The people of this country are more divided than I can remember in my lifetime and I find myself getting very passionate about a whole lot of things. Especially if I have been drinking. I used to think that social media was pretty amazing. Over the last few years I have found that it rips apart my brain way more than it makes me awe in amazement.
In my opinion the days of civil debate are gone. The art of learning from the perspective of others is gone. It has now just become a verbal boxing ring where people of different sides shove their opinions down the throats of others convinced that they are facts instead of opinions.
Here is my apology. I do this and I truly am sorry. My opinions are not facts. They are my opinions. Your opinions are not facts either and I fail at respecting them. I get into social media arguments and suddenly become so hell bent on converting people to my side that every now and then I take the argument to an angry and dangerous place. This is not who I want to be. I have always tried my best to listen to the opinions of others, sit back and try to understand why they feel the way they feel and attempt to form my opinions based on all the information that I have gathered. Lately, I have not done this and I am very sorry.
I have no idea why I have become Captain Defensive when it comes to certain subjects. I have no idea why I have decided that my way of thinking should be everyone's way of thinking. I was called a judgmental hypocrite the other day. After I sobered up and read through the comment thread I realized that this person was right. So to you, if you ever come across this... know that I am sorry. In a drunken and overly passionate rant, I took things to a level I am not proud of.
I become very emotional when it comes to topics of race, rights and especially anything children related. I have family and very dear friends of many races, religions and sexuality and I am very passionate about their rights and equality. We live in a world consumed with so much hatred for one another that it makes me horribly scared for my children. Which is why I am so passionate about how our children are being raised. It makes me ill to think that my kids would ever hate someone simply because of their skin color or where they come from or what faith they follow. I spent my whole childhood being treated like absolute shit by some of my peers that it makes my stomach turn to think that my kids may be treated like that or treat others like that. So, I often have lots to say about these subjects. Once again, these are my feelings, not facts. So if I have ever crammed them down your throat while being a judgmental hypocrite, I really am sorry.
This has been going on for a couple of years and I'm not sure what triggered it... But I know I don't like who I am when I get so hyped up. The Kapernick argument is finally what made me see what I was doing.
The weird thing is... If I were at a Sabre's game or wherever... And I saw someone (a player or otherwise) not standing for the National Anthem, I would think, "What a douchebag". Then I would think, "Well, it's his right". Then I would roll my eyes and go about my day. Because in the end it has absolutely no effect on my life. His disrespect of the flag would not affect my love for it. So, I'm not sure why I got so heated up about this situation. Maybe it's because it turned into a race issue or maybe it's because of the double standards regarding constitutional rights. Whatever the reason, My opinions and feelings are just that, they are not facts and I have no right to treat them like they are. So for that, I am sorry.
I have been called a lot of things in the last few years. Not many of them very pretty. Hypocrite, judgmental, opinionated, N***er lover, unpatriotic, pussy liberal and a few more. I've been told to leave the country I was born in and love because I believe that systemic racism is a real thing. I have been told to get on the opposite side of Trump's wall because because I believe that closing borders would be more harmful than helpful. I have been told to buy a one way ticket Syria so I can see what real oppression is.
Here is the thing... I crave a world with more compassion. I crave a country that judges character and not color. I hope for a community where I don't have to worry about my kid's and your kid's safety and well being every time they leave my sight. A neighborhood that watches out for each other despite differences of opinion. I have hopes for a country where constitutional rights are guaranteed to all and not some, a government that is not riddled with corruption and nation that can have real discussions for positive change without being torn with hateful division. Those things I am not sorry for.
I am sorry that I have taken my views and shoved them in the faces and down the throats of people (friends and strangers) on social media. My business would fall to crap without the ol' FB so even though I know I should delete it, I can't. I will however limit my use of it to promote my business and post adorable pictures of my kids.
