Opinions can be expressed without showing disrespect to others
By Lethbridge Herald on October 19, 2022.
Editor:
As I’ve watched and listened to world events near and far over the last few years, I’ve tried hard to make sense of it all.
In my 75+ years on this earth, I don’t recall a time when people seem so far apart and sometimes downright nasty when it concerns their personal views of how things should be.
We can probably place some blame on social media feeds and people trying to sort out factual information and what can be determined as disinformation.
What leads some down one path and others down a completely different path is not the purpose of this letter. I’ve concluded that many of us have reached a point where we are unwilling to accept views, beliefs, or behaviours from others that differ from our own.
Perhaps if each one of us as individuals did a little soul-searching, we could lift each other up instead of constantly tearing down.
We could try and have quiet conversations and listen to each other’s points of view. Here are a few examples: Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, that is an individual choice. Neither side needs to scream and shout at the other side to try and make a point.
To accept vaccines or not to get vaccines? Again, individual choice. No need to yell and scream at the other side or have disruptive convoys. Christian? Jewish? Islamic? Atheist? Each to their own, I say. Again, no name-calling or accusations are necessary.
Choose what is best for you and your beliefs, and leave others with different views than your own alone. Hate will never solve anything and only drives a further wedge between us.
Justin Trudeau is our Prime Minister. Don’t like him? Under our democratic system, he was voted in fair and squarely. Next election, we will have our say again. Danielle Smith is now the Premier of Alberta. We will all get the choice on the 29th of May, 2023, to vote on whether she stays or goes, so in the meantime, we have to accept this reality.
In conclusion, I’d like to make one more point: Although we should all be entitled to our opinions, breaking laws, disregarding rules and regulations, and physically or mentally harming others through our actions should never be acceptable.
We are supposed to be the intelligent lifeforms on this planet. Let’s start acting like it! The preceding is my personal opinion. Others may disagree.
Doug Cameron
Lethbridge
15-14
“Words of Wisdom” Quite refreshing; thank you!
Well said Doug. But, as per normal their is a “but”. When you are faced en masse with organized groups who receive funding to carry on “Gods work” it is a different issue. If God him/herself was CEO and part of the Board of Directors then you could assume that God’s work was being done.
Unfortunately we have the “self righteous pompous and arrogant” deciding they are God in his or her absence and ergo, its my way or the highway. The flock who truly believe that in God’s abscence “their guy/gal” is a suitable replacement are in actual fact lending support because its how they think too.
So you get skewed opinion based on zero real life knowledge or life skills backed by government funding and church donations, that then drives “Gods Replacement” in his/her absence, pumping a personal agenda for profit!
If there is no profit then their is Gods book as the definitive guide! If there is profit, then God’s book can not only be amended on the fly but can be “reinterpreted” by scholars who want the profit. It works well for the ebony bastions!
When you enter a conversation and “the correct way” has already been predetermined by God , an opinion that strangely enough the “replacement” agree with 100%, (just the messenger bullchips) then their is no conversation, its a dictatorship with a smile!
So the “lets all just get along and be respectful” no longer works!
When conversations on how to treat those that demand a free ride in life, all the way through life arise, the very people that pay no taxes, rush to the aid of those who also pay no taxes and demand the taxpayer support them in ruining their own society. I have yet to see anyone propose the WET shelter be in a Church, have you? No one in Lethbridge is suggesting it and if they did, they would not be invited to the heavily populated SSIG/CWSS Group of Churches to present, I assure you!
Surely there is enough room in the Church on hwy 4, it has more square area then the Agri-Center so why do they support ruining Businesses and communities that they insist they serve? Why is the “dry shelter”(joke) being promo’d in the Civic Center and God sees no room on Hwy 4? Why is Lealta Lumber , Kitchen Center, End of Roll, Nutters, Switzers Automotive, Emco, Truck Store, Bakery, entire Strip mall, all the North side residents the “place” for Gods Chosen to set up their “all serving” non taxpayers facility , when Hwy 4 Church has more then enough room and acreage?
Did God say, “smite the downtown and London Road” but leave my Multimillion Dollar Church alone on Hwy 4″! Is God that specific on geographical coordinates that he/she can specifically nail down the 19 acres of Burnside ( train tracks to 5th North) and clearly miss the MASSIVE structure sitting on Highway 4? The messenger seems to have received very specific Geo Coordinates because all the Church leaders are saying the EXACT same thing, go figure? They are just a messenger, right and God was very very specific. He/she pointed directly at “ruining our downtown” and saving the Multimillion dollar churches? Seems strange? It is not often you get that a specific message from the Creator, so best to pay close attention because that order came in very loud and very very clear!
The Pope should be made aware of these communications I see a pending saint hoods occurring based on the clear communications with the Creator!
I do realize there is another proposal out there for the WET shelter and Dry to be located on the outskirts or out of town. No idea why this new more WONDERFUL Idea has not been given the time of day. Lets all suggest we move Wet/Dry to the Highway 4 Church. They pay no taxes, and can support others who pay no taxes. They have a kitchen area, they have enough buildings to support 400 homeless and soon we could do a Medicine Hat and say we solved Homeless too!! We could have the Bus service proposed that goes to Stand Off instead go to the Hwy 4 Church, its a money saver to boot! So lets not support having the wet shelter out by the Blood Reserve (you haven’t supported it anyway) and lets focus on the Hwy 4 Church!!!
Lets all support the Hwy 4 idea and see if we can convince God to change his Geo XY coordinates to the ebony tower on hwy 4 !!!!!
I am sure we will get Parishoner support because they are the ones baffled and only see killing the downtown and London Road as the only answer. I am sure they must never have thought of this AMAZING IDEA, no idea why!
The community across the street will probably be upset but they appear not to be interested in saving London Road or Burnside, so why should the rest of Lethbridge be concerned on saving them? After all we are a NIMBY community, right? As long as its not in our backyard, then everyone else is fair game, right? I may be wrong but its been my experience watching Lethbridge, so far?