Hi there. Can we sit down and just chat for a few minutes? I won’t take up much of your time. I just want to ask you to think about something.
Why is it that when someone speaks, they have an expectation of being listened to yet when you voice an opposing viewpoint they attempt to shut it down? I have no problem listening to you speak about your religion if you give me the same courtesy to talk to you about mine. I have no problem listening to your diatribe on politics, as long as you are willing to be open to my points of view as well.
You see, it seems that there was a time when you could actually have a conversation with another person and you could agree to disagree about issues you didn’t see eye to eye on. Those days have disappeared. Now, it just seems that if you state your opinion or share fact-based information, you get shut down, shut off and condemned when it isn’t the “popular” line of thinking.
I admit this worries me. When you can’t voice an opinion because it goes against a friend, or family member or just a person walking by, we are losing our freedom. Why is it that the 1st amendment rights don’t seem to apply to everyone anymore? Only the select few who share the same popular opinion of whatever is part of current consensus thinking? (It’s a bit like fads, what is popular comes and goes.)
Yes, I realize that we aren’t full-blown to the point of where you really can’t say anything. I wonder though, is that day coming sooner than we realize? Like any society that allows the same type of business to operate, it is good for the community to keep prices from becoming insane due to a monopoly. Yet, it seems we are headed for that same type of ‘monopoly’ when it comes to freedom of speech and thought.
Do you think I am kidding? I remember when my son was in elementary school and he came home and told me what I could and couldn’t do to discipline him. He said if we (his parents) didn’t do what he wanted, then he would call the police. That is what they told him he could do in school, call the police on his parents if he didn’t like what they were doing. A seven-year-old. (We offered to take him down to the police station right then and there. It never came up again.)
Now, I know some of you will be thinking, yes, a child should have that right. The problem is. He was a child. Children need to learn the difference between right and wrong. Giving them a time out or not allowing them to stay up until all hours to watch television, etc. are not “rights”. It is not healthy for them. No, we need to spend time with our children and teach them not to put their hands in the fire; teach them what is good and what isn’t. (I am not talking about abusive parenting that is an entirely different situation.)
Unfortunately, in today’s society, you have people killing their children rather than taking time for them. I don’t condone abuse; at any age. Abuse is when you do need to bring in the law. Abuse is when you do need to protect, not just children but the elderly as well. No, what I am talking about is the balance.
Our society is out of balance. We are being told to follow a certain line and not question it. We are being shown when you express your opinion, if it isn’t in line with the popular thought, then it is out of line.
We should have the ability to discuss things without worrying that someone will break down to verbal attacks or worse, physical attacks. There is balance and we need to find it again. For our children, for our future, for ourselves.