differences

  I left this thought in response to a Facebook posting and thought it would make a good blog post, so here it goes. Instead of celebrating our differences we should focus on discovering our commonalties. Tolerance is not the same thing as acceptance or inclusion. Many fail to understand the differences. We see our nation sharply divided and wonder why? Both sides are firm in their beliefs. And make no mistake about it, belief is far stronger than facts. That is the nature of man and that alone needs to be recognized. I'll repeat that, belief is far stronger than facts. 

 Over the last few years celebrating our differences has become a mantra. The more differently we define ourselves from the whole, the less of the whole we will have. Think of it this way, there is only so much icing on the cake. That is what is causing the division. Far too many identifying with the icing and not the cake. The cake is the foundation! Yes there is an inequity in that, the icing is sweet and the cake is not. Still the cake tolerates the icing it doesn't attempt to become the icing. That metaphor is a bit strained but I hope you get the idea. What I'm saying is we need to identify as one, not as many. E Pluribus Unum, just like it says on the great seal of the United States; out of many, one. 

 The way I see it the division is because so many feel like they are different from everyone else. The search for excuses and exceptions. Mostly all of that is an effort to gain an advantage of some type while decrying equality. I'm disadvantaged in some way. If it isn't economically, it's biologically. If that doesn't work  I can try spiritualty. But proposing a standard is labeled as racist! I'm not sure when it happened but many now believe being American is a race. Being an American, loving America and adopting her values doesn't make you a racist. Still, that's what we hear don't we?  What you are is a nationalist. Being a nationalist is a terrible thing, why it's like being proud of your family name or something. A nationalist believes in political independence for their nation. Yes, those folks are loyal to their country! Nationalism, omg, that's what Nazis' where. No, that was the name of a political party in Germany. A party that rose to power on empty promises of wealth and prosperity. Yes, it sure sounded good at the time. The Nazi's, the National Socialist German Workers Party, promised many things and kept practically none of those promises. There objective was to gain power, not to make the nation a better place for the workers. But the workers were duped for a while. By the time the real agenda became apparent it was too late. Being a nationalist isn't wrong, what you do with that nationalism is what counts. I believe in taking care of America first, and everyone else will just have to stand in line. It isn't a matter of taking care of America to the exclusion of all others, it is a matter of priorities. I'm tired of those wishing to cut the line! 

 It is my belief that is where the division begins. The difference being what is best for the nation, compared to what is best for the individual. President Trump, in my opinion, centered his efforts on America and American interests. His was strictly a business approach. Sure made a lot of folks upset that can't be denied. For that reason he has been called by every name you can imagine, indeed the assault continues. Were those actions what was best for the country? I don't see how. Four years of that culminated in what we saw at the capitol. But those on the left need to blame someone else. It's always that way. There's an attitude of me first, country second. Let's all celebrate our differences! Well all I can say is, I can sing and Elvis Presley could sing, we just sang differently. We could celebrate that but in the final alanyls Presley sang better than I do. It would be better for everyone to listen to him. It's what is best. I shouldn't attempt to force you to do otherwise. 

 America is a land of tolerance. That was written into the Constitution. Adoption of your beliefs was not! We the people in order to form a more perfect union; that means what is best for everyone, a union. That was the thinking, It was the thinking behind trade unions at one time as well. Today unions do little for the working man but a whole lot for the union bosses. That's because the unions wield the power, not the people in them. A subtle thing that goes unnoticed. The federal government can go down that same path if we allow that to happen. How does it happen? When the people grow content with whatever that government offers on an individual level. The concern isn't for the whole, it is for the individual. How much can I get? Unions tell people when to go to work and when not to. They even pay those that strike when told, with other union mens' wages that is. Today the government is doing the same thing, only difference being, many of those have never gone to work a day in their life! Who's paying them? The one's working. 

 It is a matter of belief. That is the bottom line here. As I said in the opening paragraph, belief is far stronger than fact. If one where to prepare a simple list of the accomplishments of Trump and compare that to a list of Obama's accomplishments that becomes obvious enough. What I believe to be accomplishments, what was best for the country certainly wasn't what Obama did! There are those that believe the opposite. The big difference? The manner in which the media reported those accomplishments. How did it come to be that so many hate Trump? Was it simply because he defeated Hillary Clinton? Is that the sole reason? Remember they wanted to impeach him before he even won the election. Why? I'll tell you why, because Trump was going to put America first! That was surely going to disrupt business as usual. For that reason he had to be vilified. He is an outsider. Yes, in the party of inclusion, of tolerance, of acceptance and understanding, the party of empathy and compassion for all, he was different! He had to be squashed. And that is the bottom line. That's what I believe.