Now we see that some people are in trouble socially because they actually support President Donald Trump, disagree with climate change or have some other subjective point of view on some other issue where such a perspective could in fact have a negative impact on their businesses or social status. Then there are those public figures who find themselves on the end of a question to see if they are in agreement with the cause of the moment. These days that is some serious pressure because their career will continue to flourish only if their 30 second sound bite satisfies the thought police.
America, what the hell has happened to us?!
Either we believe in freedom of speech or we don't. There are no conditions because it is the law! A person has the right to say what they want while another person has the right to not listen to something that they find distasteful. Why is this so hard to understand?
I have watched news stories, listened to interviews, read articles, seen dialogues in films and/or heard lyrics in songs that flat out offended me! There is no other way to describe how each made me feel. So whether it was changing the channel, tossing the article aside or turning off the radio...I turned my attention away from such a person and if I needed to, took a moment to gather myself because like I said earlier, I was offended. Once I reclaimed my emotions I reminded myself that the person had the right to say or write whatever they wanted and that was it. Why was it so easy to move on? Simple. Even though there are times I may choose not to share my thoughts with certain people I will be damned if someone is going shut me down if I choose to say what is on my mind. If someone doesn't like it, they don't listen. Or, to put it another way, if you don't like the answer then don't ask the question.
But what if it is hate speech? What is hate speech? Is it racial? Is it homophobic? Is it personal? And are we consistent in calling everyone out when such words are used? If a word is disgusting then it shouldn't matter who says it. However, we know that we don't in fact live by such a standard because we create reasons to give certain people a pass depending on who that person is or the circumstances that led them to say such a word.
Aside from that, what about what I call bullying speech? Sure, it might not contain bigoted language but the methods behind it are meant to intimidate those with some type of criticism or rejection if they refuse to go along with a particular progressive or conservative idea so I would certainly question the integrity of someone who would use such a method. Sadly, many would not take the time to identify or even agree with me on such an idea because such a tactic is acceptable to these people so long as the bully in question is propagating an agenda that they happen to agree with.
Meanwhile, aren't we pointing fingers at people in the midst of also pushing a relativistic agenda? How can we say on one hand that every individual has the right to define truth as they see it and then turn around and hunt our others down if they say something that we disagree with? That just shows us that a supposed relativist is in fact nothing but a hypocrite because if they truly believed in the relativistic point of view then they would simply leave the other person be in the name of diversity and tolerance. Well, that is not the case for many and such people do not see the hubris of their actions. Therefore, it could be argued that the claims of tolerance that are asked for by these hypocrites is in fact only a smoke screen because what they truly want is for everyone else to accept their point of view and/or give them the room they demand in order to live as they wish while having no intention of offering others the same. One way or another, you can bank on this: If someone demands something of others please know that they will NEVER give it to anyone in return.
Why it is so hard to accept the fact that people are really that different? I have plenty of family and friends that I don't agree with on anything. We sit, we talk, we even have it out at times and then we sit down and have dinner or watch a ball game. There are no hard feelings because we in fact respect each other and in doing that we give each other room to exist. At the end of the day, what difference does it make? Aren't we usually kicking and screaming over what people are simply thinking? It's not like many people are doing much these days because that would require them to get off of their phones.
The fact is, no one has anything to gripe about unless someone forces you to do something you don't agree with or want to do. Both the majority and the minority have the right to express their points of view and if there is a passionate disagreement then so be it. This is America, get over it. What a lack of maturity one must have if their response to an opposite point of view is to be offended and demand an apology simply because they can't convince another to take on their point of view. Maybe the problem is that such a person is not as clever as they think and it is their failure to communicate that keeps this supposed ignorant person in the dark. If that is the case then whose fault is that?
If someone thinks they have the right to force someone to apologize for what they said they should realize that they are no different than someone who would force someone to sit there and listen to something that offends them. What is the point of claiming to live in a free society if we have to fear answering a question simply because there are those who await another chance to attack those who disagree with them? Such peoples' actions display a lack of interest in honesty because for them it's really about what they want to hear and not what another person really feels.
If someone thinks they have the right to force someone to apologize for what they said they should realize that they are no different than someone who would force someone to sit there and listen to something that offends them. What is the point of claiming to live in a free society if we have to fear answering a question simply because there are those who await another chance to attack those who disagree with them? Such peoples' actions display a lack of interest in honesty because for them it's really about what they want to hear and not what another person really feels.
