a vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54.
Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party.
AI OVERVIEW McCarthyism is the political practice of making baseless, indiscriminate accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason, often using unfair investigative methods to suppress opposition. It takes its name from U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy.
THE HISTORICAL ERA: (The Second Red Scare) The term originated in the late 1940s and 1950s during the “Red Scare,” a period of intense paranoia in the U.S. regarding alleged Communist infiltration of American society and the government.
THE TACTICS: Senator McCarthy utilized highly publicized congressional hearings to accuse various government officials, artists, and academics of being Communists or Soviet spies, often waving “lists” of names without providing concrete evidence.
THE IMPACT: This climate of fear led to widespread political repression, loss of employment, and the blacklisting of hundreds of professionals— most notably in the Hollywood entertainment industry.
People were often presumed guilty by association.
THE FALL: McCarthy’s campaign ultimately unraveled in 1954 during televised U.S. Army hearings, where the public witnessed his bullying tactics and lack of evidence.
The Senate formally censured him later that year.
MODERN USAGE TODAY McCarthyism” is used more broadly as a byname for the defamation of character, reputation, or patriotism through unsubstantiated charges. It is frequently invoked to describe any situation where those in power use fear tactics, intense investigations, and disregard for civil liberties to silence unfavorable political or social views.
TO LEARN MORE about the mechanics and timeline of this era, you can review the detailed resources provided by Encyclopedia Britannica or explore the historical records at the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
• McCarthyism | Definition, History, & Facts – Britannica https://www.britannica.com/event/McCarthyism ======= PERSONAL MEMORIES I remember hearing about some who were forced to give the names of friends to avoid prosecution and there were some rumored suicides and deaths caused by these “hearings” – the terror of being called before this man with the threat of prison or worse punishment led to lives of thousands that were totally destroyed by FEAR of a non-existent threat spread throughout our country – FEAR of being accused, FEAR of being a friend with someone who was accused (just like World War Two Germany) living with FEAR that served some warped agenda until people finally got enough and said “STOP!” – I wonder when we will say “enough!” and stop being manipulated by FEAR in a threat intended to DISTRACT us from what is being done by those seeking power and wealth?
IF I shouted “DUCK” in a crowd in some public place, it is unlikely anyone would think I was telling them about a bird at the lake in a park. In fact, I imagine it would create panic in our current society with its tendency to use violence to “settle” disagreements or perceived grievances.
It is SO important for us to understand the words we are using IF OUR GOAL IS to continue building our world instead of destroying it!
Instead of exchanging insults and hate, we need to share thoughts and opinions and always define the words we are using so we can communicate the message we intend to communicate. We ALL can benefit by growing our knowledge of each other.
Genocide is a word that is NOT clearly defined or understood because we are further away from the horrendous world war that caused it to be created – sadly, even to the point that some deny it ever happened and some call it a hoax to further their own agenda.
However, there are many written accounts by survivors of that genocide and pictures taken at the time by those who ended the conflict and discovered the emaciated survivors and confirmed the death camps directed at certain groups of people existed – it happened!
SO what do I mean by “genocide”?
Genocide is the intentional and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The term was coined in 1944 by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, and established as an international crime by the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
DEFINING Acts of Genocide Under international law, genocide is characterized by specific actions committed with the intent to destroy the targeted group. These include:
• Killing: Murdering members of the group.
• Causing Harm: Inflicting serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group.
• Inflicting Conditions: Deliberately imposing conditions of life (e.g., starvation, forced displacement) designed to bring about the group’s physical destruction.
• Preventing Births: Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
• Transferring Children: Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
NOTE: Lemkin lobbied for genocide to be outlawed by international treaty, but the Genocide Convention restricted his initially broad definition to five specific acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such.” Its definition remains contested by scholars and institutions across international law, history, sociology, and related fields.
It is unfortunate that major countries have consistently refused to support or enforce the international crime rulings because they fear they will be held accountable for the times of genocide in their countries – that includes the United States of America. ———-
It breaks my heart on a daily basis to see TODAY the targeted groups of people being abused – one does not have to look far to see GENOCIDE being “justified” by those standing to gain wealth and power by getting rid of those they claim are “bad” as we watch young children and women and old people beaten or forced from their homes to be sent to a place where they will be under constant threat of death or worse . . . AND, just like in the time of Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church, clergy who stand against the genocide and try to protect the marginalized and voiceless are beaten, pepper sprayed, and arrested!
