Sunday, July 16, 2017
Renew?
I think it's time to start again. I keep saying I want to write and yet I don't write. Blogging isn't "real" writing because it's informal, but it's more writing than not writing. (How's that for an opening?) . . . . So happy seven years, almost to the day.
As much as the current political atmosphere begs for discussion, I do not want vituperative comments or nastiness and will shut down again if commenters can't restrain those (very understandable) impulses.
I have two purposes in writing here. One is simply to write. Get those fingers moving. The other is to put thoughts or comments out there and elicit reactions.
I am fairly sure that the only way that the horrible tone of current public discourse will be changed is by each of us listening to -- and hearing -- others, particularly those with whom we disagree. Those who live in distinct parts of the world and even within a country, often hold different convictions and beliefs, which they feel certain are correct and good. They often act appallingly, convey utter disrespect, and speak with disgusting anger about and to each other. Changing ideas is often difficult but if you look back even a few years, major changes have occurred in some ways. We recycle cardboard, glass, and plastic now without even thinking it's amazing, but it was unheard of before it started. Relationships between individuals of the same sex was a subject of jokes, at best, and disgust, at worst, only a few years ago. Wearing sneakers or flipflops to commute to work was regarded as classless and unacceptable when I was just starting to work; perhaps those of us who got our heels stuck in heat-softened sidewalks were more groundbreakers (ha) than we realized. So many examples.
So how about if we yell a little less loudly and listen to the ideas motivating "them." All that stuff means a lot to them so let's find out why. There are some violent and prejudiced people out there, but many of them may be motivated more by fear of the unknown than by hate. It's worth considering. Not that "they" will go along with this, at least not at first, but someone has to start.
As much as the current political atmosphere begs for discussion, I do not want vituperative comments or nastiness and will shut down again if commenters can't restrain those (very understandable) impulses.
I have two purposes in writing here. One is simply to write. Get those fingers moving. The other is to put thoughts or comments out there and elicit reactions.
I am fairly sure that the only way that the horrible tone of current public discourse will be changed is by each of us listening to -- and hearing -- others, particularly those with whom we disagree. Those who live in distinct parts of the world and even within a country, often hold different convictions and beliefs, which they feel certain are correct and good. They often act appallingly, convey utter disrespect, and speak with disgusting anger about and to each other. Changing ideas is often difficult but if you look back even a few years, major changes have occurred in some ways. We recycle cardboard, glass, and plastic now without even thinking it's amazing, but it was unheard of before it started. Relationships between individuals of the same sex was a subject of jokes, at best, and disgust, at worst, only a few years ago. Wearing sneakers or flipflops to commute to work was regarded as classless and unacceptable when I was just starting to work; perhaps those of us who got our heels stuck in heat-softened sidewalks were more groundbreakers (ha) than we realized. So many examples.
So how about if we yell a little less loudly and listen to the ideas motivating "them." All that stuff means a lot to them so let's find out why. There are some violent and prejudiced people out there, but many of them may be motivated more by fear of the unknown than by hate. It's worth considering. Not that "they" will go along with this, at least not at first, but someone has to start.
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