A note from Sheli: My friend Len Alcorn posted this on his Facebook page back in May 2019. It really resonated with me, so I asked if I could share it on my blog/website, and he agreed. THANK YOU, Len!
Please allow me a rant. I’ve recently seen so many friends and family postings throwing shade at people because of how they perceive that the other feels about one issue or another, and painting them with a REALLY broad brush…I just want it to end; It’s already destroyed far too many relationships.
To put it into perspective, here’s just one man’s view on things: I support socialized medicine, but that alone does not make me a liberal, so please stop saying that it does. What I pay in insurance every month, as a self-employed person, is absolutely unbelievable. Add to that my co-pay and deductibles…it sometimes feels like I work just to stay insured. Oh, and if I don’t maintain insurance, both the feds and state apply significant fines, so I really have no option.
I also support social security, and so do you. That alone doesn’t make either me or you a Liberal, so stop saying it does; It is a socialist program and I’m for it, and so are you.
I strongly support the second amendment because I think it is my right to protect my family in the manner I see fit.
I’ve been a gun owner for most of my adult life and I’ve never shot a person, nor do I feel the desire to ever do so; It is the person doing the shooting that is to blame, not the gun, but that view does not make me a Conservative so please stop saying that it does.
I am for separation of church and state…there is no official religion in the US, nor should there ever be. You worship your God and I’ll worship mine…you be you, and I simply hope you chose right. That alone does not make me a Liberal, so please stop saying that it does.
I support gay rights and marriage equality…I don’t think the government should choose who you can fall in love with. That alone does not make me a liberal so please stop saying that it does.
I sincerely think our current President is a despicable human being, but that alone does not make me a liberal…it simply makes me a person able to separate party propaganda from reality and see that the king has no clothes.
I believe in the free market, but that alone does not make me a conservative; I just think that the government should stop subsidizing industries that can’t make it on their own…sink or swim, the government owes you nothing.
I think the current student loan system is shameful, but that alone does not make me a liberal, nor does the fact that I think that we need to ensure an equal opportunity for education for ALL students; just because you’re rich does not make you any more entitled to a quality education. That alone does not make me a liberal.
I also believe that immigrants deserve dignity…we need to stop demonizing them, but we also have to set limits on how many get in and we have to raise the bar on who gets it. Also…I think that if you come into our country illegally, then you’re automatically deported and banned for life. This view does not necessarily make me a conservative, so please stop saying that it does…I think we have to fix the system instead.
I am really tired of overly-permissive parents that allow their children to do and say anything they want. Just stop. Be a parent and show your kids how to behave. That’s your job. This view does not necessarily make me a conservative…please stop saying that it does.
I believe that abortion is too deep of a subject for me to take a stand, simply because I’m not a woman. This makes me neither liberal or conservative. It makes me a human being.
I realize that I could go on forever and try to address every issue out there, but I don’t have the time, and you don’t have the patience. I will just say that I respect your views – always – up until the point that you try to impose your views on me, or anyone else. We are all free beings. Let’s just respect each other and stop compartmentalizing each other.
I like you, and I respect your views, and I hope you feel the same about me. However, if you don’t, then screw you (just kidding, of course…well, probably). Peace.
2 Comments
I have really tried to adopt the motto of ‘Practise radical empathy’. My experience isn’t yours and vice versa. I love the quote from (the problematic, but I digress) Kevin Costner Robinhood movie where a child asks Morgan Freeman’s character why god painted him and he replies ‘Allah loves wondrous variety’.
Thank you for sharing this great post.
OMG! Thanx for saying it! About time and EXACTLY how I feel on several of the issues. Also quit demonizing American Socialists, it’s a political view, and nothing anymore wrong with that than being democrat or republican. Len and I see things pretty squarely.