May our eyes be opened and our hearts be softened to the cries of all who suffer as we resist the message that we must destroy any not like us to protect our _________ (*fill in the blank) * each “agenda” has a difterent word used to stir up fear
Sages of every age have disputed the message of hate, selfishness, and arrogance being “sold” today and we must reject its alluring temptation to gain power by belonging to the “right” group, if our world is to survive!
Words matter – they can build or tear down, bring healing or destruction, shine light or deepen darkness, expand understanding or close hearts/minds –
Genocide is NOT Just a Word to those victims of its lies – we need to know what it means! to every man, woman, and child in a world pursuing power and wealth.
HOPE lies in the re-lighting of the spark of Truth within, in the hearts/minds of all humanity, to speak the Wisdom of the ages . . .
TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WANT TO BE TREATED simple, not easy!
NO condemnation – NO judgment just a review of what I saw and felt – all opinion with no “facts” Reviewing History is very important – we can learn from our mistakes so that is my motive in sharing my thoughts on this time –
we were SO excited – we had lived through the aftermath of a world war with devastating horrors that showed us what humans were capable of doing to other humans and we grew up wanting to prove that we were different – the war was followed by an overwhelming wave of materialism in our world, the obsession with possessions and now the heavens were aligning to make this the SPECIAL TIME for us, a SPECIAL GROUP of people who wanted to fill the world with the only answer to the “bad side” of humans, LOVE – we knew what needed to be done, get our “elders” to see that the love of money and possessions was the cause of the “bad side,” and we were willing to expose it and reject it!
it was obvious we had a SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE, INSIGHTS that the “older folks” did not seem to have – surprise! and we could finally make this world a better world for everybody – the energy was palpable, you could feel it coursing through our gatherings of SPECIAL PEOPLE with a SPECIAL MISSION – to save the world and restore order and harmony!!!
Our message was LOVE with no restrictions – SPECIAL LOVE for every living being – our beginning was SO right!
There was a unity of purpose – come together and share what we had so everybody could have enough (not trying to make money from transactions with each other), make the world a better place, stop wars, and spread peace to the whole world – no one person was telling us what to do, we just seemed to be on the same page through the early times and the excitement of finding that deeper meaning of life consumed us – our music spoke our message strongly and clearly . . .
the musical HAIR with its songs that resonated with us – it stirred our spirits even with words we did not understand – the 5th Dimension’s “Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine” filled our hearts with hope and a belief in the future, a feeling of being unstoppable – our hearts were centered on making a better world!
we FELT SPECIAL and we knew we were living in a SPECIAL TIME with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Age of Aquarius, a SPECIAL MISSION to create the world the way it should be for everybody – bring it back to what it was always meant to be!
We thought this was a universe-dictated spiritual awakening that would bring about all the good always intended for all the world –
what happened ? what happened to our SPECIAL MISSION ? ———— what happened to US ??? I have heard many theories put forth as to why this specific “age of Aquarius” failed to build a better world and seems to actually have led us to where we are today – living in a more divided and hate-filled world than ever!
