AMERICA'S NEW DEFINITION OF 'HATE'

IT JUST GETS MORE LUDICROUS EVERY DAY IN AMERICA.

THE "OK" SIGN WHICH PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD RECOGNIZE FOR WHAT IT IS, RATHER LIKE A "THUMBS-UP", OR A SMILE, SOMETHING POSITIVE, IS NOW A "HATE SYMBOL".

WHY?

BECAUSE A MINORITY OF CITIZENS SAY SO, ONLY THAT.... A TINY MINORITY CALLED THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE (ADL) HAS "RE-IMAGINED" IT AND ARE "OFFENDED" BY IT AND LIST IT NOW AS SOMETHING IT HAS NEVER BEFORE IN HISTORY BEEN.

AND THAT GROUP HAS ADMITTED THAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT USE "OK" AS A HATE SYMBOL, BUT THAT SOME "WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUPS MIGHT"...MIGHT. 

"More people than not will use the OK symbol as just 'OK.' But in those cases where there's more underlining meaning, I think it's important for people to understand that it could be used, and is being used, for hate as well."

Oren Segal, director of the ADL's Center on Extremism, told NPR said that while many of those images were misconstrued by users on the online message boards, the number of people espousing hate while using the gesture has grown so widespread that it can no longer be considered a prank.

WIDESPREAD?
HOW WIDESPREAD?

EXACTLY HOW MANY DOES IT TAKE TO DECLARE SOMETHING "WIDESPREAD"?

THREE, A DOZEN, A HUNDRED? HOW MANY IS WIDESPREAD?

DOES THE ADL DETERMINE FOR ALL OF US WHAT EXACTLY WIDESPREAD IS,TOO?
Segal pointed to the suspected white supremacist in Christchurch, New Zealand, accused of killing 51 worshippers at two mosques in March, who flashed the "OK" hand gesture during an initial court appearance.

REALLY?
WELL, THAT GUY (AND EVERY 'FRINGE GROUP' MEMBER) WAS ALSO BREATHING, LIKELY SMILED AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE, BLINKED, SO DO WE CONSIDER BREATHING, SMILING, BLINKING AS HATE SYMBOLS, TOO? 

Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL's CEO, said in a statement that old symbols, gestures and other images are rapidly acquiring new, hateful associations that may be too obscure for the general public to understand.
"We believe law enforcement and the public needs to be fully informed about the meaning of these images, which can serve as a first warning sign to the presence of haters in a community or school," he said.

I CALL B-S!

IT'S SIMPLY BULLS**T TO RE-LABEL SYMBOLS THAT HAVE LONG BEEN POSITIVE THINGS AS "HATEFUL" AND CALLING ALL WHO USE THEM IN A POSITIVE WAY AS "HATERS".

THE ADL RULING HAS SINCE COST PEOPLE THEIR JOBS! "A Florida theme park employee has been fired after the individual made the “OK” hand gesture used by some to symbolize white power while posing for a photo with a biracial 6-year-old girl."

JUST ONE WEEK HAD PASSED SINCE THE ADL's NEW RULING AND THAT'S ALL IT TOOK FOR SOME TO START SCREAMING "HATE" ABOUT "OK"!"Zinger described the incident involving her daughter as “heartbreaking.”

WAIT! IT DIDN'T BREAK HER HEART WHILE SHE WAS FILMING IT, BUT DID LATER?
SHE DIDN'T NOTICE IT WHILE IT WAS GOING ON?
NOW SHE'S SUING?

TALK ABOUT "FRINGE GROUPS", WHAT ARE THE GROUPS WHO WANT TO LABEL EVERYTHING AS HATE?
CLINICALLY SPEAKING, I'D CALL THOSE PEOPLE AS BEING ON THE "FRINGE" OF SANITY AND REASON.
THOSE WHO JUST CAN'T OR WON'T COME TO GRIPS WITH REALITY ARE RIGHT ON THE VERY EDGE OF 'MADNESS'.

WHAT'S NEXT, BANNING CONSUMPTION OF LIVER, BROCCOLI, GREEN BEANS OR BEETS BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE "HATE" LIVER, BROCCOLI, GREEN BEANS AND BEETS AND IT DISTRESSES THEM TO SEE OTHERS EAT IT?

ARE WE GOING TO PULL OUT FINGERNAILS BECAUSE THE SOUND THEY MAKE ACROSS A CHALKBOARD OR DRUMMING ON A TABLE CAUSES SOME TO FEEL ANXIOUS, OR 'CREEPED-OUT'?

