By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee
The Confederate flag ... ISIS ... Lesbian-Gay ... Religion ... Color. I've noticed that when I began to write about either subject ... I just couldn't. I couldn't write, begin to even voice what I think, feel about all.
These are battlefields I choose not to go on ... I pick my wars ... which means I don't choose a war unless I'm going to win it, or believe in it so strongly that I would even dare think about debating it. Some things are too sensitive ... these topics are.
The only way I'm going to argue something is when it's in good fun ... no ugliness involved. I don't like ugly scenes, nor ... ugly people. I don't like shallow, narrow-minded people who argue for the sake of arguing.
I've tried to give my thoughts on these subjects ... words. I've sat, typed many words only to delete them. Why?
Because ... I'm not going to argue what I think about anything. How do I know I'm right? How do I know ... you are right? How do I know what to think? I can only feel what I think ... feel is right.
Just like you ... it doesn't mean I am right, no more than it means ... you are right. We both feel we are right in thinking the way we do ... until someone comes along, shows us differently. I'm big enough ... open-minded enough to change my way of thinking ... are you?
I have too much respect for others, their feelings ... thoughts to argue with them. Like me, they know fully what they think, believe. Who am I to tell them differently? I feel if someone wants to constantly argue in a bad way... they have a love to tear down their fellow human beings.
If you think about it and you are honest about it ... you know there is more than one way to look at, think about things. Nothing is really ... just one way. Think about it.
We all are in this world ... no two people are the same. When we are good people ... does it matter what color we are? Does it matter what we believe as long as what we believe in ... is good?
Does it really matter when only good is directing us in life toward the same things. We all just take different paths toward the ... same thing. We call those things by different names, depending what we grew up believing.
The goal is the same ... to be good as good as we can as people ... to help others along the way ... love one another. What more is there for ... people to do?
What does matter is ... when ugly people get out of control with their vicious, ugly, evil thoughts, deeds. When they hurt others without caring that they made someone hurt, lay dying ... bleeding to death. When they are out to kill many people. Murderers, mass murderers ... people who have no heart.
Does it matter when someone shows you kindness, mercy, love at a time you need it most ... what color they are ... what their sexual preference is ... what God they believe in? Does it? No. A big No!
When someone steps out of their way to help, care for you ... it does ... not matter. When they care enough ... to risk their life for you ... care enough to pick you up off the ground ... to save you from something horrible ... do you have to question them first to see if they are gay, black or white, yellow, green ... blue ... or if they believe in your God?
No ... why? Because it means the world that someone could care enough to save your ass ... when they could just walk on by.
We all have to find our places in this big, old ... cruel world. Cruel not from the world itself ... from the humans that live on it.
If people would join together ... to make it a wonderful place for all of us ... only acknowledging that we are all humans, we all feel different emotions, we all bleed red ... not judge by our colors, race, beliefs ... what do you think this world would be like?
This is as close as I will come to voicing my opinions on these topics. This is what I believe ... and I know you will respect my opinions ... just as I do yours.
Confederate flags ... ISIS ... Lesbian and Gay ... Color ... Race ... these things aren't things for me to argue over.
Confederate flags are a part whether it be good or bad ... of our history. It's how one perceives it ... lets it control how they feel. Not all of history is pleasant ... men had to fight wars a lot of them didn't want to ... had to. Men treated people bad ... used them in every way possible.
History isn't all good ... ever so often it seems everyone jumps on a bandwagon to pretend something didn't happen ... they tried to make things disappear ... We are finding out things such as this now ... history as taught to us isn't all ... how it really was.
Lesbian and Gay ... they have the right to be in this world just as 'straight' people. They can't just up and die because ... you ... want them to. Do I have to die because ... you don't like me?
Does it mean I don't have a place in this world because you hate me? Like everyone else ... I'm going to find me a place, hold that ground. Wouldn't it be sad to kill everyone, everything we hate? You would be killing your family members, friends, innocent people.
I am straight, married. I only know that the Confederate flag is a part of our history ... all the good or bad about it. I don't want to hurt someone over their beliefs.
That flag is there from the past ... you can't erase it. Teach about both good, bad so ... it can't happen again. It isn't worth killing someone over. You can't sweep all the bad stuff under a rug ... pretend it didn't happen. You learn lessons from it all ... what's important is how you go from there. Make good from bad.
Of course, what just happened ... oh my. It's awful for someone to go into a church where he was accepted ... sit there there, then do what that guy did. He killed people who contributed more to life than he thought to do. I can't even fathom what was in his mind. The flag didn't do it ... the man did it. He held that gun in his hand.
It broke my Heart. Then ... everyone is devastated but, they turned around and forgave. How amazing is that? Suppose the whole world was like that? Good people ... they lost so much the moment that man pulled the trigger. A family member, a church member, people loved by many.
Color ... it's strange how we judge others by ... color. Have you talked to people, enjoyed the conversation ... having a rapport ... and the thought 'color' didn't come to mind?
Do you see color when that person helps you ... saves your life, cares for you when you are in danger, down on your ass? I bet you don't care what color they are when ... you need someone to help you in this mean-ass life.
I remember being a little girl ... I look back at how innocent I was. I had a little friend whom I loved dearly. As that little girl ... I didn't know to look at my skin, her skin ... I remember her smile, laughter, and that I loved her. In later years looking back ... I can see in my mind ... our skin was only a different color. I remember her as my friend ... my very first friend.
Strange how as a child ... I didn't even see color. What would this world be like if we just accepted everyone just the way they are ... colors of all kinds ... who gives a damn what someone's sexual preference is as long as they don't flaunt it in our faces and do nasty things in public? Straight people can sicken others by their nasty actions ... just because they are straight doesn't mean they are ... perfect.
This is as far as I will voice what I think about color ... I don't choose this war to fight. One can see where I stand ... I hold my ground, and I feel I'm right.
I know that I see, and care about people, their feelings ... and am happy when others like me, respect my feelings, care about me.
Love is what is most important in life. Think about it ... nothing else is as important as these things ... love, caring and helping others along your way. Doesn't everyone believe that? I pray that they do.
I know growing up as a little girl ... I grew up in Hell. People loved to raise hell, hurt each other ... blackmail, set each other up to fall on their faces, spite each other ... physically fight, draw lots of blood. This was the family I grew up in ... this was a small world. Just think about the big world ... same thing.
We will always have ... hell raisers. I could have been one hell of a Hellraiser. I was taught to be one of the best ... my role models were the best ... I was taught a lot of things by watching, hearing. The thing is ... somehow, I knew I didn't want that in my life. I ... chose ... not to allow it in my life.
People can make choices ... and in other countries ... I don't know what they can do. So many bad things happen ... people live in Hell everyday. I don't know what to say about that. I can't write about what I don't know a lot about. I know what I think. I choose not to go there.
This is some of my thoughts on these things. I am thinking all the time. My Heart is so big ... I hurt for the bad things others do in the name of God ... hatred ... even their twisted way of loving to innocent people, animals. God forgive us all ... that is the thought that comes to my mind.
Photo owned, article written and owned by me ... Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee.
I could not have said it better!!! There is good and bad in all people! Love, Ms. Nancy
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