I’ll try to keep this brief. It’s no secret that I frequently have a different interpretation regarding some of the recent topics here on Appalachian Renegade, and I receive a fair amount of pushback from both readers and occasionally the other authors when I voice a dissenting opinion. This is a good thing. When everyone agrees, there’s really nothing to discuss, it just becomes a circular venting session, and those, while therapeutic, are a waste of everyone’s time.
It’s probably accurate to estimate that half of the people in our country strongly disagree with the other half on virtually everything. It may also be accurate to suggest that half of the people who I believe are generally on the “right” side of most issues have suddenly become very divided on the more pressing topics that we currently face, such as Iran, China, President Trump, and to a lesser degree, immigration, Islam, etc. I am concerned that Divide and Conquer may be in play here, and that our own divide is not organic. We must NOT be conquered. We must stand firm against evil, which means at the end of the day we must stand together. That should be the goal of civil debate.
Appalachian Renegade is generally the first website I open in the morning, and the most frequent one I visit, because David, Roth and Wes all discuss important and timely issues they are passionate about, and I greatly value their opinions, even if I don’t always agree with them. I believe it is very important to question one’s own assumptions and beliefs regarding the state of our world on a regular basis. THIS is why I appreciate their opinions and interpretations. I also enjoy the lively discussions that these topics ignite, and the fact that most folks here do NOT resort to name-calling or insults (although I cannot see the posts that may get deleted because of inappropriate content, as they should be). Do I truly believe what I post? Yes. Am I one hundred percent certain that I am right if I voice an opposing view? Not even close. Every day I question my own assessments of what is going on, and the authors and comments on this site are helpful for that.
There are no sheep here. We all have strong opinions, and try to back up our opinions with as much data (I’m not going to say facts because it is nearly impossible to even parse out what the truth is anymore) as possible. I have said, and will say again, that if, at any time I decide I have been wrong about President Trump (and I may be) regarding Iran and China that I will say that. In writing. The threshold will be pretty high (as it should be for everyone), but I am quite capable of admitting error, or changing my mind, as I have done it before because been wrong before. I’ll also admit that I WANT to be right, because if I turn out to be wrong, then I’ll also be acknowledging that nearly all hope is lost for our country, and perhaps our world. I really don’t want to swallow that black pill. We’ll see.
I appreciate the opportunity AND PRIVILEGE to be able to voice my thoughts, and enjoy the debate and the different opinions. I have said several times now (you’re probably getting tired of it) that it’s as important today to vigorously question alternative narratives as it is to question the prevailing ones, and even the motives behind those narratives. This includes me, which is part of why I am here.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. 😉
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