FIRE!
FIRE KILLS MANY EVERY YEAR!
LET'S MAKE STARTING A FIRE A CRIME!
LET THOSE WHO USE FIREPLACES OR FURNACES FREEZE TO DEATH BECAUSE FIRE KILLS!
ONLY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO KILL PEOPLE WOULD USE FIRE!

FIRE REQUIRES OXYGEN.
OMG, BAN OXYGEN!

DO YOU SEE HOW FAR THIS CAN GO, AND TO WHAT EXTREMES? 

HOW DID WE GO THIS FAR DOWN THE ROAD TO THE ASYLUM? 

IN MY MOTHER'S CULTURE, OWLS WERE BAD OMENS, FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AS WERE RAVENS AND A FEW OTHER THINGS, BUT, IF YOU'LL NOTICE, WHEN THE EUROPEANS ARRIVED, LO AND BEHOLD, THEY FOUND A LOT OF OWLS AND RAVENS ON THE LANDS OF THOSE VERY TRIBES WHO SAW THEM AS HARBINGERS OF DISASTER.

WHY, HOW? 
BECAUSE THOSE WHO WERE "STRESSED" BY OWLS AND RAVENS DIDN'T GO OUT AND WIPE THEM OFF THE EARTH, THAT'S WHY.

THEY COEXISTED WITH THINGS THAT INVOKED FEAR, STRESS, ANXIETY AND WITH THINGS THAT THE ADL AND MANY OTHERS LIKE THEM WOULD SEE AS THINGS THAT "HATED" THOSE TRIBES.

HAD THE ANCIENTS USED THE FALSE REASONING/LOGIC OF THE ADL, AND MANY OTHER 'ORGANIZATIONS', WE'D BE LIVING IN A BARREN WASTELAND, COVERING OUR EARS AND EYES SO WE DIDN'T SEE OR HEAR ANYTHING "OFFENSIVE" OR "SCARY" OR "HEARTBREAKING" OUT HERE IN THE REAL WORLD!

WE LIVE IN A VERY REAL WORLD, ADL, ET AL!

HATE, STRESS, ANXIETY, ALL THAT HUMANS MAY SEE AS "BAD", EXISTS 'OUT THERE', SAME AS ALL THAT MAY BE SEEN  AS 'GOOD'.

WE MERELY TAKE THE BAD WITH THE GOOD AND PRESS ON. 

WE LIVE NEXT DOOR TO THOSE WHO MAY HATE US AS WELL AS THOSE WHO MAY THINK WE HUNG THE MOON AND STARS.

WE LIVE ELBOW-TO-ELBOW WITH THOSE WHO WILL NEVER ONCE AGREE WITH ANYTHING WE HOLD DEAR, OR SACRED, OR SEE THE THINGS WE LIKE AS LIKABLE.

FOR THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF YEARS, HUMANS HAVE DISAGREED, FOUGHT WITH ONE ANOTHER, KILLED ONE ANOTHER.

NOTHING HAS ACTED AS A FINE ENOUGH DETERRENT TO STOP HATE.

HATE AND LOVE HAVE TO COEXIST!
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE!

WHAT ONE PERSON SEES AS WONDERFUL MAY BE A NIGHTMARE TO OTHERS.
SO WHAT?
WE'VE MADE IT THIS FAR AND WE'LL KEEP MAKING IT NO MATTER WHAT! 

THE FEW  WHO JUST CAN'T/WON'T BECOME ADULTS WHO CAN HANDLE REALITIES, DISAGREEMENTS, DIFFERENT IDEOLOGIES, DIFFERENT WORLD VIEWS, DIFFERENT BELIEF SYSTEMS, DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, DIFFERENT ANYTHING SEEM TO BE THE ONES CREATING MORE AND MORE 'HATE'.

THOSE WHO "GET THEIR DIAPERS IN A WAD" AT THE DROP OF A HAT...OR A SYMBOL...OR A WORD, OR A HAT, OR A LOOK, ARE NOT LIVING IN REALITY.

IT SEEMS LIKE A DAILY RITUAL FOR THE FEW TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW AND EVEN MORE LUDICROUS TO BE PISSED-OFF ABOUT AND 'TERRORIZED' BY.

