Okay friends, as you might imagine I have to say something about this "duck fellow" and all of the
Now read along very closely and share this with your friends.... because I'm going to say some very logical and profound things... If NOTHING else is guaranteed, everyone in this Universe is and should be entitled to their opinion... They have the right to form it in whatever way or by using whatever resources they choose and they then have the right to share it at their discretion whenever they so choose, thusly incurring whatever reaction they receive based on the company in which they share it... Now THAT to ME is just as crystal clear as the windows at Grandma Comer's used to be... I swear to my soul... SERIOUSLY People!!
I might also add to that "the way in which they say it"... I think that's very key to this particular discussion.
Allow me to flip this around and give you an example,
I can refer to this Phil as "a Conservative Christian with strong moral beliefs which he shares freely and without concern for what others think" or I can call him "a Bible thumping redneck full of bigotry and hatred who has very poor speaking skills, needs to clean up a bit, obviously has never had any courses in public relations and wouldn't know who Dale Carnegie was if he bit him on his raggedy little camoflaged fanny...".
Does everyone see the difference? CLEARLY one is making a statement in a factual manner and without judgment and the other is making a statement in a derogatory, angry and judgmental way.
NOW if this fellow goes into these "paraphrased Biblical rantings" in his own "circle" ((i.e. friends, family and people who interact with him daily)) then all is fine... He's in his own little circle and they too are probably ... um.... err.... uuuh... "Conservative Christians with strong moral beliefs which they share freely and without concern for what others think"
NOW THEN... Are you all still with me? And this all makes sense, yes?? Everything we've covered so far is totally factual.... NOW, let's go a step further and let's imagine that this Phil fellow instead of having been picked up by the A&E Network works at a sporting goods store... Let's say he works at a Dunn's Sporting Goods... I think that's a regional store possibly and I don't even know if they're still in existence ((which may be a follow up blog and at the very least should nudge them to work on their marketing if they ARE still out there...))
Aaaaanywho, off we go... in this alter universe, Phil works at Dunn's Sporting Goods... While he's working in the camping section one bright and sunny afternoon, Jack and Dan come in to pick up a tent and all of the needed camping supplies for a trip they're taking for their anniversary....
What will Phil do? How will Phil respond? Will he sell them equipment? Will he be ugly and disrespectful to them and run them out of the store? What SHOULD he do? What would Jesus do? What would Buddha do? What would Ghandi do? What would YOU do? What would John Quinones do? What would your best friend do? What would Barrack Obama do? What would Chris Christie do? What would Joel Osteen do? What would Joyce Meyer do? What would my Bro Don have done? What would your neighbor do? What would your first born cousin do? What would your second born cousin do? What would your father-in-law do? What would that kid you remember so well from the third grade do? What would Schneider from One Day at a Time do? What would Bob Hope have done? Johnny Carson?
I can tell you very clearly and with great certainty what I would do... I would say,
"Oh how groovy! Congratulations!! How long have y'all been together? Where are you going and what kind of camping gear would you like to find?"
I can assure you of a couple of things ....
Number one is unless my boss likes alienating particular communities based on his own personal beliefs losing multitudes of money in the process, I AM his favorite employee and he's glad it was me at the counter instead of that loose cannon, Phil!
Number two... Jack and Dan are going to have a blast with me as their camping goods concierge and we are going to make that campsite fabulous!! I'm going to ask them to send me photos of the campsite after they've set it up and a few shots of them enjoying the fire and hot cocoa and then I'm going to create a niche for myself as a camping goods concierge for the gays and make a fantastically delicious truck load of commission and have a quantumlicious time working with open minded and creative individuals...
Number three... I, as well as Jack and Dan will go on with our day with a spring in our step, having had a delightful interaction with a kind human being...
Did you decide what YOU would do? Did you think about it? Maybe you should...
It's possible that you wouldn't be as accepting as I was in the example above... I would've added them on Facebook so I could see their camping pictures before it was all said and done... "but that's just me..." (that's what we're saying this week, right?)
I think it's safe to say that this is ooooonly "Part One" ....
but before I go, let's add one more twist to the scenario...
Phil's at the counter, Jack and Dan are here to pick up camping supplies, Phil goes on a "paraphrased Biblical rant", runs them out of the store - where Jack distracted and upset steps into traffic and is killed... How do we feel about it now?
Should we add another twist? You're working away at your desk and get a call that your son Jack was just killed after rushing into traffic... Now how do you think Phil should have acted? Should he have sold them the gear and then remarked about it in the back later if he so chose when he was not in "mixed company"? I'll bet Jack's mom would wish he had... and Phil's boss - where is he in all of this? Well, when Dan tells what happened to the arriving news crews and it's confirmed on the store video and by the cell phones of numerous passers by - he's proooobably going to be out a little money settling out of court with a family in a wrongful death suit...
Beliefs are touchy things, friends, we all have them and there are as many different beliefs as there are people.... That's Ghandi by the way .... Our responses, words and actions affect (or is it effect? I don't have time to look...) many people on a daily basis and it's time people start acting that way.
As Grandma Comer always said, "Don't say ugly things kids... We haven't walked a mile in their shoes..." Now she says, "They said at school the other day that there's an FBI office at Fitch's Bakery now.... mmmm hmmmm...."
So, okay ... OBVIOUSLY times change... hahaha and we should roll with the punches when things come along that we don't agree with... It doesn't mean your beliefs have changed and contrary to popular belief... you're not going to catch the gay OR the closed mindedness ... it just means that you have the couth and where with all to accept every human being and let them live their life in peace with themselves and their core and spiritual beliefs as they see fit...
I'm sure I'll be back with more on this later ... but I do sincerely ask you to share this post
This is the light in which we need to be looking at things...
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Please and Thanks!
Don't Horse Around at the Top of the Stairs...
Don't Judge ANYONE But Yourself...
and Don't Text and Drive...
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