On some issues I tend to pop off with little provocation. On others, I'm able to take a few minutes, mull all the issues over carefully, form my stance, and then proceed with a calculated, articulate argument.
For whatever reason, all this talk about frickin' chicken sandwiches has me flustered and unable to do either. I want to pop off, but I can't bring myself to. I want to gather my thoughts, and in fact have attempted to do just that more times than I can count, only for them to become entangled soon after for any number of reasons.
This dilemma tends to happen to me each an issue comes to the forefront in which a group of people introduce their First Amendment Rights into the equation. I can't think of anything that's cited more often and used with such carelessness and disregard. I can't think of anything people will pull out of their pocket and fire the trigger on, only to turn around and try choke off the words from coming out of the opposing outh of someone who attempts to use their supposed same right to free speech.
I know where I come out on the great Chick-Fil-A debate of our times, and anyone who knows me a little bit can probably figure that out without too much help. Deep down, I can't foresee my stance, however, from stopping me from conversing with those who oppose my view. It's not going to cause me to "unfriend" anyone or denounce their opinions or think any less of them as I've heard more than a few people do in recent days. I hope those who disagree with me would choose to work to come to common ground, but if not, so be it. It's not my job to make you like me, or for heaven's sake, agree with me. Our true right as Americans, at least in my opinion is to have the freedom to disagree.
Where I will take more aggressive steps, however, is when bigotry, blatant or subversive, becomes the issue. I will take sides when the issue concerns inequity. I will stand firm when I believe a specific and targeted group of people are being singled out, whether it's done through the use of weak semantics that carry all kinds of connotations or through the instant use of a gun fired by a member of an extremist group out of hatred for a particular group of people, as happened over the weekend in Wisconsin.
In the end, I'm fine if an owner of a business wants to expound on his personal beliefs in a public manner. It's my choice later not to buy what he's selling. He's a human being and entitled to live his life by the means he chooses. But please don't characterize his words as not having ill intent. Please don't say their not in some way not meant to exclude a certain group of people. Too many people in this country have become good and clever at expressing comments meant to target certain groups of people, whether for their religion, race, sexuality, etc., in a way that's politically correct and in a way that most people refuse to examine beyond the words' faith value. Words carry intent. Always.
In my opinion, whatever that is worth, a business owner is allowed to think and say what he wants, and I believe further he can put his money that he's earned from that business where he wants, including the Family Research Council and other anti-gay organizations, if that's what he believes and sees fit. Just don't tell me that because he delivered his words in a manner that you might deem harmless and within ill intent that I don't have the right to examine his words, examine his past actions, and examine who he associates himself with to make up my own mind. I do have the right, and I will.
For whatever reason, all this talk about frickin' chicken sandwiches has me flustered and unable to do either. I want to pop off, but I can't bring myself to. I want to gather my thoughts, and in fact have attempted to do just that more times than I can count, only for them to become entangled soon after for any number of reasons.
This dilemma tends to happen to me each an issue comes to the forefront in which a group of people introduce their First Amendment Rights into the equation. I can't think of anything that's cited more often and used with such carelessness and disregard. I can't think of anything people will pull out of their pocket and fire the trigger on, only to turn around and try choke off the words from coming out of the opposing outh of someone who attempts to use their supposed same right to free speech.
I know where I come out on the great Chick-Fil-A debate of our times, and anyone who knows me a little bit can probably figure that out without too much help. Deep down, I can't foresee my stance, however, from stopping me from conversing with those who oppose my view. It's not going to cause me to "unfriend" anyone or denounce their opinions or think any less of them as I've heard more than a few people do in recent days. I hope those who disagree with me would choose to work to come to common ground, but if not, so be it. It's not my job to make you like me, or for heaven's sake, agree with me. Our true right as Americans, at least in my opinion is to have the freedom to disagree.
Where I will take more aggressive steps, however, is when bigotry, blatant or subversive, becomes the issue. I will take sides when the issue concerns inequity. I will stand firm when I believe a specific and targeted group of people are being singled out, whether it's done through the use of weak semantics that carry all kinds of connotations or through the instant use of a gun fired by a member of an extremist group out of hatred for a particular group of people, as happened over the weekend in Wisconsin.
In the end, I'm fine if an owner of a business wants to expound on his personal beliefs in a public manner. It's my choice later not to buy what he's selling. He's a human being and entitled to live his life by the means he chooses. But please don't characterize his words as not having ill intent. Please don't say their not in some way not meant to exclude a certain group of people. Too many people in this country have become good and clever at expressing comments meant to target certain groups of people, whether for their religion, race, sexuality, etc., in a way that's politically correct and in a way that most people refuse to examine beyond the words' faith value. Words carry intent. Always.
In my opinion, whatever that is worth, a business owner is allowed to think and say what he wants, and I believe further he can put his money that he's earned from that business where he wants, including the Family Research Council and other anti-gay organizations, if that's what he believes and sees fit. Just don't tell me that because he delivered his words in a manner that you might deem harmless and within ill intent that I don't have the right to examine his words, examine his past actions, and examine who he associates himself with to make up my own mind. I do have the right, and I will.
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