I thought long and hard about putting this blog out. I am not here to offend, but to speak my mind as honestly as I can because I usually rally around women’s beliefs. I am, after all, a woman with a strong voice. However, I am not only sad but disappointed that all many of our children learned from their mother’s over the past couple of days was to hate. To not respect authority, especially the President of the United States of America. To show violence is the answer. To dismiss uniting as a whole country, and to keep division a motivator for more hate. This is not to say I am without sin, I’m far from perfect, but this time in our history has opened my eyes…and has brought tears.
There have been many Presidents I have voted for that did not make office, so I have felt the disappointment of my candidate losing. But I did not take my disappointment and turn it into anger and hate, violence and disrespect. Instead, I turned my attention to what could be, what would be, and what might be the success of the candidate I opposed. Why? Because it is my honor to support the most powerful authoritative figure for this country. I was taught as a child to respect authority. I was taught as a child to forgive and look past prior mistakes someone makes in an effort to give them the chance they deserve. I was taught love is more powerful than hate.
I watched people dressed in black, even their faces masked, destroying public property and running like the cowards they are to the next building or garbage can to destroy under their hate. I watched children carried on their parent’s shoulders with signs they were likely too young to understand the meaning of…but they felt their parents hate so they carried them proudly. I understand everyone has a voice and a right to speak their minds. But how these protests are perceived by myself and others is a form of bullying. Everyone has “special rights” they want to have heard. But isn’t there a better way to do it?
Do I agree with everything the politicians say or do, of course not, I don’t even agree with my husband all the time. But I do my best to try and respect his opinion out of respect for who he is…my husband. And Trump is now my President, so he deserves my respect, and my patience as he proves his ability to make “America Great Again.” The media needs to stop lying, which has been proven, and bring the truth to the people they represent with their information.
During the campaign, I listened as my granddaughter was bullied for her views. I didn’t have to ask where the hate came from, it was obviously a mimic of their parents. We wonder how the children of this world could possibly be filled with so much hate that they bully other students, how they can walk into a school or other public building and shoot other children and adults…well, maybe we should be looking in the mirror. We let our children play video games that promote violence, and then ask them to “be nice” to the neighbor.
Maybe we should ask ourselves what we are teaching our children when we scream at the TV during a campaign speech or call a referee an idiot. Are we teaching tolerance, patience, forgiveness, respect, and love by using our “freedom of speech” as a podium to bash, hate, and disrespect?
Perhaps a bit of soul searching is in order for all of us adults because that is who our children try to mirror. Please remember hate breeds hate, while love breeds love.
United we stand, divided we fall…it’s that simple.