Tuesday, March 1, 2016

"Voices"

Our free speech rights are of the most precious afforded to us by the Constitution of this great nation. However we must recognize that while it creates an informed society it can also cause social discord leading to the polarization of our citizens. While "free speech" is not absolute and certainly carries specific constraints it is the restraint associated with this freedom that we should be more cognizant of.

Currently a movement has been set in motion that is fueling the Republican nomination bid of Donald Trump. This movement seeks to obliterate a "politically correct " mindset and is gaining traction throughout the land. This is both tragic and dangerous. Potentially we risk reversing decades of social progress. We face an almost certain return to a time of social unrest and violence if we permit the cultivation of a mindset that legitimizes the intolerance of cultural diversity.

Our classrooms and our homes are environments where children are educated about the importance of acceptance, respect, tolerance and even the celebration of our diversity.  Yet the rhetoric and ideology of Trump and his supporters consistently disavow the need for these values. 

If we have learned from the grevious mistakes of our past, then we must do everything to prevent the future generations from inheriting an environment in vast need of social and cultural repair.  We must be careful with who we empower to serve as our voice on near and distant shores. The leadership choices that we make currently and in the near future 
could bring catostrophic consequences if we fail to learn from the social and political failures which stunted the growth of previous generations.

 Electing leaders that abandon "political correctness" puts our national and personal security in immediate jeopardy.  Even worse it puts our children in a position where they will ultimately invest a large percentage of their adult life paying down a cultural debt fueled by social injustice and intolerance.

 The voice that speaks for the collective good needs to reign. This is the voice that calls for harmony over discord. This is the voice that embraces instead of shuns. This is the voice of compassion instead of insensitivity. When these are the voices that resonate from sea to shining sea then we will know the American Dream has moved closer to fullfillment. Then we can confidently pass the baton to the next generation and empower them to control their own destinies.

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