Having lived through this period in history, I do not agree with most of the theories I have heard – it wasn’t the drugs (those were introduced by a government agency for their own reasons) and it was not that the basic tenets were unworkable – IN MY OPINION, I think it was much more subtle, yet more complex than those theories –
I believe we failed because of basic human nature – because we were innocent and naive, because we were arrogant in our youthful enthusiasm to do something bigger than ourselves . . . most of the people I knew then were not prideful and did not appear “arrogant” BUT, without realizing it, the very claim of being SPECIAL with a SPECIAL MISSION planted that seed of being “more in tune” and “more knowledgeable” than those who did not join us or were critical of us, therefore, we did not listen to anyone else, we did not consider any other ideas to be valid – we were arrogant in a way that did not look like arrogance, but it was and we did not believe we could learn from others nor did we try to bring others to understand what we were trying to do – we just expected to accomplish our SPECIAL MISSION and then the world would be a better world and everyone would just naturally be thankful for the results of our SPECIAL MISSION – a world filled and united by peace and love
BOTTOM LINE:
LOVE DID NOT FAIL – we did
blinded by our desire to make a better world, we did not recognize our need for guidance, our need to LISTEN to others and explore their questions BEFORE ignoring and dismissing their input SO when LSD was introduced as a way to expand our consciousness, many of us took the bait (just for the record, I never took LSD) and using LSD for sure led to total loss of focus on our SPECIAL MISSION AND since there was no “organization” and no one person to look to for keeping us together on our desired track, so the dark forces were able to derail a massive movement to bring Light to the world with peace and love guiding all of us
Our human nature, like a coin, has two sides – we started being driven along the path of Light with a SPECIAL MISSION to bring our world back to Love as its core BUT selfishness, indulgence in “pleasure,” and prideful arrogance were successful in undermining and derailing many of us –
we took the first step of committing to the MISSSION, but we did not know how to go forward from there –
an important song: (Scott Mckenzie – San Francisco (Official HD Video)utube.com/watch?v=j-447NaiBJs&list=RDj-447NaiBJs&start_radio=1) many made it to San Francisco, but went home empty and disheartened, feeling the deepest failure of all: loss of hope leading away from the Truth of Love when lived out is the Way – Love that Listens to others . . . Love that Builds relationships . . . Love that Grows and Shares . . . we can reclaim the Truth of Love and walk in its Light together – May we each Listen and Build and Grow and Share the Light of Love – simple, not easy . . .
[Verse 1] When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars
[Chorus] This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius Age of Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius
[Bridge] Harmony and understanding Sympathy and trust abounding No more falsehoods or derisions Golden living dreams of visions Mystic crystal revelation And the mind’s true liberation Aquarius Aquarius
[Verse 2] When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns with Mars Then peace will guide the planets And love will steer the stars
[Chorus] This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius Age of Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius Aquarius
[Part 2: Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)] [Instrumental Bridge]
[Outro] Let the sunshine Let the sunshine in The sunshine in Let the sunshine Let the sunshine in The sunshine in Let the sunshine (oh, let it shine) Let the sunshine in (come on) The sunshine in (now everybody just sing along) Let the sunshine (and let the sun shine on in) Let the sunshine in (open up your heart) The sunshine in (let it shine on in) (And when you’re lonely) Let the sunshine (Hey! Let it shine, yeah) Let the sunshine in (you got to open up your heart) The sunshine in (and let it shine on in) (And when you feel like you’ve been mistreated) Let the sunshine (and your friends turn their back upon ya) Let the sunshine in (just open up your heart) The sunshine in (and let it shine on in) (You’ve got to feel it) Let the sunshine (you’ve got to feel it) Let the sunshine in (ahh, open up your heart and let it shine on in) The sunshine in (And let me tell you one thing) Let the sunshine (I want you to sing along with the 5th Dimension) Let the sunshine in (Hey, open up your heart) The sunshine in (Aww, come on) Let the sunshine (Let it shine) Let the sunshine in (Everyday) The sunshine in (Hey, you got to feel it) Let the sunshine (You got to feel it) Let the sunshine in (When you open up your heart) The sunshine in (You gotta let the sun come on in) (And I see in the mornin’) Let the sunshine (And late in the evening) Let the sunshine in (Open up your heart) The sunshine in (Hey!)
“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by The 5th Dimension was written by Galt MacDermot, Gerome Ragni & James Rado. ============ Footnote ^ Eight researchers claim the Aquarian age will arrive in the 25th century while the 21st, 26th, and 27th centuries have seven supporters each. Other centuries that have a number of supporters for the beginning of the Aquarian age include: 22nd and 23rd centuries (6 each); 19th century (5); and the 18th century =======
HOW MANY TIMES throughout recorded history has it happened? How many times has there been a group who claimed they were “special” people called to a “special” mission at a “special” time to change their known world and only they could do it and they were “commanded” to do it by the highest power recognized by their SPECIAL group???
Any dissenters, questioners, or objectors were labeled as “ignorant” or “deluded” or “not able to grasp the SPECIAL message” . . .
To me, AREA 99 is the place anyone who is different than those in the “SPECIAL” group in some way and they are called “low life” and are not deserving of consideration of any kind or even worthy of life itself!
