Let's step up, fellow members. We are better than this.

Hello again fellow members, I've taken a break from posting for a few days because I was not feeling good about the general direction things seemed to be going, though I guess it could have been going on longer than just recently, perhaps I've just noticed it more in recent times. I've seen so many posts full of negativity, full of anger and forms of passion I wish I never had to see. I've seen some of the most reasonable people jump into the very same forms of ignorance they've always talked against....It just became too much.

We, here at ATS, have one of the largest online communities of this type. We are diverse, we have extremely intelligent people with all different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, people with opinions that vary from conservative, to libertarian, to liberal, progressive, and everything else. We have intelligently discussed a large variety of topics ranging from gun-rights,immigration, abortion, all the way to the matters such as the state of our nation, it's leaders, corporation and bank corruption, and more. This has become one of my most visited sites for daily news, opinions, and more. I am glad to be a part of this community for these reasons. We stand above the crowd in a lot of ways, we come together and discuss so many things, some of us truly do try to deny ignorance and participate in this community. We take advantage of the great opportunity that the internet, and this site alike gives us.

Yet, on the other side of this very same coin, some of us , including myself in recent times, seem to be following the nation in one aspect - An aspect that cannot continue if we are ever to heal. We continue to participate in this long and drawn out division of the people.

We seek to blame an entire group of simply because they identify with a set of political or religious ideas and beliefs. We want to be able to point fingers somewhere when we don't entirely understand extremism or mental illnesses. We want to prop up our own opinions not by their own merit , but by telling someone else they are wrong, by trying to put someone else down, using extremism as our fuel. We actively talk against one group painting with a broad brush while using the very same brush applied elsewhere. We can do better, fellow members. This is not, this cannot be the way we pave the future.

Put your best foot forward, fellow members. I've seen great things from so many of you, and I know that we as a community can progress forward, breaking the trends that are so prevalent in these days. We have the tools, the intelligence, the empathy and the compassion to transcend this divide, and move forward.

Hopefully yours,

Deadlyhope

a reply to: deadlyhope

When Worlds, cultures and ideas collapse it is inevitable. What we need to do is not getting upset about it, just today i got pointed by fingers and that is ok i don´t mind it. We need to grow some skin not to get offended by it.

What you are after is Utopia and Utopia does not exist.

We can´t deny our nature and survival instict, that same instinct got us out of Africa, we found a ways to cope in harsh World, ice age etc. Ideas and idologies flourish and die too.. how many cultures have died since the dawn of human race.. plenty. How long has human race fought and had Wars.. since the beginning. It is our nature.

...

a reply to: dollukka

The premise of my thread is not to state that a utopia is possible, but something that's more like it, definitely. War only seems to be so inevitable because we tell ourselves it is. Arguments and prejudices only seem to continue so strongly because we tell ourselves it's our nature and we cannot help it. My premise is that this is false, that we can come together, every person of every culture, people of different beliefs, etc, and become more accepting overall. I've seen it in personal instances, and I truly believe it could happen on a wider scale.

a reply to: deadlyhope
Like you, I've been posting far less.

Its necessary some times to step back from an emotional response and try to reason through a problem to offer something constructive.

Maybe......slower and more deliberative is better.

a reply to: deadlyhope

Well certainly I agree.
Yet, a number of things you suggest will just rankle a number of us here.

'Put your best foot forward, fellow members'

. This can easily be construed as a liberal concept. Moving forward rather than stepping back and reclaiming a better past

'I know that we as a community can progress forward,"

Again the word forward. This time coupled with the hated word 'progress' More liberal verbiage. Not to mention that there are many here who do not consider ATS a community, more a battle ground where 'good people fight to put down the forces of stupidity and evilness.

'We have the tools, the intelligence, the empathy and the compassion to transcend this divide, and move forward.'

Once more the word 'forward', but worse than that the words "empathy' and the word 'compassion' and the word 'transcend'. All words that are derided by one segment of the crowd here as things that only liberals aspire to.

