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Your moral compass.

This is a concept that has been around that deserves a revisit during this trying time in our society. Definition: noun

  1. used in reference to a person’s ability to judge what is right and wrong and act accordingly.

Ignore any of the misleading conservative / liberal connotations, whether something makes you red or blue, right or left, traditional or progressive. All of us are human – and that is a concept everyone should be taking to heart in the frustration that has been the year of 2020. The very idea of being human (and all the blessings/trials that come with it) should be the centering force in our moral compass as we walk through each day.

If I get worked up over a vehicle that has cut me off (as I do nearly every day in Charlotte), I’m not upset because this person is “fitting a stereotype” for their level of melanin, I’m upset because in my view – the person is not exercising decency on the road. My moral compass first swings in the direction that their action is inexcusable, that they are potentially causing others to react hastily and cause a scary scenario on the local highway.

Then, I remind myself that there are times when such actions may be justifiable to me personally – that person’s spouse could be going into labor with their child, a family member may be in need of aid, or the various areas of construction in town are causing them to run late for a close friend’s wedding. Should this person truly be in violation of the rules and simply endangering others, it will only be a matter of time before the proper authority over that scenario is able to assist in reminding them of the commitment we have to others on the road. I tell myself that life goes on outside of my own little bubble, and I get back to singing along to whatever song I have playing in my own car.

These small interactions that can get hyped up should be the least of our worries, and our magnetic base in our moral compass is there to remind us of exactly that. While we don’t always take the compass out of our pocket to examine the specific way to lead our troops, we all are aware that there is a certain level of decency that we expect humans to show one another – no matter what the situation may be. It is an inherently human characteristic to be compassionate to others who may be facing a situation we either A) know exactly the type of pain/stress that accompanies it, or B) have no idea and can only speculate how terrible of a time they must be going through.

In the latter, it appears that many in our society have fallen prey to the claws of media (mainstream/social) and to some extent ignorance (distraction by other means) so that the compassion falls by the way side in what we think is a legitimate excuse. If someone is trying to peacefully protest, your compass should tell you to take the time to LISTEN to them. You may not agree that their reasons are valid, but your show of decency at least demonstrates to them that their voices can be heard and that they are indeed entitled to that level of freedom in this country. You will be surprised at how they are just as upset as you are with the rioting and looting that has occurred in an attempt to undermine their cause.

As I’ve stated before to those who have asked – I am clearly in no position to weigh in on many of the issues that are prevalent today. The closest thing I have encountered to racism on my behalf is being granted an interview for my position because of my last name – Torres – where a hiring manager was trying to prioritize a minority hire, and was clearly disappointed to see my genetic blend of primarily Italian/German walk through the door (the story of how our family got the last name to be told at a later time). When it comes to the issues of interactions with police and other societal pressures that have been put on people of color throughout the centuries, I can’t speak from experience – and I most definitely cannot justify my own speculation as an excuse to not take it more seriously.

Now is the time to listen – or at the very least, make yourself available to listen to those around you if they aren’t ready to open up yet. I don’t know if you’ve turned on a phone or television in the last month or two… but there is finally a conversation producing results in this area rather than it being one-sided with our brothers and sisters in Christ feeling unheard. If you don’t know where to start (it’s okay, I didn’t really have much of an idea either) but resources are being shared across the globe for us – and you can ALWAYS devote your time and effort to where it will always make an impact, such as the food banks and other non-profits that rely on volunteers to make any sort of impact in our communities.

Wake up tomorrow determined to make a difference. I’ll see you there.

Uncategorized

Political Homelessness.

I came across this term the other day during the constant quarantine scrolling, and it really struck a chord with me. There isn’t much that seems to properly define my views when it comes to our chaotic world… but it is a safe assumption to say that I feel politically homeless.

Our society has continued to evolve and expand throughout the years, and yet for some reason our “fearless leaders” continue to convince us that the two-party system actually represents our best interests at heart. They are quick to spend the necessary resources to convince those around them to disregard Libertarians, Green Party members, Tea Party believers, and anyone else who is willing to sacrifice their time and money to challenge the status quo. I don’t know about you… but it is starting to feel like an awful amount of suppression is being applied to our friends and families.

Well, let us dive deeper into the emotions of Ben for a second. Ben believes that marijuana in every form should be legalized – something members of both parties struggle with at times because of their lobbying interests, in addition to their feelings about those who are incarcerated for that type of crime. Ben believes in the sanctity of life from conception until natural death – choosing to help and care for someone no matter WHAT phase of life they are in – which breaks up into multiple arguments, which of course have several sides and stories to compliment each. Ben believes that everyone has the right to arm themselves… but that doesn’t mean automatic weapons should be in the list of options for individual home purchase. Ben believes that the process to become American should be one that every immigrant should go through when they’re ready – but that it is our neighborly duty to care for others when they are often coming to our country to escape an evil from the place they used to call home.

As you can probably determine on your own – with each statement several of you desired to high five me in one half of a sentence, then you probably lowered your hand as I finished the same train of thought – and vice versa. I (very openly) voted third party in 2016 for President, and created a state/county/city ballot that mostly resembled the color of purple by the amount of times I crossed sides. I’m voting for a person to fit the assigned role, not the party and the nonsense they try to shove down our throats. The parties are corrupt, flawed, and in desperate need of a generational overhaul – this applies to BOTH the Republican and Democrat parties, so don’t flatter yourself if you think I’m attacking just one side here.

From what we have seen this week, it is apparent that our “only” options for the coming election are to put one of two gentlemen (using that term loosely) in the White House for 4 years because the skewed format of our politics demands it. If you think my conscience will be clear voting for either a businessman who only puts himself first with each thought, or a man whose demeanor implies that he’s been through enough hell and is ready to be moved into a nursing home… I can’t say that I’m going to sleep well at night knowing that the country I love so much prefers one or the other as the leader of the free world. As Americans, we have a duty to each other to challenge when something isn’t right… and this is my simple way of stating just that. As a God-fearing individual, I take on an additional moral code that obliges me to speak up for those who may not have a loud enough voice in their fight.

Please do not be afraid to speak up if you share some of the same feelings. If the statements made here are enough to unfriend/unfollow, I get it – not everyone has the guts to say what they truly think when most of our content posted these days is the perfectly filtered shot of whatever we want others to be consuming. My suspicion is that I’m not alone in this, and that with enough effort (all we have right now is time, right?) we could make a dent in the current operation that constantly disregards our best interests.

Regardless, I hope this gives everyone some food for thought as we try to figure out this thing called life together. Don’t forget that I love each of you, and will always strive to do what is best for all of us.