Yep, I did! Just the other day I read a blog written by one of our members who has been gone for a while! It was a great blog! It had a very good point! I realized how much this member really has to contribute!
You remember that I said this member had not been around for a while? Well, the absence was not caused by smoking! It was caused by a disagreement! That got me to thinking about all the disagreements that I have had with folks here as well! I am glad that I never left the site because of them! We have always had them, and we always will!
I have heard of events where people celebrate diversity! I have never received an invitation to such an event! That is probably because people know that I believe in equal rights for all, and if someones thinks their differences entitles them to special rights, then that is just another form of unequal rights! What I do believe is that there is strength in diversity! A sharing of our different thoughts, and attitudes makes us all stronger! This led me to drag out my copy of The Constitution! After EXamining it thoroughly, I found no language that gives us a right not to be offended! And that is OK! It is indeed OK for me to take offense at your views. It is OK for you to take offense to my views! There is no reason for us to pull up our roots and move elsewhere, because we do not agree! If I may paraphrase and old adage, "you can learn something from the dumbest among you!" That means you can learn something from someone you do not agree with! And so can I!
It has often been said here "Take what you need and leave the rest!"! I encourage each of you to do just that! Everyone here contributes to what we are as a community! Please do not move out when someone hurts your feelings! When this community loses a member, we not only become less as a community, but we set a poor EXample for or new neighbors, who are just setting up shop here!
I do not agree with everything that is said here! I suspect that some of you do not agree with everything I say! It is possible that some of you might not even like me! (hard to believe, I know) What I want to leave you with today is, that I am glad that we are all here as a community! We do so much for so many! I am proud to be a part of that! And I am proud of you as well! Stay with us my friends! The best is yet to come! Tommy