We stand in the middle of just ONE of those times and the ones who are “SPECIAL” and the ones who are put in AREA 99 have changed from the last time this happened, but the basic “game plan” is the same – identify those NOT SPECIAL (different than me) and get rid of them . . . withhold food, withhold medical treatment, withhold safe places to live, abuse them physically and emotionally, sound familiar?
Are there any human beings who I have the RIGHT TO JUDGE as not deserving of food or health care or a safe place to live? If so, where did I get that “right to judge” and what makes ME deserving of food or health care or a safe place to live?
HOW CAN I WATCH human beings treated in ways that I would not want to be treated???
HOW CAN I WATCH people (some children) who have lived in this country for decades, some since their birth, now being told they are to be taken from their homes and sent to a country where they may face violence and many things to threaten their lives AND no one can help them – they cannot appeal the decision to send them from their homes?
GENOCIDE Generally speaking, genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation, except when accomplished by mass killings of all members of a nation. It is intended rather to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves. [Lemkin]
The Lemkin Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States. EIN: 87-1787869 https://www.lemkininstitute.com
============ the “golden rule” is recognized in many cultures and has been used thoughout centuries to encourage good interactions between people and nations: TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WANT TO BE TREATED (an excellent guideline)
Planting seeds encouraging violence, directly or indirectly, is SO wrong– using the “divide and conquer” approach will work in our country if we do not stay focused on what message we should be sharing . . . and that would mean we ALL lose!
we need to focus on: • learning to communicate, • learning to speak AND listen, ª respectfully exchanging diverse opinions about important issues, • listening to others with the same respect we want for ourselves • opening our minds and hearts BEFORE opening our mouths
this is not easy and we need to work hard to exchange OPINIONS and to REMOVE the emotionally-charged, insulting, rude words and degrading labels from our speech
social media has often, unfortunately, driven many good individuals to leave that medium because of the hatefulness and intense judgements expressed by some on their “friends” list and that decreases the number of moderate voices being heard (I had an exchange the other day with someone who had experiences with health care that were the opposite of my experiences, but it did not wind up with insults or harsh words. We just expressed our opinions and we are still “friends”– this is as it should be – • communicate, but don’t judge • share experiences and OPINIONS knowing that different perspectives do not mean one is “right” and one is “wrong,” they are just different OPINIONS drawn from different experiences
we do need to share our opinions and thoughts so that we can come to better decisions about how we need to resolve problems, BUT we need to review and improve our communication skills FIRST and we need to remember . . . we are ALL people, flawed perhaps, but people and we ALL need to be heard in order for us ALL to live on this earth together . . .
diversity – being different can be a good thing as we LEARN to look at things from many different perspectives to respect others as we want to be respected and GROW as people — we ALL win!
an Eagle! in a tree in my front yard! with white head showing among the branches of the tree that looked like a good landing spot, a place to rest until . . .
as I looked at the scene before me, I saw, behind the back of that majestic Eagle, there was a Crow watching intently, suspiciously . . .
Two members of the “bird family” who are natural enemies, who fight over territory, food, and nesting rights – seemingly, both felt it was impossible to exist in the same space or to allow the other one to live in “their” space . . . why?
As I watched the scene unfolding before my eyes, I suddenly heard the loud battle cries of more crows who were quickly flying into the area, I assume they came to help their scout who had spotted the Eagle and apparently raised the alarm!
