that's life

 I write these blogs not as a reflection of the popular opinion, but rather as my opinion. I post the link to my social media page(s) and I am fortunate that I have those that read my ramblings. It is also posted to Google, or the web available to every search engine out there. I'm always amazed when I hear a comment from a total stranger, sometimes from a different country. I wonder how they stumble across my blog in the millions of pages out there. I don't get a lot of feedback, just an occasional response. I'd say it is the opposite of viral, it's quite benign. Although there are some it seems to irritate greatly! 

 I often find myself in contradiction to the popular opinion. The Will Smith slap being the latest example of that. I get it, we're not supposed to support "violence" in any form and be pacifists. We are supposed to forgive, indeed provide consul and empathy for the one offending us. Well, that's not how I roll. You insult or injure those I love, you can expect retribution. Yes, it is to be expected! 

 It is that expectation of "punishment" that guides us on our path. Or, at least that used to be the motivation to do right. Now it seems more people are worried about being socially correct, adhering to the political agenda. I'm just supposed to accept whatever you offer. No matter how much it offends me, I shouldn't respond lest I offend you. Well, in my opinion Rock got exactly what he deserved. He was the host, it was his job, his responsibility to ensure the guests were treated correctly and have a good time, that is the job of a host! It isn't to poke fun and insult the guests, there are other venues for that.

 Another issue I find myself in contradiction to is this legalization of marijuana. For clarification, I am not opposed to the use of oils or extracts that have proven medicinal uses. That I do not have a problem with. It is the legalization for recreational use that concerns me. I think we can all agree we would all be better off if alcohol were prohibited. Alcohol causes much damage, chaos, and death. The attempt was made to prohibit the sale of that substance. We all know the result of that. Things is, that was because it had been allowed, thought of as a positive thing, profitable indeed; and no one wanted that revenue to stop! But what if it had been prohibited from the beginning. What if man had never tasted that fruit? The whole argument that smoking pot isn't any worse than drinking is just illogical. Aren't we supposed to strive to be better than? When you propose attaching legislation that includes funding recovery and rehabilitation for the misuse of a product maybe you shouldn't legalize the product at all. And yes, a few states have done just that. A portion of the profits must go to "recovery" centers for those that abuse the drug. The bottom line is simple enough to understand, people just want to smoke that dope to get high! That's the reason for the big legalization push! It's no worse than drinking alcohol! Is drinking alcohol a good thing? Smoking pot is its' equal. Well, no worse right?

  You know I've pointed this out on more than one occasion and will do so again. Everyone wants to be treated equally, until they are. It is at that point the exemptions and exceptions come into play. The list is a long one and growing every day. Race, ethnicity, education, opportunity, wealth, lack of wealth, physical attributes, social standing or lack of social standing top the list. Gender identity is surging in popularity, however. It is this desire to please everyone that inflates our legislation. The typical bill in Congress extends to thousands of pages! The actual proposed legislation can usually be summed up in a few lines. Including all the exceptions and exemptions fill in the rest! Consider the tax code as another example. Two thousand six hundred and fifty two pages! Is everyone being treated the same? Yes, everyone is equally subject to that code. Of course, exceptions and exemptions are delineated in two volumes. 

 My opinions are based on my moral and ethical values. I weigh them against the popular opinion. Never having been a person that was overly concerned with being popular, concerned with fad and fashion as I like to say, I find myself in contradiction. As I get older, it happens more frequently. That, I believe is the natural and normal course of things. The things that disturb us are those things eroding our core beliefs. We may have participated in some of those actions but grew to reject them. It's the same as the old saying, those that can't play, coach. And that is what I feel like I'm doing sometimes, coaching. I may not have done it myself, or I may have done it and failed, but I can tell you how it should be done. My moral and ethical values are my playbook. I have broken those rules, you shouldn't. I should have listened to the coach. Well, that's life.