EXAMPLE: 
"LOOK! LOOOOOOK! SEE THOSE BASTARDS CALLING THAT PERSON WITH A FULL BEARD AND A BARE HAIRY CHEST AND AN OBVIOUS BULGE IN THE BRITCHES A "HE"! HOW DARE THEY!!! THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT GENDER THAT PERSON IDENTIFIES AS", SAY SOME.

PAUSE..."OH, WAIT, THAT'S WINNIFRED AFTER A SEX CHANGE OPERATION, SO, UMMM, YEAH, 'FRED' IS A 'HE' NOW! DAMNED GOOD THING YOU ADDRESSED FRED PROPERLY!"

AND THEN I AND OTHERS CRY DOUBLE STANDARD, HYPOCRISY, LUDICROUS DEMANDS FOR 'SPECIAL RIGHTS" AND "SPECIAL TREATMENT" FOR JUST THEIR "SPECIAL GROUP", OR FOR JUST THEMSELVES. 

HOW DID WE COME TO THIS POINT THAT WE'RE BEING RULED AND BULLIED, JUDGED AND CONDEMNED BY A SMALL BUNCH OF WHINERS WHO THINK ALL THE WORLD MUST DO AND SAY AND BE WHATEVER IT IS TODAY THAT MAKES THESE SELF-SPOILED CHILDREN, THESE HISSING, CRYING, WILD-EYED, SPITTING, DYSFUNCTIONAL FEW 'COMFORTABLE' OR HAPPY?

WHAT'S TO BE DONE ABOUT WHAT MAKES THE REST OF US UNCOMFORTABLE OR UNHAPPY?

DIFFERENT SET OF RULES FOR SOME? SPECIAL RIGHTS FOR SOME?

SCREW THAT!
WE'RE ALL EQUAL IN AMERICA! 

I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AROUND WHINERS, SCREAMERS, THOSE WHO HAVE EMOTIONAL 'MELTDOWNS' JUST BECAUSE THINGS DON'T GO THEIR WAY, OR BECAUSE THEY :"FEEL" INSULTED, "FEEL" MALIGNED, "FEEL" ANXIOUS, "FEEL" DISTRESSED, OR EVEN IF THEY DON'T "FEEL" THEY'RE TOTALLY ACCEPTED BY ALL.

I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN OTHERS TRY TO FORCE ME TO CALL MAKING AN "OK" SIGN WITH MY FINGERS A "HATE SYMBOL".
THE HELL IT IS AND THE HELL I WILL!

IT MEANS 'OK', NOT "WP".
IT MEANS WHAT IT ALWAYS HAS.

NO SMALL GROUP LIVING ON 'FANTASY ISLAND' WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND DEAL WITH REALITY HAVE THE RIGHT TO REDEFINE EVERY WORD, EVERY ACTION, EVERY IMAGE FOR ALL OF US.  

MANY (MOST?) OF US ARE ALSO 'UNCOMFORTABLE' WHEN TRUTH IS DAMNED AS HATE, RACISM, BIGOTRY, ETC.

BOTH I AND MY CHILDREN, WHO ARE ALL IN THEIR FORTIES NOW, GREW UP AND LIVED PEACEABLY IN TIMES WHEN SAYING AN OBESE PERSON WAS 'FAT' WAS NOT SEEN AS HATE, WHEN SAYING SOMEONE WAS BLACK, WHITE, MALE, FEMALE DID NOT INCITE RIOTS OR LAWSUITS AND MEDIA MELTDOWNS. WE MERELY STATED FACTS.

 ALL OF US WERE PERFECTLY OKAY WITH ANYBODY SO INCLINED TO STAND ATOP A LITERAL 'SOAPBOX' ON ANY STREET AND STATE THEIR VIEWS PUBLICLY (WE SIMPLY WALKED BY THEM AND KEPT WALKING), WHEN SOMEONE SAYING "GOD BLESS YOU" WHEN ONE SNEEZED WAS APPRECIATED AND FOLLOWED BY A "THANK YOU", WHEN STATUES WEREN'T PULLED DOWN ANYWHERE SO THAT WE WEREN'T REMINDED THAT WE HAD A CIVIL WAR AND THE CONFEDERATES ALL HAPPENED TO BE DEMOCRATS, AND AMERICAN FLAGS, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE NATIONAL ANTHEM WERE RESPECTED BY ALL.

WE DIDN'T ATTACK ONE ANOTHER FOR WEARING ANY HAT.
WE HAD 'BOY SCOUTS' AND 'GIRL SCOUTS' AND NOBODY LOST THEIR MINDS WHEN THOSE WORDS WERE SPOKEN.