The crows began circling around the tree and the Eagle chose to fly across the road to another tree – but, as the Eagle landed in another tree, the crows began diving one after another to attempt to drive the Eagle out of “their” territory
as the attacks by the crows continued, the Eagle seemed to just sit there awaiting an end to their attacks — being outnumbered by a “mob” attacking from different directions made it impossible to defend successfully – now the Eagle is a larger bird and certainly stronger than those crows, BUT, the Eagle chose not to fight and at first simply went to a space on a tree further away from the group of crows while keeping an eye on them, and eventually the Eagle flew away at a time of the Eagle’s choosing — the odds were not in favor of a “fair” fight, so it seems the Eagle made a wise choice —- MY Observations as I watched this scene:
there was 1 – MOB MENTALITY crows gathered those like them to attack one NOT like them – their nature seems to be it is always a “mob” attack against a perceived threat from any who were “different than them”
• belonging is based on being alike – being born into the right “family” in the right place
• bottom line was protect MY money, MY food, MY rights, MY territory – others do not deserve any of MY stuff – NO sharing what is MINE
and there was 2 – LOUD CHAOS loud battle cries and three or more against one is a strategy that works – yelling PLUS a mob creates distractions and makes it hard to fight against
• all communication is based in fear and anger, self protection blinds the “mob” to all but protecting the mob
and each participant seemed to believe it was 3 – ALL ABOUT ME NO compromise considered, NO sharing of resources, NO peace for either crows (mobs) or Eagles (individuals) requires constant vigilance by all NO ONE matters but ME
I have experienced being a “crow” and being part of a group that had identified some “others’ as threats and, therefore, those “others’ deserved harassment to drive them away AND I have experienced being the one like the “eagle’ who is “different” and, therefore, unacceptable to some
. . . I think, after observing the battle yesterday, I would want to be the Eagle, standing silent when attacked and then choosing to be somewhere away from all the chaos and loud yelling hoping to find others who want to share Life without judging someone for being “different” – leave the “mob” to feel they “won” BUT I feel sorry for the “mob” and their self-centeredness that keeps them from welcoming “others” who might share what they have and the “mob” would end up with more as the “mob” and the “others” share what they have and live together in peace with no need to “protect” anything . . . BUT, it is, of course, their choice . . . every day
Today – a book . . . what I take in a bird . . . what I put out a drop of water . . . what brings Life
TODAY, like every day, I am looking for meaning in my life, a sense of purpose and I was reminded of some interesting Truths by my early morning activities – I read a little and then I took a walk around my yard taking pictures
—A BOOK (or any thing that I “take in”) One of my favorite books is by Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the holocaust, nazi concentration camps, and the loss of everything – “Man’s Search for Meaning” and the main message I stored in my heart from reading it.
TRUTH—everything, YES, EVERYTHING can be taken away from me EXCEPT MY ATTITUDE – only I can choose my attitude, only I can decide how I will choose to live through whatever is going on in my world – burdened and oppressed by anger, resentment, depression, hopelessness OR holding onto hope for the future, recalling times of peace, looking for pinpoints of Light
Many books have helped me on my journey even in the middle of trauma and dark times but this one planted a Truth that empowers me whenever I feel defeated by circumstances that I have no control over – I can choose MY attitude . . .
—A BIRD (what I put out) as I walked outside taking pictures, I heard a VERY LOUD bird “singing” so loud it could not be ignored and I walked around until I located the tree that bird was sitting in – I could not believe it was such a TINY BIRD making such a loud “song” that totally drew me to find where it was coming from – I had to find where it was sitting!
What, I wondered, was I “putting out” into the air that would draw others to try to find me – to find the source of the “song” I put out, to find out where I was “sitting”?
—A DROP OF WATER (what gives life) acknowledged as the life giving, life sustaining substance, plentiful and essential, versatile (creates, sustains, restores Life) and this morning it was left from last night’s showers on the grass, the flowers, the weeds – everything had drops of water on its surface
ALL Life requires water – so the question comes down to: “what gives me Life?” – do I spend my time taking in what gives Life or do I spend my time taking in all the “dirty water” flowing from the hearts and mouths of those spreading darkness –
A drop of water – a simple choice to share an encouraging word or a smile when checking out at the store or giving what I can to someone on the street who is in need or calling someone who cannot get out to ask how they are doing . . . a drop of water is a small thing, but can bring life to another person and refresh my spirit!
Today – a book . . . choosing what I take in a bird . . . choosing what I put out a drop of water . . . choosing what brings Life TRUTH found all around me . . .
I once stood at the foot of this mountain that many wanted to climb . . . it seemed much too big, too high for an amateur “hiker” to tackle and all of us were amateurs . . . we knew we could not climb it, NO way!
So, in the decades that followed, we were surprised, amazed, and found our success hard to believe – yes, there had been far too many losses to count, both in people and causes, but the hights reached were definitely admirable and beyond our wildest expectations . . . some were protected, some were saved, and there was some recognition of the validity of our climb!
A number of unrelated people and groups had made the climb possible and opened the way to climb even higher. We thought hearts and eyes had been opened to BUILD a “better world” for ALL – people, animals, the environment – realizing a need to “tend the garden,” our world and ALL that shared its space, its resources, its place in the universe, to show “respect” for all Life . . . until now . . .
