Instead of worrying about who someone is, it seems smarter to focus on what they do. Anything other than their actions is none of your business and can't harm you, and not many of their actions are your business, either.
The color of someone's skin isn't my concern, nor is the language they speak. Who you love is between you and those you love, and your religious beliefs don't involve me.
I'm not worried about where someone was born or what government permission slips they may lack.
What people do is all that can matter.
I would hope people don't harbor beliefs which they use to justify violence, including the violence of laws, against those who aren't harming anyone else. Yet, unless they take action, not even those twisted beliefs can hurt anyone.
If you aren't creating a victim through your actions-- and being offended isn't being victimized-- those who oppose you are wrong.
What you wear, what you carry, what you ingest, what you do in your own home-- none of those things could possibly be any of my business unless it harms others or makes a credible threat to do so.
If you aren't complying with zoning laws, property codes, licensing schemes, or other illegitimate laws, I'm on your side.
Why would I care if you break laws as long as there is no individual victim; not an imaginary victim like "society" or the state? And, although I don't want you to harm yourself and would do what I can to help, no one has the right to violently intervene to stop you.
Those who worry about who someone is rather than what they do often complain about government until they can use it against someone they don't like, especially if they notice their target ignoring an illegitimate law. Suddenly, they are in favor of government violence. If they weren't against the person, they wouldn't care about the law. Hypocrisy is ugly.
But what if you fervently believe you need to meddle in someone else's life? Do I care why you do the wrong thing? No. I only care that you act to violate someone's life, liberty, or property. Your excuses don't matter.
Whoever you are is fine with me. Anything you do is OK with me as long as you aren't harming someone, even if I don't understand it. It's a waste of time to fret over shallow things which can't possibly matter. You be you; that's good enough.
Good article Kent! Isn't it interesting how many people scream and stomp their feet demanding freedom, and decrying the sledgehammer power of Der Stadt, only until they encounter someone whose identity they dislike, and all of a sudden advocate the same exact behaviors they have been protesting, only, directed at the hated identity group.
ReplyDeleteIt's not Demonrats who play identity politics, it's RepubliCAN'TS as well. The evidence of this is pretty widely available to anyone who looks at the Republican't platform, and the values and affiliations of their membership and the values and agendas (agendae?) of those same groups; e.g. Christian Coalition, Family Research Council.
People need to WAKE the KRIFF up and get it through their heads, What Dr. King said was right; "Judge people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." It's not just skin color. Like you said, Kent, it's not whjo you are, it's what you do. Are you hurting anyone?
I hear "hate speech" all the time. Sometimes I even get my feelings hurt. I NEVER try to silence these people, because I live by the Golden Rule, apparently more than they do; but if I DARE to say ONE WORD which goeth in dispute of their pyrodendritic-vocalisation derived dogma, out come the threats, and even the attempted acts of violence, (although those don't happen often as I go armed. EVERYWHERE.) Like any ADULT should, I take care of my own security, but I also decide my own ethics and morals and adhere to them.
Another reason I'm glad to read this article, Kent? I am sick to damn death of identity politics, and am glad to see another adult calling for the end of it.
Shinseiko
Great article, Kent! This is a message that I would like to see spread everywhere. Why should I waste energy minding everyone else's business when I still need to put more effort into minding my own, anyway?
ReplyDelete