Letter to a Bigot
1) I always find it of interest when people go off blaming some group or other, for the nation’s, the world’s, or there own personal problems.
It’s certainly a lot easier to point the finger of blame, then to take the time and energy to see the world from a non-biased viewpoint, isn’t it?
Of course, to be able to do that, we have to clean our own house first. As one far greater then us said, it’s necessary to remove the board in our own eyes, before complaining about the speck in one’s neighbor.
That takes a lot of soul searching and courage.
The largest obstacle to overcome is giving up that sense of righteous indignation and self-importance that one bestows upon oneself while in the process of condemning others.
You, like your conservative counterparts, have been conditioned to see the world askew. In your case, the Tea Party (the latest in a long line of political whipping boys), is the root of all evil. To you, it’s as if the Democrat Party is beyond reproach, is beyond scrutiny. For conservatives, though it stems from the opposite direction, the underlying psychology of intolerance is the same.
The saying, “Question Authority” only works if applied straight across the board. No exceptions.
2) “ … whatever it is they (Tea Party) want is not what the people want?”
Really? How do you know what the people want? You may think you know what the “people” want, but you don’t.
You, are only one person. You’re telling us what you believe, which is fine. That is what a true democracy is all about – many voices, many opinions. As George Orwell wrote, political thought where everyone is expected to think the same is not democratic. It does not promote liberty. It is instead totalitarian. For example, ”Unite under the banner of socialism.” A democracy of one is not a democracy.
Another flaw in that reasoning is the very fact that the political parties are split roughly 50/50 in adherents. It is impossible for you, the conservatives, liberals, or anyone to claim that they represent “the “people,” unless one wants to espouse the belief that the “other side” is not worth being considered as being human.
That would take us back to the days of the Jim Crow south, and the blaming of blacks, or 1930’s Germany, and the condemnation of Jews.
I don’t think that’s what you want.
What’s truly important to understand is how quickly we spread hate, mistrust, and misunderstanding. We’re all conditioned to be that way. As I said early, it takes a lot of introspection to even begin to rise above the fray. Orwell wrote that the only way we are going to come to terms with the world’s problems, is to learn how to “see clearly,” without bias and hatred - To recognize all propaganda, all half-truths and omissions, and to resist the urge to choose sides, and instead work together to solve problems.
So, the ball is now in your court. You can work to make the world a better place, or you can continue to blame. The choice is yours.
- Facebook 12/05/2013
It’s certainly a lot easier to point the finger of blame, then to take the time and energy to see the world from a non-biased viewpoint, isn’t it?
Of course, to be able to do that, we have to clean our own house first. As one far greater then us said, it’s necessary to remove the board in our own eyes, before complaining about the speck in one’s neighbor.
That takes a lot of soul searching and courage.
The largest obstacle to overcome is giving up that sense of righteous indignation and self-importance that one bestows upon oneself while in the process of condemning others.
You, like your conservative counterparts, have been conditioned to see the world askew. In your case, the Tea Party (the latest in a long line of political whipping boys), is the root of all evil. To you, it’s as if the Democrat Party is beyond reproach, is beyond scrutiny. For conservatives, though it stems from the opposite direction, the underlying psychology of intolerance is the same.
The saying, “Question Authority” only works if applied straight across the board. No exceptions.
2) “ … whatever it is they (Tea Party) want is not what the people want?”
Really? How do you know what the people want? You may think you know what the “people” want, but you don’t.
You, are only one person. You’re telling us what you believe, which is fine. That is what a true democracy is all about – many voices, many opinions. As George Orwell wrote, political thought where everyone is expected to think the same is not democratic. It does not promote liberty. It is instead totalitarian. For example, ”Unite under the banner of socialism.” A democracy of one is not a democracy.
Another flaw in that reasoning is the very fact that the political parties are split roughly 50/50 in adherents. It is impossible for you, the conservatives, liberals, or anyone to claim that they represent “the “people,” unless one wants to espouse the belief that the “other side” is not worth being considered as being human.
That would take us back to the days of the Jim Crow south, and the blaming of blacks, or 1930’s Germany, and the condemnation of Jews.
I don’t think that’s what you want.
What’s truly important to understand is how quickly we spread hate, mistrust, and misunderstanding. We’re all conditioned to be that way. As I said early, it takes a lot of introspection to even begin to rise above the fray. Orwell wrote that the only way we are going to come to terms with the world’s problems, is to learn how to “see clearly,” without bias and hatred - To recognize all propaganda, all half-truths and omissions, and to resist the urge to choose sides, and instead work together to solve problems.
So, the ball is now in your court. You can work to make the world a better place, or you can continue to blame. The choice is yours.
- Facebook 12/05/2013