Divisiveness gone rogue -- CTHS Class of 1961 Reunion

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Date Posted: 03:55:25 12/11/16 Sun
Author: Denny (Whalen)
Subject: Divisiveness gone rogue

I watched a couple of teens square off verbally the other day and later learned the argument was over some trivial and passing issue. They had heard their parents talking about the issue at home and as fate would have it, the students' parents voiced opposing views. The students carried these view into the classroom and when one student expressed her parent's view, the opposition sprung into defense mode to protect the view her parents held (now her view).

Things haven't changed over the generations. What we hear and see at home serve to shape our opinions and perspectives for our own lives. Occasionally we rebelled ...either because we want to piss off the parents, challenge their authority over us, or because we have learned they are not infallible and we develop our own opinions and perspectives.

The opposing viewpoints that dominated discussions during the election campaigns and subsequently have turned many friends and acquaintances against one another, often to the point one or the other "flushes" the relationship out of anger, disgust or merely self preservation. There have been instances where even I, peacemaker that I am, with high tolerance for abuse and ignorance--even stupidity--was tempted to withdraw silently from the battlefield, conceding that the person whose view I could not tolerate was not worth arguing with or wasting my time on. I did not "flush" them.

Opposing opinions is a fact of relationships and if we cannot be civil toward others in conversation, despite our differences, then perhaps the relationship should be terminated. I would not take the road of broken pavement out of a sense of superiority, sense of nobleness , or "privilege". I'd personally take it to avoid a dead end or sink hole. We are supposed to be mature adults, capable of controlling emotions and behaviors--not adolescents feeling our way through society, as yet unformed and susceptible to raging hormones and misguided philosophies.

And that'S all I have to say about that.

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Replies:

Re: Divisiveness gone rogue -- K, 07:05:46 12/11/16 Sun
Re: Divisiveness gone rogue -- Dave Shickel, 15:22:06 12/11/16 Sun