Monday Musings...
As I was growing up, I found that there were TWO distinct things in life:
Easy things...and difficult things.
Now the easy things weren't always the best things, just things that were dealt with or became comprehensible on a scale that was a lot more palatable to understand. The difficult things were those that took applied work on my part to understand.
Think of it something you wound up LIKING to do versus something you HAD to learn to do, in spite of oneself.
For example, I loved music and art, but really didn't jive with calculus (which I OBVIOUSLY use EVERY day...NOT).
Learning to read was easy for me, but learning to write in cursive was more difficult.
Now, our nation has been foisting upon all of us too many "easy" things in recent years.

(abundant technologies notwithstanding)
THEY want us to be content, and THEY feel they know best when it comes TO our contentment.
The government has provided a means by which THEY can determine (all for the better, mind you) what is in OUR best interest from everything from light bulbs to snacks and food in our schools. They believe THEY know what type of car we SHOULD be driving, what temperatures our houses need to be set at, and what the color of the roof ON that house needs to be.
Has anyone been as creeped out over all this crap as I have?
Or would you rather wish to lose your sense of self as someone determines your life from cradle-to-grave for you?
Those things in life we become skillful at without even thinking about can be said to be "easy", when in fact, it is our basic knowledge and skills that determine HOW hard something in our lives might become.
When we have those skills and knowledge, it's easy.
When we lack such things, we have to WORK at it more, and it appears more difficult.
There is no "gray" area for us in that regard...we either KNOW something, or we do NOT...black or white...on or off.
The government would have our ENTIRE life become a myriad of shades of gray...indeterminate, and ambiguous in nature.
After all, they DO know better, right?
Or do they?
Does it not come down to being capable of self-governance to a degree?
Are we NO LONGER capable of regulating our own lives and our behaviors?
I would think that a lot of us still ARE.
And I suppose that is why we happen to see something that tosses the equation of our human condition out the window with such tripe as those nasty DOUBLE-STANDARDS.
Oh, you've seen such things in practice most every day.
It can be as simple as one set of "rules" for one group, and another set of rules for the other group.
Some people are held accountable, while others are seemingly not.
We have become a nation that is being fractured and turned against itself...and that wasn't the original intent of our founding fathers.
We are the UNITED states of America for a reason, are we not?
The latest example of this "double-standard" is the recent firing of Juan Williams from NPR.
Now, let me preface this by saying that I don't always agree with everything he says, but more times than not, he gets his point across and makes damn good sense...AND, he IS now working for FOX in an expanded role, so the job thing is taken care of quite well.
This arbitrary firing should have NEVER taken place at all, but thanks to double-standards, it did.
And now, the backlash against NPR (and it's subsequent funding by taxpayer dollars) by so many citizens across the country is being brought to the forefront. More people are beginning to "get it", when it comes to seeing ONE standard for one thing, and a different standard for another.
Juan Williams said nothing wrong when he stated being uncomfortable around Muslims on airplanes, but in SOME people's eyes, they felt he DID. And yet, if such erroneously "derogatory" remarks were levelled against say Catholics, instead of Muslims, there would be nary an eye blink.
We are uber-sensitive when it comes to CERTAIN people in this nation, and yet anything can be said about others, and usually IS.
And nothing ever comes of that.
I feel the same way about some blacks that exhibit a look or behavior on par with those in my ghettohood. I might not become "nervous" per se, but I DO become a tad "uncomfortable", and definitely a lot more aware. I don't care if the person is as innocent as the day is long, they JUST make me want to think twice. So I am on my guard.
I don't believe that makes me BIASED in ANY way...just cautious, because I know what such people in the bad parts of cities ARE capable of.
I hold to NO double-standard when dealing with ANY people of ANY race down here...they are ALL suspect in my eyes.
Too many of them cannot be trusted to utter one simple truth when asked to.
You ask any LEO that pulls over someone in "the hood" when it comes to the amount of TRUTH they hear from a suspect.
They cannot get the lies out fast enough, and always with drama.
Many times, the police department doesn't pursue such tactics that would enforce the laws as they were written, because the predictable furor from that particular community would end in lawsuits, officer dismissals, and all because someone believed the LIAR instead of the one telling the truth.
That is another of our double-standards...truth means little...lies mean everything (at least they do in the blighted parts of town).
People will not treat one another in like manner. They will prey upon each other right after telling them not to worry.
One prime example of truth meaning little is when someone advises you that the BEST way to get out of debt is to spend even MORE money you don't have...(like our government is doing)...how ridiculous is THAT?
And how many of YOU have gone out and bought a YACHT so you could get out of that financial hole you've found yourself in?
I'd wager NOT all that many.
So, who IS lying to us, and why the hell are any of us believing this crap?
I think the first thing we ALL should do is stop lying to OURSELVES...now.
We need to be truthful with that person staring back at us in our mirror, first and foremost.
After we get that ball rolling, we can branch outward and start taking care of business in our families.
We need to stop following these double standards, as well.
We have to stop with all this god-forsaken political-correctness...we're drowning in this garbage.
You would have thought that the SMELL would have tipped us all off a long time ago.
Apparently not.
We've grown accustomed to being led about, and look how far we're getting (to the edge of the nearest cliff, that is).
We should be empowering people, instead of emasculating them.
But any empowerment is being snatched up by those politicians.
Time for that ship to put into harbor for some much-needed refitting.
All of our laws, and those founding documents, and even our God-given rights were of the "one size fits all" persuasion.
None of them were designed for only ONE group of individuals.
These apply to everyone, or they mean nothing. No double-standards at all...ever.
And when such laws are followed, and we manage to hold ourselves accountable FOR ourselves, we do a helluva lot better than we have been doing.
That's been proven throughout history, and you'd think if we're going to repeat ANY aspect of history, it would be THAT, and NOT the mistakes.
Well, there is always hope for the better.
And doing something like this won't be easy...
But it will be rewarding in the long run...if we stick to the game plan.
Get rid of ALL the PC, double-standard laden BS our government thrusts at us every single day.
Hold everyone responsible for their OWN actions...let THEM either succeed or fail by their OWN initiatives, and then allow them to LEARN from the experience.
Get back to the BASICS of humanity...that's what's required to move FORWARD.
We have to make a decision...make a stand for what is right.
Some things in such a pursuit will come easy to us.

Other things will be more difficult.
But for us to take the (governmental) EASY WAY OUT might NOT be the best way. And to drag ourselves back from that easy way will be difficult to be sure.
But we can do it, even if it's one person, one mind...one idea at a time.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.