WE ALL HAD OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES AND WE ALL KNEW WHO LIKED WHAT BECAUSE NONE OF US FELT 'TERRORIZED' WHEN SOMEONE SAID THEY DIDN'T LIKE US. WE SHRUGGED AND WENT ON.

WE MAY HAVE FELT BADLY FR ANYONE WHOM OTHERS CALLED 'UGLY' OR 'GROSS', BUT WE DIDN'T SEE IT AS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOMETIMES WE CALLED THE EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL KIDS 'UGLY' AS A METHOD OF WHAT WAS KNOWN AS 'TEASING'.
NOBODY OPENED A VEIN AND SAT IN A HOT BATH BECAUSE PEOPLE CALLED THEM "NAMES".
NOBODY NEEDED PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING FOR BEING CALLED "FOUR-EYES" (A TERM REFERRING TO THOSE WHO WORE GLASSES).

WE DIDN'T DRIVE NAILS INTO WOODEN CLUBS AND GO LAY IN WAIT FOR MEMBERS OF THE "OTHER PARTY" OR "OTHER TEAM" SO WE COULD BEAT THEM SENSELESS.
WE SIMPLY VOTED OUR CHOICE AND EXPECTED EVERYONE TO DO THE SAME, ROOTED FOR THE HOME TEAM EVERY GAME AND ACCEPTED A LOSS AS WE ACCEPTED A WIN.
TOMORROW WAS ANOTHER DAY.
WIN A FEW, LOSE A FEW.

WE DIDN'T SET ASIDE "SAFE ZONES" WHERE THE FRAGILE WERE PROTECTED FROM HEARING/SEEING/EXPERIENCING DISTASTEFUL THINGS, NOR RAISE HELL WHEN OTHERS EXPRESSED THEIR OPINIONS AND SAID SOMETHING WE DIDN'T LIKE.

WE KNEW THAT WE ALL HAD A RIGHT TO OUR OWN OPINIONS AND THE RIGHT TO VOICE THEM ANYWHERE WE HAPPENED TO BE.

IF ONLY EVERYONE WOULD LOOK UP FROM THOSE "HURT FEELINGS" AND THOSE MELTDOWN MOMENTS AND BEHOLD THE CENTER OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM...IT'S CALLED THE SUN, AND IT'S NOT YOU, AND IT'S NOT ME. 
IT'S NOT YOU OR YOUR LITTLE GROUP, PARTY, WHATEVER, THAT THE UNIVERSE, GALAXY, SOLAR SYSTEM OR THE EARTH REVOLVES AROUND.

NONE OF US COUNT FOR MORE THAN OTHERS.
WE'RE ALL MERE SPECKS ON A TINY PLANET, ALL OF US, INCLUDING THOSE WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS SOMEHOW MORE SPECIAL AND DESERVING THAN OTHERS.

IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, "FEELINGS" COUNT FOR SO LITTLE THAT THERE IS NO MEASURING DEVICE TO SHOW YOU HOW LITTLE THEY COUNT.

WHAT YOU LIKE OR DON'T LIKE, WHAT YOU DO OR DON'T DO, SAY OR DON'T SAY IS ALL UP TO YOU, AS WELL AS HOW YOU CHOOSE TO REACT TO WHAT ALL THE REST OF US, ALL OF US WHO ARE EQUAL IN EVERY WAY TO YOU, DO, SAY, CHOOSE.

HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU, INDIVIDUALLY, WITHIN YOUR OWN PRIVATE TINY THREE-TIERED 'WORLD' OF EGO/SUPER-EGO/ID (IF WE CARE TO ADHERE TO FREUD'S 'THEORY').

YOU DON'T NEED AN 'ENEMY' TO 'MAKE' YOU ANGRY, YOU'VE BEEN FINDING WAYS TO CREATE ANGER FROM WITHIN SINCE YOU HAD YOUR FIRST 'TEMPER TANTRUM' AS A CHILD.

YOU DON'T NEED OTHERS TO 'MAKE' YOU TO DO THUS AND SO, YOU WERE DOING WHAT YOU CHOSE TO DO AS A WEE TOT SNEAKING INTO THE KITCHEN FOR A 'FORBIDDEN' COOKIE, THEN LYING ABOUT IT WHEN YOU GOT CAUGHT.

