Can we just agree to disagree - by Annette Weir

 

What do you do when you’re at a social engagement and someone begins a conversation regarding a subject you feel passionate about? How far are you willing to go to get your points across? Are you aggressive enough to contradict the prevailing voices during the discussion, or are you the reserved type, who would rather back off when you feel the heat? Most people don’t expect to get embroiled in a war of words at a friendly social event. However, we live in an era in which one’s opinion can make the difference between making friends and losing them. That’s why it’s important to choose your words carefully and utter them with a casual measure of persuasion.   

Nevertheless, it’s easy to conclude that no matter what you say, or believe, there will always be someone that vehemently disagrees with you. It’s as if there are people out there that either want to be considered relevant (think late night supposed comedians, or some cable station commentators) and will always take the opposing side without considering a simple discussion. With all the Charlie Kirk and Trump haters, it’s a wonder that our country can work at all. I have respect for any of these talk and podcast folks when they just agree to disagree without it turning into a contest of who is right and who is wrong. Yet, given the need of some egotists to always take charge, casual convo can morph into conflict.

Recently I read that “Joyless” Reid was slamming Erika Kirk, when Ms. Kirk just said she would be happy to meet with her and hug her. Reid in turn said she would never let her get near enough to hug her or let her touch her hair (wigs) like she did with JD Vance. Was this necessary? To me it only showed that Reid has problems with, unfortunately, white women, and those that are younger and good looking. I would have had much more respect for her if she just thanked Ms. Kirk and moved on, but she couldn’t resist the temptation to strike out. 

Like the old adage about misery loving company, there will always be people who bask in negative vibes and eagerly enjoy sharing their gloomy existence. Sadly, there are those who will twist the most innocuous statement into a contentious dispute. You might open a discussion with, “Bob and I tried a new restaurant last night and they served the best veal chop we’ve ever tasted.” Suppose someone in the huddle responds with, “Oh, I heard about that place. A neighbor of mine ate there recently and said the service stinks and the food wasn’t worth the prices they charge.” How would you deal with such a disputatious remark?

Did that person make you feel as though you were being attacked? Should you come back with a hostile retort, or should you merely swallow hard and change the subject? As for me, once I learn that an acquaintance is prone to such hostile repartee, regarding harmless conversation, it’s unlikely that I will be inhabiting the same orbit with that person anytime soon. I’m not seeking acceptance of my opinions; I just would rather not deal with the stress of having to defend that which is merely a polite exchange of small talk at a social gathering. I can only hope that there are enough people who reject such a depressing way of life, and vigorously start a new chapter in our society, one in which merely chatting with each other respectfully is the rule, rather than the exception.

 

Our country, if we can keep it - by Bob Weir

 

Yes, it’s a paraphrase of what the great Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, said after the Constitutional Convention in 1787. When Elizabeth Willing Powel, an American socialite and a prominent member of the Philadelphia upper class, asked Franklin, “What have we got, a republic or a monarchy,” he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” What the great inventor, author and signer of the Declaration of Independence was saying is that the Constitution they developed created a system that requires vigilance and attention to self-governance. That means citizens are required to be informed and active in preventing the government from becoming tyrannical. As former subjects of King George 111 of England, the colonists, fed up with being taxed while not having any representation in Parliament, among other abuses of power, had emigrated to the new world in search of personal and religious freedom.

To obtain that freedom they had to go up against the foremost global and imperial power at that time. One can only imagine the courage it took to declare independence from the British Empire. When the founders made their intentions clear, they were deemed “traitors” and they knew they’d be executed if they lost their quest for freedom. The rest, as they say, is history. We, the descendants of those brave pioneers, are the fortunate recipients of the magnificent country they risked their lives for. And, for the past 250 years, most Americans continued to be grateful and to enjoy the bountiful rewards of being citizens of this republic. Millions of military men and women have fought and died on battlefields in foreign lands when the homeland was threatened by authoritarian governments.

