Hunting for Witches

Oh how I love human nature. It absolutely fascinates me! I study it. I crave all perspectives. I love knowing how people think and what causes their behaviors. People watching is a favorite activity of mine-both in person and online. Sometimes it bends my brain, but I love it. I adore humans. I am so grateful we are all entitled to our own opinions....and that we can change them as well. But how wonderful to be able to have a mind of your own and be able to make decisions for yourself! It's one of the true gifts of being mortal.

People watching in the Charlotte, NC airport. 

That also brings up the topic of freedoms to a) form and own one's opinions and b )the freedom to express them. These are two entirely different freedoms-some have one but not the other. I am profoundly and entirely grateful for those who have fought and continue to fight for me to have both. I grew up with a generous helping of patriotism and I hope I have instilled it in my children. This country has started to drift towards letting these ideals go and either thwart liberty by pushing "rights" to the extreme or forgetting how we gained these rights altogether. God help us if we do forget. We need to remember or we will lose our rights again. THANK YOU ALL MY HEROES PAST, PRESENT,  AND FUTURE who protect our rights and sacrifice everything for them. I cannot repay the debt, just pay it forward.

My father's headstone with his service medal on it, and my mother's father right behind-with his service medal as well.

A post from my cousin, including my father and grandfather-
I have many dedicated family members who have given to
my freedoms and my country. I am so grateful.

THANK YOU AARON!!!

In mulling this over, especially recently, I find I am a little disenchanted with aspects of these freedoms. I STILL BELIEVE IN THEM AND FEEL THEY SHOULD BE FOUGHT FOR.  I just feel like they are misconstrued to be used as witch hunting tools and/or reasons to unload vengeance on others. If the expressed opinion is not ones own, the author of those views either gets called out and put on trial for said opinions,  or fury in the form of forked tongues comes out and wipes out any goodwill that could be had. I WANT to hear your opinion. It helps me get to know you. I love perspective. It sometimes helps me see things I have never been able to before, and helps me broaden my mind. Even if I don't agree, I support you in having your own thoughts and ideals. I so appreciate the people who can come out and say what they are feeling, and do it kindly and respectfully. More of that needs to be seen. I will tell you that if you feel you have to bring out the F-bombs to make your point, my understanding will immediately diminish. Make a good argument and use civilized words, and I will listen until you have had your say. I will  mull over every point you make. I may even change my mind because I have seen another side. If nothing else, I will understand it more than I did before. But crude and foul words rained down on my head will lessen your case as well as your credibility.

Now I refuse to bring out the 2020 "C" word (hint-it rhymes with ovid), as it's becoming just as vulgar to me as the original one. Though it is just the name of a virus, it has caused as many soured stomachs as the "C"word we grew up knowing was one of the worst words we could utter. I am so very tired of the 2020 version, as I am sure the whole world is. We bonded together for a few weeks there, and then statistics changed, opinions were formed, people became selfish and criminal for their views, and we began the division once again. Crazy how we do that. You'd have thought 9-11 would have taught us for good. Heck-you'd have thought many crises we have experienced as a nation-as a world-would have done it. But somehow we have grasped the belief that if we can't convince another of OUR view, they must be wrong, and quite possibly our enemy. It is pathetically sad. But it's our "right".

I'll set the record straight for myself. First, I rarely state my opinion because of these very circumstances. I believe it's okay for everyone to form their own opinion. I don't make waves if there don't need to be any. I WILL NOT engage if  a fight is what you want. Sometimes, and very rarely, I feel the need to be heard. That's all. I don't expect you to change. I don't ask you to go get a new opinion. I will offer perspective that maybe you haven't thought of before. I will be kind. I will give my view and maybe even stand up for myself. That being said, if treated fairly, I will stand up for YOU as well. But I can't stand up very well for anyone if I have been injured in an attack. I just want the world to be a better place.

My opinion, should you want to know it, is that humans, in general, are wonderful. In general, they do their best. Humans are humans-therefore we disagree. Humans CAN disagree and still love each other. We can disagree and still be kind. We can disagree without calling names or using offensive words. Humans have done amazing things for each other since time began. We have done wonderful things as this latest installment of heightened life has ensued. My opinion is that we should continue. We should still unite. We can still take this current "C" word and make sure it's not such a horrid, troublesome word-but a lesson. There's still time to rally. And I will be grateful.