Extremists scare me. It makes no difference whether it’s a liberal extremist or a conservative extremist, it’s the extreme part that is scary. It means that those people will never compromise. They only want things one way – their way.I think extremists are afraid
They are afraid of understanding anyone or anything that is outside the realm of their experience. They are afraid of change. They certainly have no intention of compromising to make room for another person’s point of view. They are afraid to explore and learn and they are most of all afraid to change their minds.
What if my brown hair made me unacceptable?
I’m a liberal. I believe that we are all one universal energy –whatever we want to call it. And as such we are all related, regardless of the color of our hair, or skin, or our religion. So when you attack people because they are different you are attacking yourself. Intolerance comes from criticizing in others the parts of yourself that you don’t accept or love.
This is 2012. The Republicans are nay saying everything that comes their way. They have set ridged boundaries and refuse to cross them and the population be dammed. They are standing on a perceived “principle.” One of the politatitions says gay people make the choice to be gay and that choice is a wrong one. That’s like telling me the brown hair I was born with was my choice and it’s a wrong one.
Where is the acceptance?
Forget settling for tolerance, I want us to all have acceptance. We need to learn to accept each other for the greatness and goodness inherit in each of us. That doesn’t mean you have to hang out with people you don’t like but it sure as heck doesn’t mean you get to tell them what to do.
Years ago when George Bush suggested we should all be Christian I wrote an article called “What If You Were Persecuted?” I’m a metaphysician and it felt like he was telling me I couldn’t practice the spiritual path that resonated most with me. That’s the first time I had ever experienced judgment and intolerance.
When we say that our way is the only right way we are denying others their right to believe what they need to believe and live their lives as they need and want. That’s not what this country is about. That’s not what our lives are about.
Where is the highest good for all?
I want statesmen to show up. I don’t want politicians. I want those people I have helped elect to office to work for the highest good of all. I don’t want there to be party lines. I want there to be for-the-people lines and I want every politician to be on the “we-the-people” team.
What can we do?
Now that I’ve expressed my fear and my frustration what can I do? What can we do? I wish we could elect people by popular vote. I’m a Democrat sitting in a Republican state and I feel the helplessness and ineffectiveness of my personal opinion. But we do get to vote and not all countries get to do even that.
We can become more accepting of others. Those acts of kindness and appreciation for our differences will be passed forward. We can refuse to elect politicians who have limiting beliefs – any belief that is not accepting of the rights, wellbeing and personal spiritual freedom of others. We can refuse to tolerate intolerant comments about someone being gay, or black, or overweight or handicapped. We can start looking for the ways we are the same and bond together for the highest good of all.
© 2012 Cara Lumen
