On a Rainy Day

[H2O Man]

26. I am reminded

of something that Rubin said -- I can't remember the exact date off hand, but it was in February of 1979 -- "A closed mind, like a closed room, often becomes stuffy." And the most common form of a closed mind is found in binary thinking, for those with very little to compare, find very little to understand. So here we are! (grin)

The idea that we should not exercise our Amendment 1 rights -- and indeed, resposibilities -- to openly express our differences with elected representatives is a psychological set of handcuffs. Nothing more, nothing less. As I noted, for example, I have voted for Senator Schumer each and every time he was on the ballot for his office. Thus, I recognize that I have an absolute responsibility to express my differences with Senator Schumer on an issue such as the violence in the Middle East. Yet, exactly as I noted, I would not do so -- and have never done so -- during an actual election.

I speak in a manner that represents my thinking and my values. Some people agree with me, some people disagree. That is, at least in my opinion, a strength of the Democratic Party. I recognize that there is often a chance that someone may be offended by something that I say. This has been true all of my life, and I'm okay with that. I, for one, can honestly say that I have never posted a threat to quit participating on DU because people disagreed with me or my posts get few if any responses. Not everyone can say that.

Also, binary thinking tends to keep one thinking that the only possible future is dictated by choices made in the past. I can't imagine being in such a limited mind-set. We need to change our thinking of what is possible, in order to create a better future.