A Pseudo-Solicited Opinion Related to Recent Obstructive Sinister Scariness
I have a few opinions on the recent bad behavior that has plagued our country.
Firstly, I’m somewhat conflicted if this post counts as an unsolicited opinion or if it’s actually a solicited one. Technically, you opened this link, viewed the content, and then continued to read this post of your own volition, so I’m leaning more toward solicited. Especially because if you weren’t even marginally interested in my opinion, then you would’ve just moved on with your life, rather than continuing to spend it—and arguably wasting it—reading this.
But I digress.
It’s no secret that the behavior in the Capitol was egregious. Anyone who believes that violating the law and violently storming the Capitol was somehow a good and lawful deed is an idiot.
It’s also no secret that the protests-turned-riots over the summer were also egregious and terrible, and anyone who believes that those riots were somehow good and lawful is also an idiot.
Personally, I think that anyone involved with violence or lawbreaking regardless of motive should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That’s how America is supposed to work; you do bad things, due process ensues, and then punitive action is delivered as a consequence of you doing those bad things.
Additionally, I think most people complaining about one situation rather than the other are missing the point: Both are bad.
I’m also intrigued and somewhat worried about where things will go from here. The oncoming President and Vice President (Biden and Harris), the current President, all of those involved in the Senate and Congress, and all of the news commentators had an excellent opportunity to push unity, American values, freedom, and maybe even unite the country. They all could’ve easily said, “This was a terrible thing that happened. Those who participated in the riots and violence at the Capitol and the riots and violence over the summer are bad. Don’t do bad things.”
Some of those people did say those things, as they should’ve. However, many suggested (and demanded) absurd crackdowns on free speech for the common folk, limitations on basic civil rights, they increased the demonization of the political party opposite of the one they endorse, and produced the appearance of having a very selective memory at what has actually happened in the time between the summer and now.
Here is the dirty secret: Bad things are always going to happen. Bad people are always going to exist in this life. Bad ideas and ideas that we just disagree with for various reasons, valid or not, are always going to be around.
But when bad ideas and bad things happen, and bad ideas and bad things are always going to happen because we’re all profoundly broken people, the solution isn’t the removal of ideas and limitations on what people can and cannot say. The solution is more speech, more ideas, more discussion, more access to dialogue.
As I mentioned before in another post, it’s still my contention that 70% of Americans agree on 70% of stuff. I’m confident that at least 70% of the 70% agree that we need full, unimpeded access to all of our civil rights, that we need to treat others with respect, and that we need to be our brother’s keeper better than we currently are.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Opinions?
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