You Need To Act And Think Like Me

            Or What Happened To Our Happy Holidays?

We see it every day, in newspapers, on social media, in the news, on billboards, on t-shirts, and God only knows where else . . . It’s my way or the highway; Do as I say, not as I do; I’m right and you are too, but only if you agree with me; if not you are dead wrong.

 Myriad agenda-based messages, many with an undercurrent of anger and frustration inherent in them, assault our senses and sensibility every day, and to be honest, I’m beginning to be a bit weary. Whether one believes in gun control or not, whether one supports a woman’s right to choose or not, whether marriage should be only between a man and a woman or not, whether one believes global warming is a reality or not, whether one supports law enforcement officials or not, whether one supports immigration reform or not, ALL are important issues. However, many topics have become dumping grounds for hate, cynicism, racism, and bigotry. Lashing out on a matter of importance with little forethought or restraint lacks tact and could be quite risky. The fact is that most adults already have made up their minds about where they stand on the matters listed above. A quick sarcastic blast, verbal or written, in one direction or the other is not likely to change any one of us, and the excessive number of caustic comments I’m reading and hearing these days is off-putting, at least to me.

In recent years, based on opinion alone, a person is sized up as either very, very wrong, or incredibly right if he or she is a Democrat, Republican, Socialist, atheist, Christian, Muslim, a person of color, a member of the LBGT community, a veteran, an immigrant, a flag-waver, a voter, a church-goer, an educator, a politician, a supporter of Planned Parenthood, a proponent of college affordability, affluent or poor. You’re wrong. I’m right. Get your head on straight. Think about it. Yes, think about it. We are who we are, and it doesn’t look as if change is in the offing no matter how many darts fly.

I have friends who are extremely liberal and I have others who are quite conservative. And, I like them. That’s why they are my friends. I’m not looking to change them, even if some statements I read or hear crawl right under my skin. I can deal. Rather, I would hope to embrace our similarities and differences and move forward. I wish every one of my friends a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, which ever sets best. It doesn’t matter to me.

What I do hope is that 2016 is a year of peace, good health, happiness, understanding, and goodwill for us all. That would be a positive outcome.