Not Too Long Didn't Read

I resemble this remark.

I read widely to gain some understanding and I have a lot of empathy for multiple viewpoints. So I do not fit in a box, and I don’t want to. But this meme represents a cold hard truth for millions of people and is — I think — at the heart of some of the line we all dare not cross, but we must.

I see myself standing in the middle, feet on both sides of that line, looking around and that meme states the point of view of many of my friends better than many things I have seen out there. It could be claimed by several of those multiple viewpoints I spoke about a moment ago.

There are many people who are not *merely* protecting their historically privileged status for economic, racial, or other reasons.

All that stuff is also true, like it or not, but there is more to it.

However, it is also true that there are so many folks who feel caught in the middle of these transcendental cultural shifts as we wade through the storm just trying to keep our footing on shifting sands. Because we are in fact all caught in the middle of it.

Everything seems to have been turned into an Us vs Them struggle, when in reality… all this kind of thing gets sorted more quickly and easily over the back fence when neighbors connect as real people, not just faceless avatars.

I commit to connect with people I agree with, and with people I do not agree with. Which, on different points, that includes pretty much everyone I meet. So by doing so, I hope to do my part to help bring back a consensus viewpoint and restore sanity to our conversations.

There is no perfect path. Just progress we make when we put one foot in front of the other.

I will try to keep the faith and remember to do the right thing, even when it is hard. Especially when it is hard.

Reflections on a images I saw posted. This was clearly an expression of frustration by someone whose point of view is different from those who would seem to wish he agreed with them, but was not in a position to see things in the same way. This goes to the heart of why we must listen, and seek to understand, not just react. On ALL sides.