Lay Down Your Guns

       I see so many people fussing and carrying on, especially on social media, and it is so heartbreaking to me. Every where you turn, there is someone arguing over what is truth and what is lies; what is racist and what is not; which piece of news is fake and which is the real story; who's opinion matters the most, and even who's life is valuable and who's should not be cared about at all. It's getting outrageously out of hand.
       I get caught up in the arguments myself sometimes, although I try not to. But the truth is, if we don't find a way to stop the hate talk and lashing out at one another other, all of the facts; opinions; statistics, or anything else will do us no good. We must strive for a better day, when we can all put a stop to hate crimes, hate talk, and acts of vengeance and violence. Making our world a better place will require us to be empathetic with one another's pain, see the other side of the story, and imagine ourselves having to walk in the other person's else's shoes.
       We, each, should adopt an open mind and open heart. From there, we must educate ourselves, the best that we can on where the hate, the fear, and the pain is coming from. I am all for standing up for what is right and speaking out against the wrong. And respectful debate is certainly appropriate when all parties involved are open to discussion. But we need to be careful with our words. I have to remind myself of this every single day. But that is where making the world a better place has to begin - within the hearts of each and every one of us.
       Be kind with your words. There are many ways to say what we need to say without being cruel. Speak the truth and give your opinions, but try to not cross the line into indecent and disrespectful attacks on each other. There has got to be a better way. I'm challenging myself to be a part of finding that way. Will you face this challenge with me?
     If we really want to see positive changes, we must lay down our guns - not only literal guns, but "guns" that come in the form of hate talk; judgemental attitudes; false accusations, and words and actions driven by alterative motives. When we are in the middle of a heated argument and say things that only cause more pain, more anger; and more hate, what are we actually accomplishing? It only makes matters worse. It can not come to an end until we ALL end it within ourselves. It is hard sometimes, but we must try. This is the only way to calm it down. So, stay calm and keep your communication as peaceful as possible. The next generation will thank us for it. Peace and love to you all, Martin Ann