I’ve
been thinking a lot about people recently. More specifically,
about different opinions, where lines are drawn, and whether or
not we can even create a way to have actual conversations again.
You know, meaningful conversations built upon respect and accountability.
Conversations where we actually listen to another person’s thoughts.
And,
I’m worried.
Really.
I wonder if it’s possible because of how emotional and stubborn
people have become.
Have
you ever eaten in a Five Guys? Great burgers. (Actually, brilliant
burgers. Fries are ok. I tend to prefer them a bit crispier than
they serve, but they taste pretty good. The wonderful part of
their service plan is that they do not skimp on the fries.)
They
also have peanuts in their stores. Boxes upon boxes, serve yourself,
break the shells, peanuts. If you have a nut allergy, it’s not
a stretch at all to say you likely don’t frequent Five Guys.
That’s
just a simple example of where things can go off the rails in
all of us getting along. Some people would argue Five Guys doesn’t
need to serve the peanuts, and could step into positive customer
relations by dropping them. Others would contend it’s part of
the charm, they love the peanuts, and that there are plenty of
other options for burgers out there.
Regardless
of the merits of these arguments… and any others you might want
to suggest… we have a direction for this essay: people are unlikely
to reach a complete, one hundred percent, perfectly unanimous
agreement on anything. Won’t happen. And if we can’t agree on
peanuts in a burger joint, I feel safe saying there will be issues
on more serious scenarios.
Let’s
consider guns.
(Whoa…
whoa… easy. Knew we were making a bigger jump into serious than
you expected. It’s a conversation about guns. And a basic one
at that. No creation of laws. We’re just talking.)
There
actually is a middle ground when it comes to guns. I know, because
that’s where I reside.
I
believe that things in our current day are much different than
they were two hundred or three hundred or four hundred years ago
on the lands that now assemble as the United States. Guns were
effectively a necessity. For protection. For hunting. For doing
so many things that either don’t exist as needs and threats any
more, or are simply not a part of daily life for most people.
I
also believe that there are some people that have incredible respect
for wildlife and the land, and hunt to provide. I believe that
there are ways people enjoy the use of guns, feel secure because
of the possession of guns, and overall that the right to own them
is something that should be allowed.
I
don’t believe that the reasons for protecting the right to bear
arms are the same today as they were in 1791. And, I don’t believe
in eliminating rights to own guns.
Again,
for purposes of this essay, there is absolutely no way that we
will ever reach a unanimous agreement on the subject. Plus, I
am not trying to wade down into the deeper issues and ideas involved.
Which are important and many.
The
idea behind this essay is to essentially state that there rarely
is a perfect opinion, a scenario where right is absolute. In many
ways, the idea of a middle ground is more important than ever.
In that median between two sides, there should be a respect for
all opinions.
Yes,
some are not, for lack of a better phrase, valid. There are moments
when something is wrong. Unfortunately, wrong implies that there
is a right. And often, right will not allow every opinion to gather
under its umbrella.
All
of which is a shame. Because if we aren’t going to be able to
have a conversation, it possible none of us will be satisfied
with the results.