We Have Lost Our Way
Our nation has definitely lost its way. What has happened and when did it happen? I wish we could pinpoint it, but we may never come up with the time or event. Our nation seems more divided than I can remember in my lifetime. There may be times in our history that we may have been just as divided or more, but I know that right now seems mighty divisive. Our Founding Fathers came together, first to write our Declaration of Independence and then again to write our Constitution. We came together as a nation, even if just for a few months, after the terrorist attacks on September 11th. Our Founding Fathers came together to discuss freedom of religion, supposedly without any shouting matches, shots fired, riots started, or protests in the streets. Why we cannot come together as a nation to discuss religion today is beyond me.
When did it become so taboo to speak of religion or politics for that matter? The two do go hand in hand, whether our secular friends want to acknowledge that or not. A true separation of church and state are virtually impossible. Our First Amendment rights were provided as a protection of the church from the state, not the state from the church. At what point did we begin to practice freedom FROM religion? Freedom to express your religious beliefs should not deny me the freedom of mine. I happen to be a Christian, so I don’t believe I will be expressing anything of the Hindu, Buddhist, or Muslim religions. If that is your cup of tea, or coffee (I would hate to offend ANYONE here), then go for it!
I can remember for almost all of my life, being told, “We do not discuss politics or religion here”. Why not? Why is that so taboo? My wife and I met on a blind date, one that lasted until about three in the morning. We sat on her front porch, drinking coffee, talking about politics and religion. Now, I have heard that should be a recipe for disaster in a dating scenario. Contrary to popular belief, I found my soul mate. Who is to say, but had we not discussed those subjects on our first date, there may not have been a second date. Now I talk politics and religion with her parents (I love them, another unlikely event) and she talks politics and religion with my parents (they love her). One discussion always leads to the other. It is inevitable.
There is one thing I
can say without a doubt about our Constitution; it does not guarantee that you
will not be offended. There is no way to interpret it otherwise. With that said
if in the course of talking politics or religion, if I offend you…oh, well. You
have the right to be offended. On that same hand, I have the right not to have
to apologize, or kiss your gluteus maximus over it. We have the right to
disagree. The only time you will get my dander up over it is if you have a
problem with my right not to apologize. I will not tread on your beliefs. You
damn sure better not tread on mine. If we want to spout about tolerance then we
should be living up to that. We can all come together as intelligent adults and
discuss any matter of subjects without getting in a tizzy over it. We should be
able, at the same time and toss out political correctness. If it looks like a
duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck…then it’s probably a duck. Let’s
all get over it and call it one.
