Differences of Opinion

 For a long time now there have been memes and other such stuff going around the internet, especially social media, that goes like this:

"I saw a post that I didn't agree with

I didn't get offended

I didn't comment

I didn't feel the need to change their mind

I still like the person

I just kept scrolling and went on with my day

More should practice this"

The first thing that I want to say is that I understand why this sentiment keeps getting put out there. The amount of noise going on in this world these days is amazing. And a lot of it is pretty ridiculous. And people get overwhelmed with all the noise and just wish it would stop. I get it.

My problem with this sentiment is that it gives silence to those who are causing genuine harm to our society and those of us in it.

And I am also reminded of the "Good" Germans of the 1920's, 30's, and 40's. They were the people who did not make noise. Did not see things as any more than a disagreement between well meaning people. Just wished that people would stop being so angry and just keep to themselves.

AKA, Good Nazis. Because in that time and place if you were looking away, if you were silent, you were complicit. You were, by default, a good nazi.

And here is the crux of it for me. If we have a real disagreement on an opinion, should the tax rate for millionaires go up or not, do the yankees really suck (YES!!!), do we need a more nurse to less patient ratio in hospitals and nursing homes, things like this, then we can have discussions and even agree to disagree. A well thought out discussion with you disagreeing with me is not going to lower my opinion of you.

When we have a disagreement that demonizes other people, denies people the right to exist as they are, want to restrict freedoms for others in any way shape or form, and state ay of that publicly whether by mouth, newspaper, blog social media post, or whatever, then we are going to have a problem.

Just because you have the same freedom of speech that I do does not mean that you do not have to face the same consequences of that speech that I do. So when you spread any sort of hate speech, dehumanizing speech, denial of rights to others speech, etc, then I will call you out on it. Loudly and Publicly. And it will definitely change any good opinion that I may have ever had about you as a human being.

Because Silence is Complicity. Full Stop. No Excuses. No Exceptions.

It was the silence of "good" Germans that allowed the rise of Hitler and the Nazis with the subsequent death of an estimated 35 to 40 million people in Europe during World War II. It was the silence of the "good" Germans when the Anti Jewish/Romani/Homosexual/etc Laws were promulgated that allowed these laws to get even worse leading to the Concentration Camps, Gas Chamber and Ovens leading to the estimated 3.5 to 4 million deaths inside these camps. Never mind the several million more in "Labor" camps and "Labor" Battalions.

I am reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr who said, "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends". And he would know something about that.

For it was the silence of other White People that allowed the Klu Klux Klan's reign of Terror and it's Terrorist Actions against Black people in the South and eventually the whole nation. They were supported and financed by the former holders of power before and during the Civil War. The silence of the people who did not agree with this, especially people of power in the North, allowed this to happen.

Silence is Complicity.

So, No my Friend, we are not have a disagreement of Opinion. We are having a Fundamental Disagreement on Humanity, Morality, and who has the Right to have their Human Rights.

And You are on the Wrong Side of that argument.

And I Will Not Be Complicit.

Namaste 🙏