Many Thanks
I just want to thank my friends for the great exchange of ideas and philosophies yesterday. It's nice to be able to make a blanket statement and have people of diverse beliefs comment without resorting to snide, condescending remarks. If you've revued the comments, you noticed that there were two comments deleted. They were from the afore mentioned LJ-re that refuses to allow comments on his journal. It seems that anyone as intelligent as he would welcome a dissenting remark just so he could negate the comment. So, since he's refused to allow me to comment, his remarks were deleted and remain unread.
How can we, as a society of relatively intelligent people learn of other's concerns and beliefs if we don't allow a free exchange of ideas? I don't claim to be right all of the time...and I don't believe that conservatives/Republicans/Bush is/are right all of the time....but looking at the over-all liberal/democratic/left-wing agenda, I feel I'm left with no real choice. I'd love to see the environment protected.....just as I'd like to see the unborn protected. I'd like to see alternative energy sources used....just as I want my ability to travel.
I think that we all want essentially the same things- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness- things that are guaranteed in our constitution. We need to work together toward those goals and the one way that we get there is through communication. I could easily set myself up as a pompous, "Know it All" conservative...God knows there's enough material on the internet and talk radio to do just that....and for those of you that've read my journal since it's inception, know that I've done my share of pontificating at times....sometimes in jest but also on my soap box.
It all boils down to this- A free exchange of ideas. I am no better than any one of you....we're all equal under the law of the land and, in my belief, under the law of God. Conversely, none of you are better than me, for the same reasons. So, I respect your opinions, even though they don't necessarily jibe with mine. Life is a series of compromises and course adjustments. None of us are totally right nor are we totally wrong. As long as we maintain open, thoughtful conversation, those of even disparate philosophies can be friends and possibly learn a bit from (and about) one another.
Again, my thanks.
Steve
How can we, as a society of relatively intelligent people learn of other's concerns and beliefs if we don't allow a free exchange of ideas? I don't claim to be right all of the time...and I don't believe that conservatives/Republicans/Bush is/are right all of the time....but looking at the over-all liberal/democratic/left-wing agenda, I feel I'm left with no real choice. I'd love to see the environment protected.....just as I'd like to see the unborn protected. I'd like to see alternative energy sources used....just as I want my ability to travel.
I think that we all want essentially the same things- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness- things that are guaranteed in our constitution. We need to work together toward those goals and the one way that we get there is through communication. I could easily set myself up as a pompous, "Know it All" conservative...God knows there's enough material on the internet and talk radio to do just that....and for those of you that've read my journal since it's inception, know that I've done my share of pontificating at times....sometimes in jest but also on my soap box.
It all boils down to this- A free exchange of ideas. I am no better than any one of you....we're all equal under the law of the land and, in my belief, under the law of God. Conversely, none of you are better than me, for the same reasons. So, I respect your opinions, even though they don't necessarily jibe with mine. Life is a series of compromises and course adjustments. None of us are totally right nor are we totally wrong. As long as we maintain open, thoughtful conversation, those of even disparate philosophies can be friends and possibly learn a bit from (and about) one another.
Again, my thanks.
Steve