I really don't want to comment too much about all that is going on in politics right now, because situations easily change on a dime, and once you bring a subject up you have to constantly follow up on it as information increases and situations progress. So what I am offering right now is a very brief thought I had after scrolling through various social media sites and various media I subscribe to there, and watching segments of the 24-hour news cycle on Fox, CNN, MSNBC, Newsmax and OANN.
Listening and reading to a lot over the past few days, there are two things common to all: there is agitation among the people and there is a blame game being played.
Everyone is agitated by something, whether you are on the right, the left or in the middle. Some are more agitated than others, and they manifest this agitation in extreme ways. In the past 24-hours, as an example, you saw this manifested by those on the left in Portland and by those on the right in Washington D.C. They are both the same type of people with different ideologies. They both care a lot about something, they both really hate something, and they both blame something, and they manifest this agitation through physical and emotional violence.
Meanwhile, the other agitated people, which is most of the rest of the population, both on the left and the right, sees what is happening by those agitated in more extreme ways, and are appalled and start to play the blame game. And here is where the difference lies between those who lean right and those who lean left. In all the right leaning media and opinions I've been exposed to, there is a universal condemnation of both extremes. In all the left leaning media and opinions I've been exposed to, there is universal condemnation of only the extremes on the right, while the extremes of the left are greatly ignored or encouraged.
What is the result of this. Well, I can come up with a very long list, but here are a few things:
1. The left leaning riots have lasted for several months with no hope of an ending in sight, while the right leaning riot lasted a few hours.
2. The right leaning riot is being covered and discussed by all, while the left leaning riots are largely ignored by the left and discussed somewhat on the right.
3. The left leaning riots are usually encouraged by left leaning media and politicians when they are discussed by them, while only fringe groups on the right encourage the right leaning riot.
4. 23+ people have been shot dead in left leaning riots, 1 person was shot dead in the right leaning riot (others have died in other ways of course).
5. Over 700 officers have been injured in left leaning riots, while about 14 were injured in the right leaning riot.
6. 150+ federal buildings have been damaged in left leaning riots, while 1 federal building was damaged in the right leaning riot.
7. Hundreds of small businesses are destroyed because of the left leaning riots, no small businesses were destroyed in the right leaning riot.
Listening and reading to a lot over the past few days, there are two things common to all: there is agitation among the people and there is a blame game being played.
Everyone is agitated by something, whether you are on the right, the left or in the middle. Some are more agitated than others, and they manifest this agitation in extreme ways. In the past 24-hours, as an example, you saw this manifested by those on the left in Portland and by those on the right in Washington D.C. They are both the same type of people with different ideologies. They both care a lot about something, they both really hate something, and they both blame something, and they manifest this agitation through physical and emotional violence.
Meanwhile, the other agitated people, which is most of the rest of the population, both on the left and the right, sees what is happening by those agitated in more extreme ways, and are appalled and start to play the blame game. And here is where the difference lies between those who lean right and those who lean left. In all the right leaning media and opinions I've been exposed to, there is a universal condemnation of both extremes. In all the left leaning media and opinions I've been exposed to, there is universal condemnation of only the extremes on the right, while the extremes of the left are greatly ignored or encouraged.
What is the result of this. Well, I can come up with a very long list, but here are a few things:
1. The left leaning riots have lasted for several months with no hope of an ending in sight, while the right leaning riot lasted a few hours.
2. The right leaning riot is being covered and discussed by all, while the left leaning riots are largely ignored by the left and discussed somewhat on the right.
3. The left leaning riots are usually encouraged by left leaning media and politicians when they are discussed by them, while only fringe groups on the right encourage the right leaning riot.
4. 23+ people have been shot dead in left leaning riots, 1 person was shot dead in the right leaning riot (others have died in other ways of course).
5. Over 700 officers have been injured in left leaning riots, while about 14 were injured in the right leaning riot.
6. 150+ federal buildings have been damaged in left leaning riots, while 1 federal building was damaged in the right leaning riot.
7. Hundreds of small businesses are destroyed because of the left leaning riots, no small businesses were destroyed in the right leaning riot.
And so on and so forth.
We can all place blame on whoever we find convenient to blame. But here is why, in brief, I don't place the blame on President Donald Trump:
1. Contrary to what many would have you believe, Trump has never incited a riot or violence, but many left leaning politicians and media have, as it is well documented.
2. Trump has condemned all riots and violence, while left leaning politicians and media have only condemned the right leaning riot and violence and sometimes very slimly the left leaning violence and riots, though they much more encourage it.
3. Trump has from the very beginning been fighting for the so-called "silent majority". The silent majority believes in law and order and loves America the way it has always been, while resisting unnecessary change that goes against the core of what America has always been. It does not riot, does not commit acts of violence, does not cancel out people, does not impose their beliefs on others. They basically work, raise their families, and perform their other societal duties. The silent majority has one major weapon that it focuses on where they can have their voice heard, and that weapon is the power of the individual vote to elect leaders that will promote their values. The only reason things went wrong now are two-fold: 1). crazy fringe groups who are despised by the great majority of the right are trying to have their voice heard, and 2). the much-valued confidence in voting, which is the only weapon of the silent majority, has been taken away by the left leaning politicians through the instigation of fear in order to get their agenda pushed through. Now, the silent majority feels like they don't even have a vote. Donald Trump is now the only one fighting for this, without backing down, while everyone else ridicules him and the silent majority for trying to have confidence in the voting system. But when they are completely silenced, don't be surprised if they are forced to use force.