After establishing our military dominance, it became evident to the enemies of freedom that the US could not be toppled from the outside. Hence, we could only be vulnerable from within. But what could our enemies offer hundreds of millions of people who regularly enjoy more food, clothing and shelter than the rest of the planet? Well, how about using mind-controlling propaganda to convince them that they’re the progeny of malevolent slaveholders and greedy capitalists with no redeeming value? How about planting the seeds of racial conflict by referring to whites as “supremacists,” while refusing to acknowledge that blacks are among the most successful and prosperous people on the planet. Anyone who thinks blacks are being held back because of their skin pigmentation is living in a 1950s-time warp. Or, given the hypocrisy they so often reveal, it might be a sweet memory for them.

Another way to destroy us is by opening our borders to millions of unvetted aliens from every crime ridden, uncivilized territory on the map. With a devious plot to defeat our socio-economic system, they’d freely accept hordes of savage criminals, released from prisons in corrupt nations, then furtively transported to every state while feeding, clothing and housing them with taxpayer money. Moreover, when a president is elected on a pledge to end the corruption and reverse the tidal wave of primitive humanity that has been foisted on us, they’d employ every evil tactic in their malicious repertoire to crush him. President Trump has been through a lot to save this republic. He has many traits of the founding fathers, not the least of which is his love of country and the courage to fight for it. How sad that so many others refuse to see their liberty and birthright being stolen by the venal philosophy of leftwing orthodoxy.  

All of the foregoing is to remind Americans that they have a better lifestyle, by far, than people in any other country on earth. If you’re lucky enough to be a citizen of the US, you have won life’s lottery. Yet, as I look at the current political/social landscape, I see a large number of ingrates, exhibiting contempt and hatred for the wealth of freedom and opportunity handed to them by their forebears. I believe that’s because it was handed to them. They didn’t risk their lives for it; they didn’t bleed for it; they didn’t sacrifice limbs for it; they just sat back and enjoyed it. That enjoyment has been twisted to suggest that we should feel guilty about our standard of living, as if being well fed means we’re starving others. Au contraire, accomplishment isn’t a zero-sum game, any more than character is. Ultimately, if we are to keep our country, we must grasp the fact that the prerequisite for our good fortune is the freedom that was paid for by patriots, fighting valiantly for it. Accordingly, if we expect to keep it, we must have the courage to continue fighting for it. 

 

Can we laugh again? by Annette Weir

 

The holiday season is always a time of year when loved ones and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company, put aside their differences, and just feel happy. We overeat, overdrink, and just put aside any wild ideas of dieting to the side because it’s a special time to just forget those pesky little things.  We bring gifts and snuggle by the fireplace to watch the joy on the faces of the little ones as they eagerly tear apart the packages that were brought for them.  We celebrate the time of the year by attending our churches or synagogues to top off the day. Where did all that go?  Certainly, we’re not a Norman Rockwell family painting, but so much has changed in the last 10 years that it’s hard to find our way back.

There used to be a time when you could come home from a hectic day at the office, gather with your family, kick off your shoes, and plop yourself in your recliner to work out the kinks of the day.  After a comfortable dinner with your loved ones, you could always turn on the TV to watch something funny together to add to the air of security in your home.  That seems to be a thing of the past these days. 

Recently for the fun of it I checked out some of the late-night comedians – who were really comedians – to see how they differed from today.  For the most part they would deal with some political stuff, but only for a brief one liner, and then move on to other things to get a laugh.  There was no profanity, although there may have been some suggestive one liners.  Then of course, they would go into sketches that kind of made you laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it all.  Their guests were always there to either plug a picture they were staring in or tell some of their own funny stories.  It was all comfortable viewing.  Today, however, the late-night so-called comedians, are now political hacks that bash anything they aren’t in favor of and always have guests on that do the same.  There’s nothing to laugh about. It's sad that our society has become so negative – thanks to social media and the cable stations – that we have no sense of humor anymore. 

Nowadays if you turn on the tube for news, even if you only want the highlights of the day, you get one tragedy after another making you feel like screaming.  If it isn’t people killing the Jews here in the United States and other countries, then its drug induced people killing others at random because they’re allowed to roam the streets. I’m looking forward to a time when we can feel comfortable laughing and not have to look over our shoulders to see if there is anyone ready to attack us for our sense of humor.

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