YOU DON'T NEED SOMEONE ELSE TO BLAME FOR YOUR FEARS. YOU WERE FEARFUL BEFORE YOU COULD WALK.

FACE IT, THERE ARE NO REAL SCAPEGOATS, NO ONE TO BLAME OR CURSE BUT THE IMAGE IN THE MIRROR.

WHETHER INSIDE YOUR HOME BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, OR AT WORK, OR IN PUBLIC PLACES, THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION GRANTS YOU AND EVERY OTHER CITIZEN OF AMERICA, CERTAIN RIGHTS, AND THOSE RIGHTS APPLY TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US EQUALLY.

NO ONE IS SPECIAL UNDER THE BILL OF RIGHTS, CITIZENS OF AMERICA.

NO ONE IS TRULY 'ABOVE THE LAW', EITHER.


ACCEPT IT...WE ARE ALL EQUAL UNDER THAT OLD DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE (INDEPENDENCE, NOT DEPENDENCE) THAT SIMPLY WRITTEN, EASY TO READ CONSTITUTION, ALL EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE TO OBEY THE LAWS OF OUR NATION, STATE, COUNTY, CITY, WORKPLACE AND NO ONE SHOULD SEE ANY REASON WHY ONE PERSON, OR ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE, SHOULD HAVE "SPECIAL RIGHTS", OR BE EXEMPT FROM ANY LAW JUST TO MAKE THEM "FEEL BETTER", TO "FEEL COMFORTABLE", TO "FEEL ACCEPTED".

EACH OF US DETERMINES OUR WORTH, AND NO ONE ELSE CAN DECIDE WHAT WE DETERMINE, NO ONE OUTSIDE OF 'US' CAN "MAKE" US "FEEL BAD" UNLESS WE GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO.

NO ONE CAN "MAKE" US ANGRY, SAD, HAPPY OR DEPRESSED...UNLESS WE ALLOW THEM TO.

HUMANS HAVE INCREDIBLE MINDS, INDESTRUCTIBLE WILLS, FREE CHOICE, SO, TO WHINE, SCREAM, RANT, RAVE WHEN OTHERS DON'T SHARE OUR VALUES, OUR BELIEFS, OUR STANDARDS, OUR CONCEPT OF SELF, OUR WISHES, OUR DESIRES, OUR ANYTHING IS BOTH ILLOGICAL AND A STEP BELOW CHILDISHNESS.

THE WORLD THRIVES ON DIVERSITY.

MOST LIKELY, NO ONE ELSE WOULD REALLY WANT TO BE YOU. EACH OF US WANTS TO BE WHO WE ARE. WE AREN'T YOU AND YOU'RE NOT US.
LET US ALL BE GLAD. 

BUT, SHOULD THE DAY ARRIVE WHEN WE DON'T LIKE WHO WE ARE, WE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE OUR OWN CHANGES, AS NO ONE ELSE CAN DO THAT FOR US, EITHER.

MY MOST BELOVED UNCLE OFTEN SAID OF THE UNHAPPY AND THE WHINERS, "THEY MUST LIKE THINGS THE WAY THEY ARE OR ELSE THEY'D DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE THINGS BETTER."

HUMANS ARE NOT BORN TO HERDS OR FLOCKS, BUT ENTER LIFE QUITE ALONE AND QUITE UNIQUE.
EVEN IDENTICAL TWINS ARE NOT ENTIRELY IDENTICAL.
WE DON'T HAVE TO "FOLLOW THE LEADER".
WE CAN LEAD OURSELVES.

AS WE'VE SEEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY, IF WE FIND OURSELVES ON SOME DESERTED ISLAND, ISOLATED COMPLETELY FROM OTHER HUMANS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO 'HANDLE' THAT AND SURVIVE, IF WE CHOOSE TO.
IF WE LIVE IN SUCH HEAVILY POPULATED AREAS THAT WE ARE PACKED IN LIKE SARDINES IN A CAN, WE ARE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT AS WELL...IF WE CHOOSE TO, THAT IS.

WE CAN ALWAYS SEEK A WAY OFF THE DESERTED ISLAND, OR A WAY OUT OF A CROWDED CITY...IF WE CHOOSE TO.
CERTAINLY WE CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO JUST GIVE UP, SIT DOWN, DO NOTHING.
EITHER WAY, IT'S OUR CHOICE.

IN EVERY GAME, THERE IS A WINNER AND THE REST ARE LOSERS.
IN EVERY RACE THERE IS BUT ONE 'FIRST PLACE'.

