Social Civil War

There was a time during my childhood when someone once asked me, ‘If you could have any imaginary superpower, which one would you want?’ I wanted the power to read people’s minds. I wanted to see their perception on everything and to understand their thought processes. I desperately wanted to know others better. Our innermost thoughts abandon pretense.

These days, I shake my head frantically. I‘d like to take that back. I no longer want to know what others think. I no longer want to know what their thought processes are. It’s ugly, it’s hateful, it’s disingenuous, it’s environmentally calibrated and plagiaristic, it’s credulous, it’s uninvestigated candor, it’s anecdotal, but it’s mostly wrong. My opinion is my conviction, and your opinion is your belief. However, whether we want to admit it or not, it’s fragmented!

People, no one is going to change your mind, and no one will change mine. But here’s the reveal: You don’t have to argue, you don’t have to shout it from the roof tops, and you don’t have to spread the media’s version of a story. You can keep your biased opinions to yourself. You can keep your facts to yourself. We’re all capable of making our own judgments based on research, not the lies we pass around like disease. That disease becomes a virus. How do we stop a virus? How do you prevent your neighbor from doing something they have the right to do? WE CAN’T!

How do we want to be remembered?

Do we really want to be the generation that causes dissension among our own peers? Do we really want to be the source for future quarrels and cantankerous social separation? We are teaching our children that blasting our opinion somehow makes a difference. We’re in an era of change, people. So far, we aren’t faring well.

Why isn’t our generation moving toward peaceful acceptance of other opinions? Haven’t we done this already? Let’s reveal our voice through affirmative action not repulsive behavior. Does our negativity change others? Do our outlooks alter another’s perception? Do we really want to be another generation remembered for hate, for injustice, for a lack of sympathy? Didn’t the former generations do that enough? Do we want to be remembered as the generation that started the social civil war? What are we leaving behind? What will our children have to clean up? They’ll be repairing our ailing and cynical world. We started this! We did this! Will they even be able to mend our mess? Will our human connection be so broken that hate will be indoctrinated?

How much societal mutilation can we possibly endure? Our children need to smack us in the face and scream, ‘ENOUGH’. Let’s stop the destruction, stop the separation, and stop the hate. Stop the misrepresentations and the spreading of the verbal disease that is currently overtaking our virtual world. It’s filtering into real life. People are hating people for their unpopular beliefs. And the two sides really don’t even know each other.

I understand the concept that, “I don’t care what people think of me.” YOU SHOULD. We should know our brothers and sisters. Stop being the tough guy/girl and be kind! You hate them, they hate you. You passionately disagree. You’re behaving like children. Throwing tantrums just to get attention. Where are you now? How do you feel? THAT is what you’re teaching your children. They’re learning to ‘not care’ about other people and their feelings, only selfishness matters. They see that and they take it with them. That is what is wrong with all of us, WE DON’T CARE, though we should. 

We say we are for "____”. That proves you care about something. Well, guess what? Someone else cares about “____”. Do you care about their opinion? No, you don’t. But you want the opposition to care about what you care about. See the disparity? No? There’s the problem. Egotism will get us nowhere. Respect the lines, respect the boundaries. CARE! Disagree, but care, nevertheless. Can you imagine if we all cared about each other the way we should love ourselves?

Someone needs to stand up and say NO MORE. Where’s the love, where’s the acceptance, where’s the connection as a human species?

All we can do is keep ourselves in check. I’ll take care of me. I’ll make sure I don’t create an atmosphere of hate or discord. Who cares what I think unless someone agrees with me? No one. Who cares how I perceive the world? No one. How many people want to hear my opinion? Nobody! Am I going to change your mind? Nope. I can speak openly and honestly around those who truly have an open mind even though they may be in opposition. The only way this scenario would work out is if my audience and I care about each other. Do you care about your neighbor? Do you care about their freedom? How about if we all just respect one another? What if we agree that we are all important enough to stop spewing hate? What if we all still said hello to each other every morning? How about we start aiming for peace instead of contending with who is justified?

YES! We should fight for what we believe. But if we believe in a better world, start with yourself! Who are you? Do you control anything other than yourself? Can you control anything other than yourself? What if we all started controlling ourselves? Oh, what a wonderful world that would be…

Imagine for a moment: A world filled with kindness, graciousness, smiles, laughter, honor, favor, equality, patience, love, and God.

It’s improbable, I know. I’m not disillusioned. However, if I start with me, and you start with you. And then she starts, and then he starts, etc. Then we can change the temperature of our attitudes one by one. Love each other. That is the command. We don’t have to agree, but we do have to love each other. Start with yourself. We only fight conflict because we don’t love ourselves as Christ loves us. If we did love ourselves, we’d see no need to sling fire at our neighbors. We’d be capable of loving others and ourselves. When we love ourselves, we find peace. We find respect for others, and we find acceptance. Let me be me, and I’ll let you be you. Put out love and kindness. Put out hope and joy. Stop the virus! But somebody has to go first.