NOW it seems RESPECT [esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person] is a word that is not heard often in our society and its meaning has been lost as the pursuit of wealth and power have tempted many into selfishness and a total disregard for any thing or any person not “useful” to gain wealth and power!
The loudest words I hear today: Destroy! Dismantle! Disregard! Defeat! Disrespect! Dehumanize!
NOW – we stand, not only at the foot of the mountain, but we have dug down into the darkness that is usually hidden and bullies have said “Bravo! for coming over to the dark side . . . join us as we dig deeper and walk in the tunnels where no Light enters – feast on enemies, hatred, and vengeance! This is what we deserve, the dark, rich dirt of selfishness to grow what we want!”
The mountain still stands there reaching up into the sky with Light shining on its summit and rivers can be seen flowing on its slopes – WE CAN climb it again, drink from the Living Water, and open its flow of Life to all creation, together!
WE CAN . . . TOGETHER! • focus on the common goal of LIFE FOR ALL • avoid distractions and attacks EVERY PERSON HAS A GIFT • seek “better” solutions for issues LISTEN TO ALL VOICES • talk softly with respect for all
WE may have many differences and WE may be different in many ways BUT WE can work together with those differences as our strengths!
F – A - S - T (restrict intake) Focus – Avoid – Seek – Talk
SO, that is the question, right? WHICH C.A.F.E.? NO! in a world that keeps insisting on making every issue have a “YES” or “NO” answer, I have decided that, when I think about it, most of my answers are NOT “YES” or “NO”!
There are SO many points to consider about each issue that is challenging in our world – it seems TO ME that the only people pushing for “YES” or “NO” answers are somehow benefiting from forcing that response . . . why?
I have felt the CHAOS and the ANGER and all the others negative feelings in the first C.A.F.E. BUT, I have also felt the CALM and ALTRUISTIC feelings in the second C.A.F.E. – which has often left me feeling very CONFUSED . . . UNTIL I stopped and asked myself “what do I think?” not what am I being told to think or being told there are only two answers to choose from on an issue or a situation —humans are more complex than that!
SO MY ANSWER to every issue is “NO”! I will not accept that I only have two choices AND “YES”! I will think about other answers, maybe check out some ideas from different sources, and INSIST on finding a “middle way” – a way that goes beyond just “YES” or “NO”
MY CHOICE IS to STOP all the chatter going around in circles, REJECT all the distractions and judgements of people and situations I know nothing about and insist on staying on the “issue,” REFUSE “Yes” or “No” questions, DISMISS those who try to change the conversation to condemnations instead of examining possible solutions, and
I WILL PAUSE before making a comment on any issue so I can respond, NOT react,
I WILL CLAIM my right to my opinion while being willing to explore without judgement the opinions of others,
I WILL MAINTAIN and DEMAND respectful interactions with others . . . IF you must curse and condemn others, take a long walk in the woods and feel free to express yourself there
I WILL REMEMBER – people with differing opinions can be “right from their perspective” but that does not make someone who disagrees with them “wrong” which is WHY opinions should never be stated as facts (including mine)!
I am on a journey to find the MIDDLE WAY so I will be making adjustments as I go along . . . it seems that this is the way throughout all of time that has worked the best – define the goal, take a step, assess its result, make adjustments to follow the path to the desired goal
HOW DO I WALK THE MIDDLE WAY? first: define my goal . . . simple, not easy!
some decades ago (more like a lifetime ago), it was pretty well accepted by most adults that yelling and screaming was not the sign of a “reasonable” person and we tended to not listen to the rants and rudeness of those doing the yelling and screaming . . .
today, it seems to me, that we have reversed those conclusions and more are repeating the yelling, screaming rudeness we used to recognize as signs of immaturity –
the book I am currently reading has stirred me to remember the calm, rational voices who spoke firmly and often shared hard truths, but did NOT yell and scream or rant with insults and rude remarks – they were simply voices that calmly, and sometimes passionately, spoke truth – who called us to think (WOW!) and to talk respectfully about challenges and explore solutions without belittling or insulting others . . .
barbarajhicks
Jeanne
Jeanne H Barnett's Blog 