Finally, are we really turning into a nation of cowards? Why do we worry about what strangers and acquaintances think? Or, why do we really care about the beliefs of public figures? How much impact do these people really have on our lives? There are in fact very few people in this world whose opinion really should matter to any of us. Sure, our parents' opinion should matter but at the end of the day we won't always agree with our parents so it really comes down to being able disagree respectfully and finding a way to coexist. The same thing applies to our siblings and members of our extended family. Our close friends really know who we are so why would anything we say or do surprise them since they are probably the ones raising hell with us? Our spouses and our children? Of course their opinions matter because we make choices on a daily basis that impact their lives? Our employer? Sure because they help us provide a living for ourselves and our loves ones. Our co-workers? Maybe, but only if they are not in fact on the hunt to take us down. If that's the case then we better watch our backs and most importantly, stand up for ourselves.
In reality, none of us will be liked by everyone so why worry about it? Why do we care if someone around us doesn't talk to us? Why do you care if someone blocks or unfriends us on a social media page? God forbid they do something like that? Bottom line: if a person is shocked by what one of us said or did then they never knew us to begin with so losing their friendship really doesn't matter.
The funny thing is that we glorify the biggest cowards of all. How many people boast on social media how they unfriended someone who disagreed with them? How many will have their spokesperson call someone's representative in order to cancel that person's scheduled appearance rather than do it themselves? How many times does someone call someone out while staring into a camera in a studio hundreds of miles away? Of course we already mentioned those who do it on Twitter. Then people get together and ask their peers, did you see so and so call out so and so last night on....wherever they did it?
Things have really changed because when I was growing up you called someone out when you...
...stood in front of their house and called them to come out here, right now! We need to talk or in some cases, let's settle this once and for all!
If you have a problem with someone then say it to their face. If you're unable to do that then call them up. At least over the phone you can hear their reaction to what you said while also giving them a chance to respond. If you don't have their phone number then you're obviously not that important to them, which should tell you something right away about the value of your opinion to them. Or, to be fair...if you don't know this person well enough to have their phone number, why would their opinion even matter to you at all?
Aside from that, what is the point of making your issue with this person public? What, are you suddenly special because other people share your tweet? Or, are you so insecure that you need others to like your tweet so you can feel like you're not alone against the person that you have an issue with? If you're a public figure and feel the need to make your issue with someone public then wait until some public event that both of you will attend and say what you have to say to their face. I'm sure you're publicist can arrange the camera angles to your liking. People are interested in what you have to say because to many of these people you are in a leadership position. So with that being said, lead!
All of us should lead and we all know that a good leader will lead by example. Throwing a fit is not a good example. Assassinating another person's character is not a good example. Lying is not a good example. Rioting is not a good example.
It appears that we all have a lot of work to do and the first person I am going to call out is the person I see in the mirror every single day.
Carlos Arthur Solorzano
@csolorzano18
Things have really changed because when I was growing up you called someone out when you...
...stood in front of their house and called them to come out here, right now! We need to talk or in some cases, let's settle this once and for all!
If you have a problem with someone then say it to their face. If you're unable to do that then call them up. At least over the phone you can hear their reaction to what you said while also giving them a chance to respond. If you don't have their phone number then you're obviously not that important to them, which should tell you something right away about the value of your opinion to them. Or, to be fair...if you don't know this person well enough to have their phone number, why would their opinion even matter to you at all?
Aside from that, what is the point of making your issue with this person public? What, are you suddenly special because other people share your tweet? Or, are you so insecure that you need others to like your tweet so you can feel like you're not alone against the person that you have an issue with? If you're a public figure and feel the need to make your issue with someone public then wait until some public event that both of you will attend and say what you have to say to their face. I'm sure you're publicist can arrange the camera angles to your liking. People are interested in what you have to say because to many of these people you are in a leadership position. So with that being said, lead!
All of us should lead and we all know that a good leader will lead by example. Throwing a fit is not a good example. Assassinating another person's character is not a good example. Lying is not a good example. Rioting is not a good example.
It appears that we all have a lot of work to do and the first person I am going to call out is the person I see in the mirror every single day.
Carlos Arthur Solorzano
@csolorzano18
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