IN LIFE, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, IT'S THE SAME.

SOMETIMES WE WIN, SOMETIMES WE LOSE.
WE MAY REVEL IN OUR WINS, BUT WE LEARN FROM OUR LOSSES.
LOSING MAY PROMPT US TO HONE OUR SKILLS, TO REASSESS OUR TACTICS, TO BECOME BETTER AT 'THE GAME', IF A GAME IS WHAT WE WANT TO INVLVE OURSELVES IN.

THERE IS NO TRUE SHAME IN LOSING UNLESS WE OURSELVES ASSIGN SHAME TO IT.
I'VE PERSONALLY NEVER SEEN THE POINT NOR THE 'FUN' IN GAMES OF CHANCE, A ROLL OF DICE, SAY, OR THE FLIP OF A COIN, SPINNING A ROULETTE WHEEL, ETC.
NO SKILL INVOLVED, ALL ODDS, AND WE DON'T CONTROL THE ODDS.
I'VE WATCHED OTHERS LOSE FORTUNES ON SUCH GAMES AND THEN DEEPLY REGRET EVER PLAYING.
TOO LATE.
THEY CHOSE TO PLAY, BUT HAD NO CHOICE AS TO WHO WOULD WIN.

POLITICS IS A GAME OF CHANCE, OF ODDS, AND THE BETS ARE MADE ON EACH PARTY'S ABILITY TO WIN.
AGAIN, THE WIN DEPENDS ON ODDS.

OF "X NUMBER" OF QUALIFIED, REGISTERED VOTERS, HOW MANY MIGHT ACTUALLY BOTHER TO CAST A VOTE?

HOW MANY WHO ARE 'REGISTERED' AS A MEMBER OF ONE PARTY WILL DECIDE TO VOTE FOR THAT PARTY'S CANDIDATE?

HOW LIKELY ARE VOTING MACHINES TO MARK THE BALLOTS AS VOTERS INTENDED?
WHAT ARE THEIR FAIL RATES?

HOW LIKELY ARE ELECTION OFFICIALS TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST?

ISN'T IT POSSIBLE THAT THE BEST LIAR WILL WIN, THE ONE WHO CAN SWAY THE MOST PEOPLE TO CAST A VOTE FOR HIM/HER, PERHAPS EVEN THOUGH THAT CANDIDATE HAS 'RUN' BEFORE AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE MADE EMPTY CAMPAIGN PROMISES, WHO HAS BEEN 'BUSTED' AS A LIAR PREVIOUSLY?

WILL ENOUGH PARTY LOYALISTS GO AHEAD AND VOTE FOR THE SAME LIARS AGAIN JUST TO HAND THE PARTY ANOTHER WIN AND KEEP "THE OTHER SIDE" FROM WINNING?

HOW MANY WILL VOTE BASED ON THE OLD SAW OF "WELL, I VOTED FOR THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS'?

HOW FEW WILL SUDDENLY DECIDE TO JUST VOTE THIS TIME FOR THE BEST QUALIFIED, THE ONE WHO SEEMS MOST CAPABLE, EVEN IF THAT ONE IS NOT RUNNING AS A CANDIDATE FOR EITHER OF THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES?

HOW MANY MIGHT SEE NONE ON THE BALLOT WHOM THEY DEEM QUALIFIED, HONEST, CAPABLE, TRUSTWORTHY AND WRITE-IN A NAME TO SEND THE MESSAGE, "NONE OF THE ABOVE"?

WILL SOME NEW CANDIDATE APPEAR WHO IS A BETTER LIAR, WHO LOOKS MORE PROMISING THAN THE OLD LIARS?

WILL A NATURAL DISASTER OR SOME VIRAL EPIDEMIC PREVENT ENOUGH VOTERS FROM VOTING TO SWING THE ELECTION FOR THE "WORST OF TWO EVILS"?

TOO MANY CRAZY ODDS, ISN'T IT?

BUT THAT'S JUST HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES, IT'S ALL A GAME OF CHANCE AND, AS ANYONE CAN SEE, BOTH MAJOR PARTIES TAKE TURNS RUINING AMERICA.

IF YOUR PARTY DIDN'T WIN THIS TIME, NO NEED FOR THREATS OF SUICIDE OR THREATS TO LEAVE AMERICA, OR THREATS AGAINST THE WINNER OR HIS PARTY. 

