Life really boils down to this or that, left or right, up or down, true or false. Science is finding in early stages that we are born prone to view the world as simply this way or that way. So how do your view the world ~ this way or that? No matter what my point of view, you will never and I mean never view the world my way regardless of how kind or evil I am to you ~ never.
I was raised in the Presbyterian church, while in high school we lived in a predominately Catholic church community. My girlfriend took me with her to visit a neighbor woman, a wife with three kids, that was being beaten repeatedly and raped by her husband she was attempting to divorce. They did not live together. Not one minister, priest or police officer ever stepped in to stop her predator husband because the bible said she was his property. At or about the same time I was walking with my girlfriend and a scout friend across a Catholic playground. My scout friend and I were both Eagle Scouts, in fact we were founders of what you may know by what is now called the National Eagle Scout Association. Sorry, I digress. Jim's priest later told him that I was a bad influence since I was holding hands with my girlfriend on church property.
Two years later, having graduated from high school, the Christian Education Committee asked me and a fellow female graduate to tell them what we wanted in a college age group. A very stupid question to ask me what I thought.
I said I wanted to be able to ask questions and discuss current topics without fear of reprisal. I gave them examples: the Vietnam War (1968), sex, AND I wanted to ask and discuss if Jesus actually died on the cross. Most of you were still waiting for your balls to drop in the sack at eighteen. Again I digress. A woman as old as I am now began to shake, leaned forward and pointed her knitting needle at me ~ she would like to have killed me. Oh well, I got the group I wanted. Before enlisting in the army six months later to become a combat engineer, I took the group to see the play "Hair." While going though basic a Chaplain asked me to become an assistant and there I spent my three years ultimately serving a Methodist, two Catholic priests, two Southern Baptists, and one Jewish rabbi. I was on a roll, waiting for a message from god to push me over the edge to become a minister myself.
When I was discharged I went back to the home church and proclaimed my desire to become a minister. The Methodist Chaplain in the army had put me in charge of not only organizing a Squadron garrison Protestant Service, but had me give the sermon as well while he and his family went on vacation before he was transferred to Vietnam. I did and the topic was love, about two weeks later there was a big music fest called Woodstock ~ heard of it? That service and sermon should have been done by the Regimental Chaplain and not an E-4 assistant. Bottom line: the home church minister said that I needed to work at learning to read and write better before getting my hopes up. After all I had only
begun to read and write in the seventh grade. Which put me significantly behind the eight ball of life
Well, to make this story a little bit shorter, I completed college as an Industrial Arts teacher with a focus in drafting, wood and graphic arts. Rejoined the army, went though officer candidate school and never looked back. My wife had been married almost a year two years before I met and married her. Because she had married a catholic and he turned out to be almost like the guy above that beat his wife she went ballistic and pulled the Nuc option leaving the former husband and church looking like crispy critters. We have been married for over 43 years. I told her in the very beginning that if she was not happy in our marriage, she was free to walk away. True leadership is being able to bring people along with you without fear.
Do not worry the Baptists stepped on their nose too. But I'll save you that story.
Part of your being on the opposite side of the fence from me is because you do not like the fact that I can and do ask questions that mean you have to tell me about yourself. After losing that first girlfriend mentioned above, I internally questioned myself as to what went wrong ~ what junior in high school does that?
Oh, some thirty years later we met again at my nephews wedding and she proceeded to tell my wife and I that "she had dumped me." Apparently she had issues. Me, I am kind of like the glass half full person; if she had not dumped me I would not be married to the woman of my souls desire.
If you think for a minute you will change someone's view or perspective you will not; regardless of kindness or meanness. Ask yourself why in race riots they always burn, loot and kill themselves. It is because if they did not stay within the perceived circle of themselves; the police force would open fire and end the event on the border and not one white church will stand up and stop it.
If you are lied to long enough you will eventually believe the lie making it your own truth. An OpEd writer for the times recently told how President Ronald had had such a sunny view of the world and how he did all these great and wonderful things. However, he did not mention that under Ronald we became a nation of homeless, Social Security monies were taxed for the first time since it was established, the income tax system was gutted creating a overwhelming revenue problem. See there is that this or that thing again ~ Revenue or Deficit problem. If you hear the lie over and over again it becomes your truth.
Personally I do not give a gD if climate change or warming is true or false. What I give a damn about is leaving this place (Mother Earth) better than when I leave it. Therefore, I helped bring Soccer into your world, I helped bring NESA into your world, I took the first MLRS battery to Europe, I offered my hand to my wife without causing her fear, I had two First Sergeants (one in each of my two batter commands) both black ~ one was exactly like most Captains dream of and the other the worst, but I made due. My list goes on for ever, and ever; but I own stock in Tesla since 2013 and I am saving my nickles and dimes to be able to buy a MX this year. I know enough to know that climate change is real and instead of being a denier I am doing something about it.
Speaking of deniers, two of my ancestors started the King Phillips War by murdering a native american. How they could tell the difference between a Christian and NonChristian Native American is beyond me; but then there is that my team vs your team thing again.
Personally I hope mankind kills himself off; problem is that his actions will kill off most all the animals, birds, fish and all the rest of what makes up our world
One last comment, we have reduced the gay issue which is great, but the brain is
fixed between what is left or right. You either live and let live or you hate gays. For what? For just being themselves? Hate is an addiction from where I sit.
As an old soldier I find it hard to just fade away.
The MX is within sight