We can all place blame on whoever we find convenient to blame. But here is why, in brief, I don't place the blame on President Donald Trump:
1. Contrary to what many would have you believe, Trump has never incited a riot or violence, but many left leaning politicians and media have, as it is well documented.
2. Trump has condemned all riots and violence, while left leaning politicians and media have only condemned the right leaning riot and violence and sometimes very slimly the left leaning violence and riots, though they much more encourage it.
3. Trump has from the very beginning been fighting for the so-called "silent majority". The silent majority believes in law and order and loves America the way it has always been, while resisting unnecessary change that goes against the core of what America has always been. It does not riot, does not commit acts of violence, does not cancel out people, does not impose their beliefs on others. They basically work, raise their families, and perform their other societal duties. The silent majority has one major weapon that it focuses on where they can have their voice heard, and that weapon is the power of the individual vote to elect leaders that will promote their values. The only reason things went wrong now are two-fold: 1). crazy fringe groups who are despised by the great majority of the right are trying to have their voice heard, and 2). the much-valued confidence in voting, which is the only weapon of the silent majority, has been taken away by the left leaning politicians through the instigation of fear in order to get their agenda pushed through. Now, the silent majority feels like they don't even have a vote. Donald Trump is now the only one fighting for this, without backing down, while everyone else ridicules him and the silent majority for trying to have confidence in the voting system. But when they are completely silenced, don't be surprised if they are forced to use force.
4. Trump has been blamed for all the problems of the left, and even some on the right, and by doing so Trump has become a martyr and admired by many, so all the blame cards on Trump have long been used up and you can't use it anymore. No more crying wolf.
I can give a bunch of other reasons why Donald Trump is not to blame, but here is why I think no individual should be blamed for these specific riots I am referring to on both the left and the right. Remember in the Gospels where Jesus says to his disciples to buy a sword, and when the disciples took it literally and said to Jesus they had two swords, in seeming approval Jesus said: "That's enough"? And then soon after when Jesus was being arrested, Peter takes one of those swords and cuts off the ear of a soldier named Malchus, but then Jesus heals the soldier Malchus and rebukes Peter and says: "Put your sword back in its place: for all they that take up the sword shall perish by the sword." In this incident of violence, do we blame Jesus who seemingly instigated and approved of the disciples having swords which he encouraged them to buy? You decide.
So who is really to blame for everything?
Well, I have an opinion, which I won't share. I've come close to sharing it already, though. It has been all a part of the game I've been playing on all of you who have read everything I have written so far. If anything, this is all I wanted to say: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I bet many of societies problems today would be fixed if people just shut the hell up and stopped trying to have their opinion heard. I personally care about the opinions of very few people, and some of them are opinions I disagree with. But even if I wanted to hear their opinion, I would ask them, and most likely I won't.
So who do I blame? Most will think that by everything I wrote above that I blame left leaning politicians and the media. Well, I actually don't. As much as I do despise them all, they have been around a long time and will continue to be around, and probably get worse. Others will blame the right leaning politicians and media. Good for you. Guess what? They aren't going anywhere either.
So who do I blame? OK, I'll give my answer. Everyone who wants to express their opinion and listens to others express their opinion is to blame. And the fact that you even wanted to read this post of mine which you probably knew would contain my opinion about something is why I also blame you. And I blame me for sharing my opinions about anything and everything.
But because we want to share our opinions, and we want to hear the opinions of others, the cycle of violence which has always been around, will continue, so brace yourselves.
So who is really to blame for everything?
Well, I have an opinion, which I won't share. I've come close to sharing it already, though. It has been all a part of the game I've been playing on all of you who have read everything I have written so far. If anything, this is all I wanted to say: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I bet many of societies problems today would be fixed if people just shut the hell up and stopped trying to have their opinion heard. I personally care about the opinions of very few people, and some of them are opinions I disagree with. But even if I wanted to hear their opinion, I would ask them, and most likely I won't.
So who do I blame? Most will think that by everything I wrote above that I blame left leaning politicians and the media. Well, I actually don't. As much as I do despise them all, they have been around a long time and will continue to be around, and probably get worse. Others will blame the right leaning politicians and media. Good for you. Guess what? They aren't going anywhere either.
So who do I blame? OK, I'll give my answer. Everyone who wants to express their opinion and listens to others express their opinion is to blame. And the fact that you even wanted to read this post of mine which you probably knew would contain my opinion about something is why I also blame you. And I blame me for sharing my opinions about anything and everything.
But because we want to share our opinions, and we want to hear the opinions of others, the cycle of violence which has always been around, will continue, so brace yourselves.
The only path to healing is to not place blame at all, nor even to seek it, but to just move on and heal the situations that need to be healed. Malchus didn't blame Jesus or Peter, nor did the other soldiers and disciples who were present investigate the matter. Jesus simply healed the problem at hand, and everyone moved on.
The End.
P.S. Kindly do not share your opinion about the contents of this post.
The End.
P.S. Kindly do not share your opinion about the contents of this post.