SUCK IT UP, BUTTERCUP, THAT'S JUST LIFE! 

POLITICS AND THE STOCK MARKET CAN GO EITHER WAY.

WHEN WE 'LOSE' IN EITHER, WE HAVE NO JUST CAUSE TO SCREAM AND CRY AND WRING OUR HANDS AND PRETEND WE WERE "CHEATED OUT OF THE WIN". 

TOO MANY VARIABLES, TOO MANY STRANGE ODDS, TOO MUCH LEFT TO CHANCE TO GET BENT OUT OF SHAPE WHEN OUR CHOSEN PARTY LOSES.

IT'S A BIT LIKE THE WEATHER...IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, HANG ON FOR AWHILE AND IT WILL CHANGE, GUARANTEED.

LIFE TENDS TO BE A BIT LIKE THE WEATHER AS WELL.

SOME DAYS GO EXACTLY AS WE'D LIKE FOR THEM TO.
SOME DAYS NOTHING SEEMS TO GO AS WE'D HOPED.

SOMETIMES WE HAVE BAD WEATHER FOR WEEKS, MONTHS, BUT THEN, ONE DAY, IT ALL CHANGES.

LIFE, TOO, CAN SEEM GLOOMY ONE MOMENT AND ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL THE NEXT.

MUST WE ALWAYS WIN TO BE HAPPY?
MUST EVERY DAY BE GRAND?
NO.
SOMETIMES IT'S SIMPLY PLEASURABLE TO PLAY THE GAME, RUN THE RACE, BE INVOLVED, LIVE AND LEARN.

WE WIN OR LOSE, HAVE GOOD DAYS AND BAD, ALL IN AN INSTANT.

AT NO TIME SHOULD WE ALLOW THOSE INSTANTS TO BECOME 'FOREVER', BUT MUST ALLOW THEM TO PASS INTO HISTORY AND NOT DRAG US WITH THEM.

WE CAN'T CHAIN OURSELVES TO LOSS AND GRIEVE 'FOREVER'.
WE DON'T GET 'FOREVER', AS ALL OUR FRAGILE HUMAN LIVES WILL END ONE DAY OR ANOTHER AND WE DON'T HAVE A CLUE HOW LONG WE HAVE HERE.

TO WASTE EVEN ONE DAY CAUSING OURSELVES GRIEF, MAKING OURSELVES UNHAPPY, CLINGING TO YESTERDAY LIKE A DROWNING MAN MIGHT CLING TO A STRAW, IS INHERENTLY POINTLESS.

TO SPEND OUR FINITE TIME HERE IN REGRET OR ANGER OR A BITTER DESIRE FOR RETRIBUTION, OR TO PERMIT ANYTHING TO ROB US OF OUR DESIRE, OUR VERY REAL NEED TO BE SANE, LOGICAL, REALISTIC, AND CONTENT TO TAKE OUR JOY AND PEACE WHERE WE CAN FIND IT, IS RATHER LIKE CURSING THE DARKNESS BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE LIGHT.

OUR REAL WORLD HAS BOTH LIGHT AND DARKNESS.

AND, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, NEITHER THE SUN NOR THE MON FIGHT EACH OTHER FOR THE SKY.

NO ZEBRA DAMNS A GIRAFFE FOR BEING TALLER, NO TREE RIDICULES THE GRASS BENEATH IT FOR BEING GRASS, NO OCEAN OR MOUNTAIN  POUNDS ITS CHEST AND SHOUTS, "I'M THE BEST!"

WATER SPRINGS UP IN THE HIGH GROUND, FLOWS OVER ROUGH ROCKS, FALLS DOWN MOUNTAINSIDES, FINDS THE LOWLAND AND FLOWS INTO THE SEA, ALL WITHOUT CURSINGS, HATRED, ANGER, OR TEARS.

THINGS HAPPEN. THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.

IF WE SLIP ON THE GRASS AND FALL INTO MUD, IT DOES NO GOOD TO DAMN THE GRASS OR THE MUD.
WE GET UP, WASH OURSELVES AND GO ON.
WE CANNOT ALL BE 'STARS', NOR CAN ALL BE CONSIDERED EXQUISITELY BEAUTIFUL, OR GENIUSES, OR EVEN LIKABLE BY ALL.

THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.

WE ARE, HOWEVER, ALL QUITE UNIQUE, RARE, ONE-OF-A-KIND INDIVIDUALS, UNDUPLICATED ANYWHERE.

