No, you don’t have a cold, cruel heart if you don’t repost the poor, downtrodden puppy, the wounded veteran, the guy with fifteen months sobriety, or the kid whose class wants to know how far and fast a meme can travel the world. Many of the memes now are ways for those with malicious intent to worm their way into your computer. Feel free to pass them by without a care in the world. Instead of passing along a meme, find a puppy to rescue, find a veteran to thank, support someone trying to clean up their life or volunteer in a school.
Besides, passing along memes, while sometimes entertaining, will not save the world or even make the world a better place. If fact, many memes are mean and derogatory, judgmental and divisive. We have to stop the click and share of such destructive material. I know many folks get a hit out of it, a satisfying jolt of adrenaline and righteousness. If you are one of those folks, the best thing may be cold turkey.
It takes a clear eye to see how people on either side of the spectrum throw enough mud to keep us angry into the next century. I, for one, would like to wrap this up before then. This fight for democracy will not be won by putting others down.
I listened to some friends the other night, staunch liberal friends, talking just like my staunch conservative friends, the topics might be different but the sentiments were the same. I want to control my world and that means I have to control yours as well. If I don’t understand where you are coming from, then you must be wrong. It’s my way or the highway.
This is not going to get us off the pendulum swing and out of the hatred that has gripped this country. It’s time to ask questions. Time to find out why other people want what they want. Down deep, it’s likely the same as you want –
- To protect family, keep them safe and give them the best in life
- To be able to do as I want in my own life and not worry you will try to make me live your values and morals.
- To have clean water, air and good food to eat
- To be able to afford what I need and want
- To love this planet and love one another
Soften your heart. Listen with your heart. Talk from the heart.
Learn something. Be curious. Be creative. Go!
Melinda,
Thank you for your important reminder and message to us all. I would also recommend reading a book that has really helped me a lot to understand “deep down” like you said what drove those that voted for Donald Trump. This book is just the recipe for those of us trying to jump the “empathy wall” to help understand the “deep story” behind the folks that we just can not understand “what were they thinking?”
The book is by a University of California, Berkeley Sociologist, Arlie Russell Hochschild, the title of the book is: “Strangers In Their Own Land”.
I hope this helps anyone else that is struggling like I was. I very important read for us all.
John