As
anyone who knows me will tell you, "there is no doubt" where I stand
on most issues. Recently, I expressed opinions, which were not popular
with many people, about the admittance of refugees from Syria and being careful
to not lump all Muslims into one boat. My Facebook posts brought about
lively discussion. I was greeted by several people around the area who
expressed they were surprised by my positions and why they felt I was
misguided.
I
always appreciate hearing from those who see issues differently, as they
challenge me to grow intellectually. But, comments from a few people led
me to write this Blog Post......so let's get to it!
Over
the past several weeks, there have been some political developments in the area
which have led some people to ask if I intend to seek political office. I
won't ever rule out a political run, in some capacity or another, as I will go
wherever I feel led to improve our Community and Region.
As
I spoke with some folks about my political beliefs, I had a couple of people
say, "You need to be concerned about your "liberal" views and
how they will affect you in a race." Those remarks struck me at my
core....many of my political views and political life lessons were gained at an
unusually young age. They are not "liberal".
I
have been blessed to lead a life unlike most people. As a youngster, I
spent a great deal of time with my Grandfather, Herbert Douglas. Herb, as
he was known by many, was known as "Granddad", by me.
Granddad
ran for the United States Senate, in Missouri, in 1956. He won the
Republican Primary, but lost the General Election, as Missouri was generally a
Democratic leaning state, in those days. Granddad told me many stories,
from "the good old days", as he and I traveled all over southern
Missouri, going to various Republican gatherings. On one occasion he
shared with me a powerful message....one I have not forgotten...he told me,
"never be afraid to stand up for what you know is right; particularly when
everyone else around you knows you are wrong."
I knew what he was saying...Granddad was telling me, when a large group of people were traveling down a path I honestly believed to be dangerous, to take the road less traveled.
When I die, I don't care to be a monetarily rich person. Money has not mattered to me, beyond wishing to provide for my family. I haven't heard people reflect on the life of others and remark, "They sure were great, because they had money." Instead, I know people are remembered for their contribution to society. Their legacy.
I
hope each of you will get this from my life, a glimpse of my legacy, which I am
trying to sew, to always love when you can and when you can no longer love,
step back and ponder what road you are on.
We
are all molded by our own experiences. As a career police officer, I have seen
many horrific parts of humanity. That experience has allowed me to
cherish the good times and know, while there is evil in the World, there is way
more good. Good always trumps evil. We just have to believe.
Growing up in The Ozarks, I know the importance of neighbors, family, God, and friends. In every instance of my current existence, I face issues and ask myself, "Can I face my neighbors, my family, my God, and my friends"; if I act or believe in a particular way.
Often, I fall back on teachings of Love and knowing I don't have to conform to anyone else's model to "be accepted". I am not striving for acceptance. I am striving to set an example and in some very small way make our corner of the World nicer, better, greater.
It is OK for us to be afraid of people and "things" that are different. It is OK for us to protect ourselves against people who legitimately wish to do us harm. It is OK to use force to protect ourselves in the face of an imminent threat. I know all of this first hand. I have seen it staring me in the face, more than once. I have been terrified, on numerous occasions.
But,
the one thing I have never done is lumped a group of people into a pile and
believed all of them were bad, because one of them tried to kill me. That
is illogical, but more importantly it is not following God's teachings of love.
Along
with my Grandfather, my parents also gave me a very simple gift. They not
only taught me the Golden Rule, they preached it. Any time I made a
mistake and treated someone badly, one of them would ask, "How would you
feel if that had been you?" It took me awhile, as I am not always
the swiftest learner, but eventually the Golden Rule hit home.
I
saw kids in High School, who were teased because they didn't have the nicest
clothes. I wondered how I would have felt. I saw a college roommate
treated differently, because he was Black. I wondered how I would have felt.
I saw people denied job interviews, because they didn't "know" the
right people, but were more qualified. I wondered how I would have felt.
Today,
I see people being judged and ridiculed because they come from a foreign land
and have a strange religion. I wonder how I would feel, if it was me...if
I was trying to save my family from stray bullets and bombs that had nothing to
do with me....if I was hungry and just wanted food....if I just wanted to lay
down, with my arms tight around my family in a place where I did not have to
worry about any of us being killed..........How would I feel?
I
would feel like coming to America, because contrary to what some people will
tell you; America IS GREAT. America IS a place of hope. America is
a place where I could get off a boat or plane and upon working hard...I could
be CEO of ANY Fortune 100 Company. That is how I would feel, if I were a
refugee.
It
is not about being Conservative or Liberal.........it is about the Legacy I
wish to leave.............
If
we can't agree......can't we at least be civil?
