I wonder some time, am actually amazed at the low standards people are held to, especially these days. The sad truth is that we indeed are stupid, unthinking actually, in many of our beliefs, statements and deeds. Particularly in beliefs we defend, claim as truths, when actually they stem from truisms, truths which are misplaced, misinterpreted, trite, and add nothing of value to ongoing discourse. In fact, sticking automatically to truisms, many of which have proven to be false over the years, means actually adhering to falsehoods.
Once the earth was deemed flat. Everyone knew that. It was a truism for centuries in all societies and religions. In fact, belief otherwise was considered heresy, subject to severe punishment. Another truism was the belief that child labor is okay, actually beneficial to the child, and certainly for the economy. Or that women have no rights, are the 'gentler' sex, the truism refuted every day in every way, yet there it was -and there it remains.
Folks, we were blessed by G-d with brains, the ability to think, create, a power to recognize truth as well as the power to deny it. It is the insanely strong desire to maintain those truisms, to behave in fact, as if we were indeed born yesterday with the brain power of a turnip, that sends mankind off down the egregiously wrong road, leading nowhere but to not good. But humanity is not a collection of turnips, fresh or stale. We need to internalize that, and face facts.
Yes, change is difficult, uncomfortable but without change, without acceptance of new truths revealed, well, stasis is not necessarily a good thing. Actually, I think the older one gets, the less we appreciate change. But turnips we are not, nor born yesterday, or fallen off a truck, concussed, unable to discern false from true, reality from willful mirages.
Here is a statement on surface reading sounds beautiful, loving and accepting, but when thought about reveals the treacherous truism within. It actually precludes evaluative, beneficial approaches as we recognize that all things cannot be accepted at face value but must be understood on deeper levels as well. And judged as well.
"If it's one thing I've learned this year is to give everyone a chance and not judge them and just let people be who they are, no matter what they're doing. Just be yourself and be around the people that accept you for you."
There are times that one cannot be the societal doormat and always and forever accept behavior and belief as good, proper, and an "oh, leave them alone" outlook. As non-turnips, we must make judgment calls, difficult, uncomfortable but there it is. Life is not always easy nor comfortable in its demands of us. Those who have engaged in dangerous behaviors, amoral, immoral, thoughtless and/or cruel, against fair and moral laws, must be held to proper standards. Truth, however much we hate and resent the difficulties ensuing, when to ignore is much easier - at least for a time - must be recognized. Certainly so if we are to proceed in orderly manner and save ourselves and this earth of ours, retain a viable civilization rather than a world of chaos and violence. The trick is to be open to new developments while not throwing the baby out with the bath water. A truism that remains and retains truth.
One of the first steps is to face facts. People lie. They simply do. For many reasons. Certainly to save themselves, from justified consequences. So they deny, vehemently, any wrongdoing and even if so, hey it was excusable, someone else made me do it, and isn't this supposed to be a free country! Yes, but not free to encourage hate and violence. Not free to commit great harm, incite great unrest, foment revolution and treason.
No, there are limitations. Proper lengths and borders must be well and carefully established. Personal responsibility must be made clear as well. Hate and violence are not to be accepted and touted as truths. We must abandon, leave by the wayside a growing tendency to become turnips. So wrong. So dangerous. Think back, look back, evaluate honestly. We all could recognize errors of our past ways and can attempt at the very least to improve. For all of us - including me.
Again, and always, this can only be achieved, or at least improved, if we stand together in our demands to rectify the mess that is current society, its lawlessness and rapidly intensifying levels of hate and violence.
Together in concerted effort is the only way. Would that there were leaders, even one, right for us, genuine and true. Someone to trust, to be inspired by, to follow, to be our leader.
Where have they all gone?
Can proper actions actually inspire a leader to emerge?
Only together can it be achieved,
We must put aside our differences and concentrate on shared needs and smuts of life.
Only made possible if we are and act together.
Together we can save our souls along with the soul of our natron and the souls of the world.
Only if we want to.
And only together.
We can not move forward if we do not do so together. Freedom of stride, but unity of goals.
Together. Only and always together.
Together, always together.
Together, united for good.
Together.
Together.
We can heal the nation.
HEAL THE WORLD.
HEAL YITZY!
Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah
May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu.
AMEN. AMEN
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