"We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will. We do not destroy the heretic because he resists us; so long as he resists us we never destroy him. We convert him, we capture his inner mind, we reshape him. We burn all evil and all illusion out of him; we bring him over to our side, not in appearance, but genuinely, heart and soul. We make him one of ourselves before we kill him. It is intolerable to us that an erroneous thought should exist anywhere in the world, however secret and powerless it may be. Even in the instance of death we cannot permit any deviation . . . we make the brain perfect before we blow it out."
The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible, and glittering—a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons—a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting—three hundred million people all with the same face."
~ George Orwell, "1984"
Just a few rambling thoughts on this late Sunday afternoon. Our world is increasingly more troubled, divisive and fractured, polarized, and more violent. All the while, ironically, we like to characterize our culture as evolved & more 'progressive.' There is an objective to corral people to a level of consensus where everything is homogeneous, where we all agree. In the words of Lennon, (John, not his homonym Vladimir) "can't you imagine (an Utopian society) where there's no heaven, no hell either." Where we all are alike and treat all things as the same. Make no mistake, there is a concerted and powerful movement to make all things equal and morally relative; nothing is a matter of being better or worse, right or wrong anymore. To characterize anything as such is inherent evidence of homophobia, religious extremism, xenophobia, misogyny, provincialism, etc., and obviously propagated thru the lens of a privileged, white, right-wing, religious extremist, patriarchal, Anglo-Saxon/European bias. (I seem to recall hearing this in a 2nd year undergrad history class repeated ad nauseam, as well as in other numerous lectures in the hallowed halls of academia). Aww, the masses just need to nod and swallow the kool-aid made by the erudite Liberal professors and move along. Nothing to see here, folks! Especially not an opposing opinion.
It has been not so politely nor subtlety demanded for people of faith to put God back in the closet where He belongs; it does not matter how much that faith informs one's worldview, it is verboten to speak of such things in public. Meanwhile our world celebrates vulgarity and lewdness, worships debauchery and depravity, and aggressively impugns and mocks those who don't follow along.
And yet, incredibly, what we have today is quite the paradox of the world that radicals grew up in the 1960's. They attack the 'establishment' for maintaining the status-quo. Yet, what is demanded in today's world is conformity. Group-think. What the elites really desire is for everyone to think the same. You dare not have a differing thought on climate change, same-sex marriage, abortion, race, the 2nd Amendment/gun rights, evolution, immigration, minimum wage, multiculturalism, universal health-care, wealth inequality/redistribution, the lack of intelligence of anyone to the right of Saul Alinsky, or any number of other issues. The rhetoric is akin to this: Listen up folks, there's really only ONE true way....and it sure isn't Jesus. It's tolerance for everything and anything (unless it's something of which we disagree with you...then YOU are obviously on the wrong side of history!!). Thought crimes, anyone? I have no doubts that is coming in the not too distant future.
I am persuaded that what political correctness and tolerance really means is that no one should have their own, differing perspective and beliefs; rather, it is best to subject one's own individualism for the greater good of all. You are alright, as long as you think like the rest of us. Otherwise, you will face unrelenting name-calling and marginalization.
We talk about black lives mattering....and indeed they do. But just watch what happens when it is suggested that cop's lives also matters. Or, that perhaps, unborn black lives also matter. Ever ask yourself why Planned Parenthood clinics are more prevalent in poor, minority neighborhoods? Never-mind. Or mention how many multiple hundreds of black men on Chicago's south-side have been shot and killed by other black men this year alone and why that doesn't merit the same attention as a cop that shoots a black suspect?
Want to see people become absolutely unhinged? Mention that you don't necessarily believe that our police and government have the ability to truly protect you and your family when bad things happen and the social compact goes sideways. Make a passing comment that you own guns, and you will see the metaphorical heads explode. Heard an interesting quote earlier today about not "outsourcing the safety and protection of our families to the government." There really is a struggle going on regarding the value of self-reliance and the belief that you alone are responsible for your destiny, security and protection.
Does the Left truly value free speech and are they consistent on true acceptance and diversity? See what happens if you mention that you are a Conservative Christian on a college campus as I have done. Or try inviting someone of an opposing view on a public university campus (Dinesh D'Souza, David Horowitz, or Ann Coulter anyone??). The protests will be angry, loud, ubiquitous and as large as Hillary Clinton's emails on an unsecured, unapproved server.
Our culture has grown increasingly desensitized to violence against the innocent, despite all the 'touchy-feely' arguments to the contrary. Criminals are told they are not really responsible for their actions, but they are merely the product of a biased and unfair society. And we feign shock and surprise when atrocities are committed, sometimes before our very eyes on a news broadcast. We forbid teaching morals and values with our children in classroom settings (especially if there's even a whiff in the air about those Big 10...you, know from those tablets that came off Mt. Sinai). So in the name of conformity and keeping the peace, let's keep this environment as neutral and sanitized from the potential exposure to any tenements of Christianity (and most certainly don't let them read any historical primary-source documents by our Founding Fathers, especially any quotes about their faith or belief in a Creator). Interestingly enough, when some of these same kids later join the criminal justice system, there is really no discouragement to keep intact the the lines of church and state. If they want a Bible or a Chaplain, please let them have access. But never, ever, confuse the proper place and context. Wouldn't want young, impressionable minds and souls to be exposed to such 'opiate of the masses' until it's too late. I suppose there's some sort of inexplicable reasoning and logic in this....but I have failed to find it.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Planned Parenthood is caught on video tape, blase discussing the marketability of baby organs as if they are commodities to be publicly traded on the Dow, all while sipping on red wine over lunch. Can we seriously doubt whether the preciousness and sanctity of life has been cheapened? You won't find much disgust at Huffington Post or on MSNBC, I assure you. But if you broach the subject and share an opposing opinion with certain polite company, please have no self-deception---you will be thought a right-wing, anti-choice zealot, preaching and promoting the war on women. (Anyone looked at the recent stats on the atrocious treatment of women and girls in certain Muslim countries? It's hard to find those on the evening news. But you won't have any shortage of analogies on the war on women and a nod to any of the 16 Republican Presidential candidates on any given cable news program tonight).
You see, you must have the proper view. The socially-acceptable viewpoints and perspectives. Otherwise, you really aren't among the enlightened. You might need to be re-educated. And taught how to fight against your own thoughts and ideas (read: ignorance). In the not so distant past, Americans used to value honest dialogue and reasoned debate. We found value in our differences of opinion, and believed that we could see two different aspects of an issue without relegating the person to the abyss that occurs with political correctness; marginalizing people just because you don't like how they think or believe. Seems to me we once thought highly of those old and wise Founding Fathers that believed in individualism and the right to pursue Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. And then there's other Big 10 thing....they've been called the Bill of Rights. But several of these might be thought to be antiquated and politically incorrect nowadays. You have the right to free speech and having a belief in a Creator. But you just might think twice before sharing it with anyone.
Oh, sure, we still have certain unalienable rights. For now. It's a Republic, if we can keep it.
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