L33T - And Other Words Of All Kinds
RANTS

The Beauty Of Gray

Now, my political views are classified for the most part as conservative. I respect that other people think liberally and, though I may disagree with their beliefs, I can still be their friend and think of them as highly (or higher) than any conservative friends I may have. Political views, at least for me, do not determine whether or not a person is moral. Because moral is completely relative to the viewer. So, without further ado, here's my rant:

A certain woman (who shall remain nameless) and I have a disagreement that started a few months ago. I professed my belief that burning the flag, while certainly not something I would do, should be a part of the inalienable rights included amongst the freedoms of expression. Well, this upset her invariably and I was swept into a very heated debate about my belief. Now, as most of my friends can tell you, I hold pretty tightly to what I believe. While I can admit defeat if disproven beyond a shadow of a doubt, I usually have good reason for my beliefs and will not hesitate to defend them verbally. Well, this case was no different. No matter how many times she kept saying that I was weakening the country with my belief, I held steadfast to the fact that, while not a personal way of expression, burning our flag is a symbol not only of our accordant displeasure for our country, but also an expression of the rights our forefathers fought so hard for. Besides the fact that burning the flag is also a symbol of reverance if it has fallen to the ground. Anyway, unlike myself, this certain lady takes every argument to an emotional level. So, she ended up mad at me, and the only remedy she'll ever accept is for me to give up what I believe. This is WRONG. Fine, disagree with what I believe, but under no circumstances should I be thought less of as a person for a belief that hurts nobody. It's just like the Catholic/Protestant thing I wrote earlier. ACCEPT the beliefs of others as legitimate. Do not think that they believe what they do just to tick you off, and thus dislike the person. This is an immature reaction to a subject that demands a certain level of maturity. Once you can accept another person's beliefs as having a legitimate basis, you can then end debating and begin discussing in a calm and cool fashion the matter at hand. Only through peaceful discussion can both parties reach a new level of understanding not just of their own personal creed, but of each other's. And that will only serve as a building block to discovering the deeper essences and happenings of the world around us. Peace.

-L33T

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