I hold your hope also deadly. But I also have seen enough of this place to think that the values you express above, values which I also hold to, may not be as prevalent here on ATS as we might wish.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I am a christian that holds my personal views - Views in which are quite conservative. This is not a pro-liberal, progressive thread. Nor is it a thread meant to prop up my own personal conservative views - Moving forward has more to do with mentality, maturity, understanding - Whether these compel a person to grasp onto their conservative or liberal views is not my concern. My concern is how these views manifest themselves, whether it's discussion or argument, debate or bashing. There's a way for everyone to move forward, regardless of belief system.

a reply to: deadlyhope

Even people of same ideas, ideology and culture can be on each others throats for some minor reasons. We have witnessed this a lot in last 6 months in here. At least in ATS we can be somewhat safe with our opinions. We need to appreaciate that.

a reply to: deadlyhope


Mmmmm that was a yummy OP thank you

a reply to: deadlyhope

I think with the tempestuous events of the last few months, many of us are starting to question how think and feel about things.

4 weeks ago I was terrified that immigrants were going to come and rape our women. Now I'm afraid that thousands of immigrants are going to die through the coming winter months.

Then there's the constant bombardment of tragic events. Iraq, Syria, Paris, South Sudan, Lebanon, Turkey, USA, Russia, Egypt etc.

The only thing that Alex Jones has ever said that I 100% agree with is that there is a war on your mind.

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

I don't much care for Alex Jones, but respect his freedom to voice his own views on things.

War is not on my mind. I'm tired of war, I'm tired of hate, I'm just plain tired, and I know by talking to others that there are others that are just tired as well, a break - some peace, seems to be creeping into the minds of some, while the continuation of war is on others.

a reply to: deadlyhope

Who isn´t tired of it. I am tired of it too but as long as the acceptance doesn´t go both ways, what can you do about it?

a reply to: deadlyhope

Believe me, I'm no fan of Alex Jones either. I think he's a shill. It's just the slogan of info wars, much like
our slogan is 'Deny Ignorance '.

There is a war on your mind, everyone's mind. Whether you like it or not, you can't escape it because even if you choose to take no notice of the propaganda, the ones around you will.

a reply to: dollukka

That is the idea behind my post.

Let's accept each other.

I'm conservative, I accept liberals.

I'm christian, I accept muslims and atheists.

I definitely have my faults and am not an example in many ways, but the ability to accept others far different than ones self is possible.

Who is this "we" you repeatedly refer to?

I think and speak for myself. Please do not presume to speak for me just becuase I happen to participate in the same forum as you.

Your whole post reeks of identity politics and free speech shaming.

It appears # wearebetterthanthis is actually a Twitter campaign by Ben and Jerrys corporation.

Are you some kind of paid guerrilla marketer or just a willing SJW pawn?

They even use similar rhetoric.

Here at Ben & Jerry’s, equality, justice and a healthy future for our planet have always been at the heart of what we believe in. We strive to be social justice company that happens to make ice cream, not the other way around.

Lately, we’ve been stunned to hear so many voices in the national discourse that preach the politics of hatred and exclusion. These voices may be loud, but that doesn’t make them right. Our company and our communities include people of all origins, faiths and backgrounds – a tapestry of human experience that strengthens us in all our endeavors. We know that the same is true for this country, which was built on the promise of freedom and justice for all. We fall far short of those ideals as a nation when we let divisiveness and fear cloud our judgment and shape our actions. This is a moment when everyone is invited to stand up for the ideals they believe in. Our company stands in solidarity with everyone who rejects the politics of hatred and suspicion. We stand in solidarity with those who embrace a multicultural America that honors freedom of religion as a basic right. We stand with all those in our country who seek to bring people together and shape a hopeful future. For everyone, no exceptions.

www.benjerry.com...

I feel your words are coming from a heart that's tired of hate. I understand and respect that.

I just want to say I don't want this to be an excuse to hinder people from expresing their thoughts. That's from my heart which rolls its eyes and calls plenty of people names silently. My heart totally assumes others have done the same for my comments.

I come here to discuss and learn. I don't have to agree with everyone I can learn from.