I've watched, I've read, I've even participated in some heated debates at times on here. And I always walk away wondering why I feel like I'm the only one who sees the good and bad in everything. There is nothing that is all good, and there is nothing that is all bad.

The more I see debates spiral out of control, the more I realize that people take a stance out of sheer anger or fear, and it leaves no room for consideration of anything else. God forbid I or anyone else attempts to point out a flaw in logic or notice that something isn't right, and we're suddenly the enemy, regardless of what we support or don't support. Why does it have to be all or nothing? It makes no sense.

Take, for example, the former Marine videos. I immediately felt something was wrong about it and speculated several theories as to why a Marine would do this as a representation of the Corps. We ARE, by nature of our American rights, allowed to do and say whatever we want (within the confines of the law), but we are NOT allowed to represent the military while doing it. There was a very clear point I made with this, but it was ignored. Suddenly, I was paid shill, and even my own service to my country in the Marine Corps was degraded by other veterans because my views didn't align with theirs. I questioned his respect for his service by the way he haphazardly wore the worst choice (in my view) of his old uniform items. Once again, I was personally attacked by others, and my service was downgraded to nothing more than a "pretty barracks Marine" because I held onto the honor that how we wear our uniforms is a direct reflection of our code of conduct and respect to our country. If others don't agree with me, then fine, but I am certainly a part of the majority, and I make no apologies for either my service to my country or the pride and respect I give to the uniform that represents something larger than myself. My uniform, or any other uniform, does not represent personal, political feelings. It never did, it never will. This is what too many people are misunderstanding. The military is not about individuals beliefs.

This post is not to ignite a debate about this Marine....in fact, please take that debate to the other threads already going on about it, if you feel the need. What I am attempting to draw out, is an exposure to the fact that nothing is black and white....only multiple shades of gray. EVERYTHING good has some element of bad to it, and EVERYTHING bad has some element of good to it. Within the government, there is good and there is bad. Within the military and even the Marine Corps, there is good and there is bad. Within Wall St., there is good and there is bad. Within the protests, there is good and there is bad. Within the police ranks, there is good and there is bad. Within liberal ranks, there is good and bad. Within conservative ranks, there is good and bad. It cannot be all or nothing.

Be wise enough to discern the distinction between good and bad without stereotyping the entire lot out of fear and anger. Because once you allow yourself to identify with and absorb someone's story, you block yourself off from the other sides of the story that would allow you to have a full picture. Who doesn't want a full picture?!?

My argument was never to discredit the OWS movement - they do that well enough on their own. But do I support it? Yes, absolutely! Do I support getting corporations out of politics? Yes, absolutely! What people don't understand is that if you all are so intent on having military persons breaking ranks and going rogue for a cause, it's no different than having a wish for an immune system going awry and attacking it's own body. Stop and think for a moment and consider the implications of what some of you are wanting to happen. Our government and our law enforcement as a whole is not evil...only some are bad within those ranks. So to attack them as a whole would be irresponsible at best, while punishing the good in the process.

There are bad ways, good ways and better ways to do things and make change. My feeling is that this Marine is being touted as "brave" because he's big and loud and served in Iraq. I argue the opposite, because the only reason why he has gotten attention is BECAUSE of the Marine aspect. If he were that brave, he wouldn't have needed to hide behind his service to make a point. This is a prime example of why service members aren't allowed to play politics in uniform, because it does command attention. Would he have gotten the same attention without it? Probably not. I wouldn't be surprised if the Marine Corps came out and distanced themselves from this man, and I hope they do. Not because he is bad or didn't have good intentions, but because of HOW he went about it. Intentions were good, delivery was bad.

Last, I want to address the lack of willingness to consider that any video may be fraud. Any person may be fake. Any media person may have an agenda. Anything could be an intricately fabricated lie, to include these protests. Not saying they are, just making a point. The only way I know they exist is by the news. The only way I knew 9/11 existed was by the news. If it weren't for the news, in my reality, it would have never existed. See my point? It's a rumor for most of us, which leaves us to sift through the details that drip out, and to make sense of it. So my point being, is try to have some tolerance for those of us who don't believe everything we see or hear, regardless of where it's from. It doesn't mean we don't want the same things for our country or for the world. It just means we filter the information differently and we are demanding higher standards for the sources coming to us. There are so many lies out there in every field. Who among you is willing to be the lie detector in the face of adversity?

In addition, I urge everyone to stop making snap judgments on video snips. Regardless of what it's about, the entire story is NEVER revealed! Once you consider that there may be information that could entirely switch the tone and your opinion in the opposite direction, you'll never look at a video the same way again. I encourage everyone to be unbiased when viewing things that may enhance or challenge their views. Instead of identifying with one side or another, imagine looking through God's eyes and being the overseer of two children you love who can't seem to get along. Whether you believe in God or not makes no difference, it's the idea I'm attempting to convey. Look at the whole picture. When you can empathize with your enemies and those whom you disagree with, then there's no room left for judgment.

When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative

-Martin Luther King.

I'll just leave that here.

Know when to hold them know when to fold them know when to walk away know when to run.

Kenny Rogers.

I have based most of my world view upon the idea that I am never 100% right and I can always learn something from the people I am debating with. It's not just you, although I can imagine you have felt like you wanted to reach through the computer screen and throttle the ego-driven debators from time to time.

AMEN!

You would think that ATS would be filled with "outside-the-box" thinkers and open minds, but once a political thread opens up, this place is one of the most head strong partisan websites out there!

I really wish that we as a community here on ATS could talk about issues with open minds. I've often wondered where this hyper-sensitivity came from, because it seems like everyone has it, to include me at times. But then again, people are just downright cruel at times...it's hard not to take a personal attack, personally. But I step back and realize that those people don't "know" me. I'm a faceless nobody, represented by what little information my avatar may or may not reveal about me. It's so much easier to be cruel to a faceless nobody.

I foresee the next leap in technological evolution where our computers attempt to guide us in our word usage so that empathy and kindness aren't lost in translation.