Don writes in response to “Looking down on others“:
I certainly can speak as an American, because I am one of those things that walks on two legs, commonly called a biped, but you can call me a “human” for the short text.
America is complicated when it comes to tolerance. We do love to hate but we pride ourselves in hating the right things. We hate common crimes and shun criminals, but we love our rights to speak freely about any one, even in cursing.
We have NO tolerance of people that deprive others of their rights as spelled out in our constitution, as the right to have any religion that you desire; then we argue like a bat from hell that same religion is wrong. Do not ask how we manage to do this, but we love to squabble among ourselves, but yet try to stop a person from believing as they would is a cardinal sin that we will not tolerate.
If you are confused so far, just think how I feel being an American. Here in Oregon, that is a State in the USA, we get confused often on what to hate and what to love, what to have tolerance for and what to shun. Therefore, when the doubt must be resolved, we love to go to Court, and squabble even more, as it is OUR RIGHT, to be right, unless proven wrong in a valid court of USA law. Needless to say, there is an attorney on every street corner making a good living at our expense.
For example: I cannot stand Islam, I argue against it, I have no tolerance. However, try to stop a person from believing in Allah, and I will take up arms in war for that person to cherish what ever beliefs they desire as long as they are law abiding (meaning do NOT hurt others). Now how do you define “do not hurt others”?
Yes the USA is complicated, it would be so much easer to have one set of beliefs to love and all other beliefs are to be hated. What to hate, and what to love, all cut and dry, all put in a neat little box with a ribbon on it for good looks. But real life is not that easy, those that say they have it all figured out, like a Christian preacher or a politician, do not know squat from Shine-O-la.
In all honesty, we are working on our own country, as we are not satisfied yet. We have not obtained the very best that we can be. We DO NOT “know it all”, regardless of what Pres. Bush tells the world. Bush does NOT speak for me and I have NO tolerance of people that use my name in vain. We have a lot of work to do in this country USA; human rights are an on going battle of fairness and equality one to another. It is silly to think in poetic terms of, “Let us all get along with each other.” Reality shows just the opposite, we love NOT getting along. We are a land of individuals, independent people with independent minds, hopes, dreams and aspirations. So we have to figure this out: how can 300 million people each with different dreams, hopes, beliefs, and aspirations, how can we make room for all and leave none out? How can even the small voice be heard, even the smallest of human life is most valuable.
Like I said, the USA is complicated, we need to think about what we are doing and be on guard against the “BIG LIE”. Those that say they are for human freedoms may be the one most likely to make you a slave, and hurt others. I have no tolerance for these people.
If we have one good point, one redeeming feature for all our confusion it is this. We do have our court system, both criminal and civil, and NO person, great or small, rich or poor, shall be denied their day in court (with rights to appeal to a higher court) to seek justice and fairness, backed up by police powers that act for the individual at the direction of the Judge and/or jury.
For a biped I said many words to make a simple idea complex. So here is simplicity. We do not know what we are doing— we do not have a clue. However, we do know this beyond a reasonable doubt—HUMANS FIRST, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is a natural right to all humans that shall never be denied.
This is a very high standard to live to, it is not easy, and the errors have been many, way too many, so I have run out of tolerance. Yeah, sure, hate Americans, that is popular. But know this, in this country hating is not a crime and you have the right to tell the world and this government about it, and live the next day as a free person and no harm will come to you. What do you think about US now?
As an example: We had that sawed off scrimp president of Iranian speak at one of our USA colleges, YOU bet we did in Q@A. Our common ladies put that nut case in his place and he was shown horribly wrong on every one of his issues. Our US women are FREE to talk back with the same authority as the president of Iran. I doubt he will be back any time soon, but he is welcome any time.
See how we are? We are a bunch of intolerant people trying to get along. It is said that democracy is a state of constant protest and rebellion, only with rules. As shown above: That man protested the small child, by reason of race, to not let him into the pool. In the USA the parents have the right protest back and drag that man into court and sue the crap (and every dime) out of him.
Like I said, we are a very intolerant people. We have no tolerance for discrimination by race, nor for hurting a small child, and we do have relief. Relief it is not suppression of anger and hate, but rather very vocal and active and we live to tell about it by the force of law, this is the rule we live by.
I thank you for your time.