WE ALL HAVE GREAT WORTH IN SOME FORM, OR IN MANY FORMS.

WE EACH HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS.
WE EACH HAVE THE SAME HOURS IN EVERY DAY TO ADJUST OUR SAILS AND GO ON WITH THIS MAGNIFICENT VOYAGE CALLED LIFE.
.
WE ALL HAVE THE SAME FREE WILL TO CHOOSE HOW WE LIVE OUT OUR LIVES WHILE WE DRAW BREATH.

HOW DARE WE DENY ANY OTHER BEING WHAT WE OURSELVES SO CRAVE?

WE MAY NOT AGREE ON ANYTHING.
WE DON'T HAVE TO.

IT'S OKAY TO BE WHO WE ARE, WHOM WE HAVE DECIDED WE WILL BE (AS LONG AS WE'RE CONTENT WITH THAT), AS LONG AS WE AREN'T BREAKING LAWS OR DOING TO OTHER BEINGS WHAT WE CONDEMN BEING DONE TO US AND AS LONG AS WE DON'T DEMAND MORE FOR OURSELVES THAN WE DEMAND FOR OUR FELLOW TRAVELERS ON THIS TINY BLUE MARBLE OF A SPACESHIP.

DECIDE TO STOP ALLOWING THINGS TO "GET TO YOU".

NO ONE HAS TO LIKE YOU OR AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT ANYTHING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE ANYONE OR AGREE WITH THEM ABOUT ANYTHING.
FACT IS, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS.

BE MINDFUL OF DAMNING OTHERS FOR WHAT YOU YOURSELF ARE DOING.

EXAMINE SELF FIRST, EVERY NEW DAY.
"FIX" SELF BEFORE YOU PACK UP YOUR TOOLS TO GO FIX OTHERS.
UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR VALUES AND BELIEFS MAY BE YOURS ALONE, AND THAT OTHERS MAY HOLD BELIEFS THAT ARE THEIRS ALONE.

WE HAVE NO RIGHT NOR REASON TO SIT AS JUDGE AND JURY FOR OTHERS.

NONE OF US ARE SO PERFECT THAT WE SHOULD BE CLONED AND THE REST OF THE WORLD ERADICATED AND REPLACED WITH COPIES OF "ME".

IN THIS WORLD, IN THIS REALITY, THOSE WHO FAVOR "ME, ME, ME" OVER "ALL OF US, THE SAME" WILL ONLY KNOW SORROW AND FEAR.

SURE, YOU'RE AS GOOD AS 'THE NEXT GUY', BUT THE NEXT GUY IS ALSO AS GOOD AS YOU. 

WHETHER STRAIGHT OR GAY, WHITE OR BLACK, MALE, FEMALE, OR NO GENDER, RICH OR POOR, EXQUISITELY BEAUTIFUL OR HORRIBLY DISFIGURED, HEALTHY OR TERMINALLY ILL, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, CHRISTIAN OR ATHEIST, YOUNG OR OLD, WE ALL HAVE THE EXACT SAME RIGHTS, NO EXCEPTIONS, NO "FAVORED ONES", NO "SPECIAL RIGHTS", NO ONE ABOVE THE LAW.

WE MUST STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR OUR UNDOING, OUR PERSONAL DISCOMFORTS AND START BLAMING THE ONE WE SEE IN THE MIRROR, IF THAT ONE DEMANDS SPECIAL TREATMENT OR DEMANDS THAT ALL CONFORM TO JUST ONE STANDARD OF LIVING.

WE CERTAINLY ARE ALL QUITE SPECIAL, BUT NOT SPECIAL ENOUGH TO BE BOWED AND SCRAPED TO BY OTHERS.

WHEN WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF US HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS, MAYBE THE WHINING AND FEAR AND ANGER CAN CEASE?

IF YOU DON'T LIKE TODAY, HANG TOUGH.
THINGS CAN AND HAVE CHANGED IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

IF YOU'RE CONTENT WITH WHOM YOU'VE CHOSEN AND DETERMINED TO BE, GOOD FOR YOU!
WALK RIGHT ON DOWN THAT PATH AND DON'T LOOK BACK AT WHERE THE REST OF US ARE HEADED. 

IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHAT OTHERS DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES, IT'S NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE, IT'S THEIRS.

JUST GO YOUR WAY IN PEACE. 

IT'S THE RIGHT OF EVERYONE ELSE TO DO THE SAME.







//WW