Childish Responses to Adult Concerns
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LadyVal
 March 10 2025
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    Last Sunday after church I was – or rather, I thought I was – having a rational discussion with a very nice gentleman about the history of that period of time in America intentionally mislabeled “the Civil War.” I have a vested interest in that period as I had done considerable research into that era, both ante and post bellum. As a result, I am more than well-schooled in the factual nuances in play during this very important era including the quintessential issue of slavery! Indeed, I venture to say that I am far more knowledgeable than many Americans on this subject as it was of great interest to me having been utilized to excuse a great many illegal and unconstitutional actions by the government of the United States against the States of the South! 

     The problem is, as with many people including the gentleman here mentioned, that, to such people, nothing is worse than slavery! It is, in their minds, the greatest of all evils justifying any action against it however illegal and/or immoral. But given his responses – what there were of them – it was also obvious that he knew little or nothing other than the orthodoxy of the moment, most of which is at best simplistic and at worst, mendacious. And, interestingly enough, given the conditions involved, this includes the Bible’s references to that subject clearly indicating that while God’s Word mentions slavery, it does not condemn it outright or make of it an unforgivable sin! Consider Joseph in Egypt!

     And so, as the conversation went along and as I tried to impart certain little-known facts, I found that doing so apparently made him “uncomfortable!” And, as a result, he did something that astonished me! With a gentle smile on his face (as if to point out how foolish I was being but also that he still liked me anyway!) he put his hands over his ears indicating that he was no longer listening; that indeed, he refused to listen! Obviously, whatever I was saying, he did not want to hear! Now, at that moment I was not saying anything outrageous or indicating in any way that I supported the institution of slavery, neither was I demanding his agreement! I was merely requesting his attention to matters of which he apparently knew little or nothing! Indeed, I was only attempting to make a rather small point when it was obvious that whatever I was saying, was clearly something he did not want to hear! Indeed, this gesture of covering his ears indicated that he was no longer willing to listen to anything that differed from his own “knowledge” about an important issue that continues to cause great damage in today’s culture! And that, my friends, is a dangerous thing! Voluntary ignorance is no way to run a society!

     Obviously, this refusal to at least listen to someone whom he himself had admitted is knowledgeable, exhibits a refusal to seek to determine whether what he believes is true or not! This is not an adult response to such a situation! Children shut their eyes and cover their ears singing loudly to prevent being exposed to something they refuse to hear! This collapse of discourse was more than distressing to me! That an intelligent man should put his hands over his ears like a five-year-old demanding his understanding of the subject – such as it was! – “no matter what,” forced me to realize that even a supposed adult was capable of deliberately choosing “what I want” over “what might be true!” And that was deeply disturbing. No wonder there are people today who believe that they can change reality because they want to! Of course, in truth they can’t!  But the question then arises, how many have suffered and even died – and will continue to suffer and die – in the attempts by such people to make “real” what is not? In fact, many have been damaged or destroyed already in this crusade against truth, facts and reason – and from what I see in situations such as I encountered here, the problem is bound to continue. 

    The great German philosopher Goethe was right when he wrote, “There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”

    time to grow up!
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