I’m probably not popular right now.
I’ve always known what I wanted to be. Since I was 5, I was playing “War” with the
neighborhood kids, running, jumping and emulating great battle scenes I saw on
TV or read in books. Listening to my
father’s stories about the Belgian Congo and the Korean War flying F-86’s. Basically everything a growing boy yearns
for…..Adventure, Excitement, Valor and Honor.
Once I was 10 or so I realized that being a soldier came
with great responsibility and hard work.
Discipline and dedication were also needed. It made me want to be a soldier all the
more. My preference tests in Middle
& High School said I would be a Soldier, FBI agent or Police Officer.
College was a stepping stone for me to be an Officer. My father advised me that if I lost a leg in
battle I’d need an education to fall back on.
It sounded logical. I became an
Airborne Infantry Officer in the Army, graduated from the toughest training the
Army had to offer, went to war in the Middle East, led men in battle and had a
great career.
After the Army, I felt I was successful in my life goals and
could move on. I decided to Skydive
& Bartend the rest of my life……that lasted just long enough to realize I
have difficulty being nice to people who are ill mannered, and I was reckless
when it came to my own safety. The
decision to go back to what I knew became apparent. Contract military work or Law Enforcement
were my choices.
I’m 50 now and a Senior Detective in a major city’s police
department. I guess the preference tests were right.
Although I’ve dedicated my life to helping others and
putting myself in harm’s way for complete strangers so they can enjoy basic
freedoms….I hear from the media outlets that I’m unpopular.
My moral and political philosophy in life has always been
simple. “Everyone should be free to do
whatever they want, just so long as they do not hurt anyone else directly or
indirectly.” Basically leave me alone
& I’ll leave you alone. I think Robert
Heinlein said it best:
“Political tags — such
as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and
so forth — are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into
those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The
former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the
greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in
altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort.”
I definitely don’t wish others to be controlled. In my opinion if a Governmental or State law
is enacted it should treat everyone equally.
If a tax is levied, it should be the same percentage for everyone. The
minute the government treats others differently, it’s at that time people will
vote to get what they want as opposed to voting for equal treatment from the
government. We all know that everything
the government gives a group just comes at the expense of some other group. When people get special preference from the
government, they in a sense become “Controlled” by relying on the Government to
keep it, and are easily manipulated once they become dependent.
While I realize in society certain monetary sacrifices must
be made by the individual for the common good, The Military, Basic
infrastructure, Courts, Police, and Firefighters are all important things that
a society needs. (Notice I left out
education. Having the state control
education is a very dangerous concept in the author’s opinion, not to mention
how terrible our educational system currently is. (John Taylor Gatto’s book “Dumbing
us Down” is a very good read on this subject)
The fact that certain opinions are decidedly different than
the digital & print media broadcast often cause people to group you into a
category.
I’m called a Nazi for no other reason than being white and
believing that everyone should be able to voice their opinions without the fear
of violence against them. I’m also told
I have “White Privilege” for some reason (I suppose having an Irish American father
and an Immigrant Greek mother is “White”.
As if the pigment of my skin matters)
I’m vehemently yelled at when I try to discuss historically
based reasoning reference economic and social issues. I’m called uncaring for believing our nations
sovereignty should be enforced or that Climate Change is not proven as manmade.
I’m called a racist for pointing out federal statistics
involving crime and incarceration rates.
I’m called greedy for wanting to keep most of what I earn, or believe
that the government should treat everyone equally and provide a level playing
field. I’m called stupid because I think
the government should ask its citizens for money as opposed to them taking if
from them by force.
I’m called uncaring for not wanting socialized medicine or
forcing people to pay for what they don’t use or even believe in. I’m called many other names for just wanting
people to be free in almost all aspects of life.
Personally I’d much rather discuss these points of view as
opposed to calling someone a name & lumping them into a group.
I really welcome debate and to have my beliefs and opinions
challenged. It’s funny my friends often send
me videos, articles and newscasts which usually reinforce my current mindset. Most of the time I do not even open them. I already have the data and reasoning that
support my current understanding. I need
new data. Unfortunately I almost never
get any, just emotional outbursts and name calling.
Putting someone who you may disagree with into a category is
easy. Being intellectually lazy is
easy. Becoming emotional is easy. Having a victim mentality is easy. Ego Investment, Confirmation Bias, and
logical fallacy’s are all easy. Using
violence against your fellow man for differing viewpoints is unfortunately easy. When people take these easy roads, they then can
also become easily manipulated. Once you
become manipulated, Democide can become pretty easy as well.
For many, calmly discussing & debating alternate points
of view and ideas as an actual adult can be quite difficult. I thought this was what college was supposed
to teach. Not only higher learning and
becoming an adult, but how to have rational disagreements. Looking at differing politics and points of
view…to get you thinking. Kindergarten
and elementary students yell, cry, complain, and need help when they do not get
their way. Adults rationally and
thoughtfully figure it out.
So when you think you’re a populist, stop and think. Challenge everything you believe or think you
know. Become a skeptic. If everyone is thinking the same in your
group, then the chances are no one is really thinking at all.
Sincerely,
The Las Vegas Gentleman
