Occupy My Toilet

Calling people names, putting them into a box that you’ve labeled “anarchist” or “Nazism” or even “99%” or “1%,” and attempting to ignore those viewpoints because it makes for uncomfortable feelings does no one any good. This country was founded, on part, from the belief that all men deserved freedom, that all men had the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, and that all men had the right to pursue the kind of life that they wanted to have. I’d change “men” to “people” in modern terms because all deserve equal rights, no matter what your belief system, your sexual orientation, or your ability to hold a job.

For years I’ve sat on my ass and listened to preachers talk about how they wanted to see a revival in this country… well I’ve got news for you - your revival is here. There are hungry people waiting for action to be taken to better our country. It’s not about who is right or who is wrong right now - it’s about actually practicing your belief system, allowing others to practice their belief system without complaint, and helping each other become something better than you were by yourself. As Americans, we have common ground just in the fact that we are all Americans and have the most privilege this world has ever seen. Even if that was not the case, we have the common ground that we are all human. 

A country filled with people that cannot accept a differing opinion is a country that is on the path to civil war, especially if battle lines are drawn between the “religious” and the “secular.” Yes, I use quotes here because these are just labels too. Just because I practice the tenets of Christianity doesn’t mean I’m religious - it means that I practice the tenets of Christianity to the best of my understanding, which means to love God and love your neighbor. Those are my two moral constants and on those I will not compromise, but that is because it is my belief that hatred gets you nowhere. You may certainly disagree with that and we may certainly discuss why, but don’t put me beneath you simply because I hold a different opinion. 

It was not that long ago when it was generally accepted that challenging your instructor, your leaders, your preachers, was one of the best forms of expanding not only your knowledge base, but the knowledge base of those you were challenging. We’ve got to stop scratching the surface and just treat the symptoms if we’re going to fix this country - we need to dig into our issues, our problems, and stop trying to pretend that everything is just going to be ok. It’s not going to be ok if we can’t find a way to compromise, find a solution that benefits our country as a whole, and find a way to insure responsibility is taken for decisions made, good or bad.

I want an America that my children can be proud to call their own one day. It’s my job to help make it that way. That’s why I stand up in protest, that’s why I make my voice heard the best way I can, and that’s why I take daily verbal sewage - because ultimately, I’m not building my America - I’m working on building an America for my children, my grandchildren, and other future generations. So let’s work together to make that happen… or get out of my way, because change is coming, one way or another.