Defeating Defeat

Is It Possible To Separate Person From Opinions? I was thinking today about the things that divide people. Some things bring a total division, some things like religion and politics. I don’t have to believe everything you believe to respect you as a person. I may not read your writings about religion and politics or if I read them I may not leave a comment. My comments aren’t going to change your views anymore than yours will change mine. Unless I feel like you are an evil person or dangerous to me personally, or humanity collectively, I’ll still read your work and when I can I’ll try to make sensible and positive comments. I know some people can’t divorce their political views from a dislike for anyone who doesn’t share them. I understand that divergent opinions may make them feel threatened or angry. I believe people who learn how to relate to others on a broader more common human ground will be able to get past some of the things they disagree with and feel the kinship of those things that belong to all of us as people. I hope I can do that, I want to. I want to see the good in you and the common ground we share as people. So I won’t stop hearing your throughts even if you can’t stand to mine. I believe most political anger is rooted in fear, I think fear is something we need to learn how to overcome or harness for the good of humanity by defeating lies or half truths, refusing to allow fear to dominate our thoughts and actions toward others. And if you get right down to the core of things, don’t we all (unless we are evil) don’t we all want better lives for ourselves and others? We won’t achieve that goal by hatred or disrespect. We might defeat it by a sensible attitude and respectful dialogue even about the things, especially about the things, that divide us.