Don't Lose Sight of What's Important

When I first started writing this post this morning, I had planned on making it about the whole argument surrounding the perceived racism of the Confederate flag.  I personally have no ties to that flag, other than enjoying the country music and southern rock that have used it quite often, plus looking pretty sharp on the General Lee when I used to watch the Dukes of Hazzard.  Whether or not states or buildings choose to fly that flag really has no effect on me because I know anyone with racist thoughts or actions will continue on doing so regardless of what perceived racist symbols get banned.  It's the loving actions of good, kind people that are the key to ridding racism from this planet, not ridding Walmart of white linens because the KKK uses them for uniforms, which I'm sure will be someone's next big brainstorm.

The loss of life in Charleston, SC was a complete tragedy. I pray for the families and friends of those who were lost and I feel anger every time I see a picture of that shooter, knowing he committed such a heinous crime against innocent people. But what continues to bother me additionally is that the situation was morphed into a discussion about a flag, which deflects from the real important topics.  I had to stop writing this morning because I had to go to work, but the time in between then and now gave me opportunity to think even more about something else I had seen just before I left the house this morning.  While the entire country debates about a flag, mass genocide is occuring on the other side of the world.  I looked at the photographs and was shocked by what I saw.  I'm glad I didn't see the extremely graphic ones, but the descriptions of what happened were enough.  It was enough to keep me somewhat rattled all day. 

We are so wrapped up about subjects that would seem frivolous to those living in ISIS-controlled areas of the Middle East.  While we debate gay marriage and Bruce Jenner's transformation into Caitlyn, there would be no debate with ISIS; homosexuals and transgenders would be thrown off rooftops as I've seen in pictures.  Children in this country have to worry about Common Core, an obesity problem, and eventually what college they will attend; in the Middle East, Christian children are being crucified and some, if they're female, are being used as sex slaves.  Today I saw that men were drowned in cages, blown up in cars by grenade launchers, and forced to wear explosive decapitating necklaces under the oppressive, evil grip of ISIS, but the top story in this country was the Confederate flag.

The shooting that occured shows that we are not without our own type of terrorism here domestically.  Racism is a cancer in our country that we have definitely made progress in eliminating, especially in the last 50 years, but it still exists.  I mentioned earlier that I thought good, kind, loving people are the key to continuing that eradication, but there could be another impetus for that change.  If we would actually give attention to those ISIS stories instead of burying them somewhere in the newspaper or attributing them to a political party trying to employ fear tactics by trumping up the violence, maybe we would realize that survival is just as important as love.  It's only a matter of time before the operatives ISIS has in this country rear their ugly heads to bring their level of terror to our cities and towns unless we realize we're all in this together and fight back.  White, black, male, female, old, young, gay, straight, Christian, atheist...we are all infidels to ISIS & we are all in danger unless we unite.

These were some heavy topics here and I hope that I've articulated my points well enough for you, the reader, to know how passionate I am about this.  Years ago, I heard Glenn Beck say that we as people need to find the areas where we agree and build on those instead of dwelling on the points where we can't agree.  That idea has resonated with me ever since and I believe strongly that we can make it happen.  I believe it's more imperative now than ever.