How many times have you heard someone say that the other side will be the end of: the Country, Western Civilization, Civilization in general, or mankind as a whole?
I know that every time I hear such arguments, I think that this person simply lives too far to the side they have chosen (and this applies to both the left and right) to see the big picture.
No one wants to end the country or world or mankind. People generally all want the same things: food and water, a place to sleep, someone to share it all with and in some cases power over others. This seems like one of those power crazed aspirations, however power comes in many forms.
Power can be political, such as our elected officials.
Power can be influence based, such as organized crime.
Power can be respect, such as the power a great coach has over their players.
Power can be love, such as the power a parent has to teach their children right from wrong and raise them to be functional adults.
And last but not least, power can be fear, such as the power terrorists have over those that they terrorize.
Whether you are a politician, parent, terrorist, coach, teacher, or whatever else you may be, you want power on some level. We all become upset when someone else wrests power away from us and uses it in a way that we would not.
You might be wondering where I am heading with all of this and frankly it is a rather obvious place, empathy or at least sympathy. In order to bring the world together and achieve a more prosperous and peaceful existence for all, we need to empathize with one another or if we are not capable of that, at least sympathize with one another.
I may not be able to understand a man’s ability to strap explosives to their body and explode for their belief, but I can at least comprehend it and try to figure out what to do to allow that person’s needs to be met while my own are also met. This does mean that we would all have to compromise and not simply act in a manner that only benefits ourselves, but this does not mean that we should let other walk all over us.
Moderate views are the glue that allow for civilized discourse and bloodless debates to occur. It is debate, comprehension and a conscious effort to work toward a tolerant and understanding world that will bring humanity into the future we see in sci-fi movies and TV shows.
Leave the hate and warmongering where it belongs, in the history books.
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