Smoke and mirrors

Smoke and mirrors.  That's all the RNC has been about.  You have someone who has the image of being an outsider, who really isn't, being embraced and endorsed by the establishment. Layer after layer of hypocrisy and masks.   One night voting your conscience is a bad thing, and is booed.  The next night, just because the speaker is "one of them," it's accepted with applause.

In an effort to show diversity and love for all, the RNC staged every bit of it.  A closing prayer by a Muslim.  Democratic (Ivanka, at least) speakers.  Rubio and Walker doing their half-hearted endorsement, one of which was taped and not live.

While one speaker is on stage, the cameras pull away to watch the nominee walk into the room.  Not via backstage, but through the back door.  Said speech is accepted with applause, until the nominee walks in, then all of a sudden there are boos.  This is supposed to give the image that everyone should be accepting the nominee.  The irony of this is the speech was layered with what FREEDOM is in the United States.  Then when said speaker uses his freedom to not endorse the candidate, he's the bad guy.

It's sickening to watch all of the people (not just politicians) get in line behind a candidate just because they have been chosen by the party.  Think about it; your friend is part of a highly dysfunctional family.  Instead of being a part of the dysfunction, the friend decides to depart from the family and be independent thinking.  Would you expect them to go along to get along, or walk away?

Sadly, the Republican Party is now fully RINO: Republican In Name Only.

Lives that matter

Martin Luther King Jr. has got to be rolling over in his grave.  The solidarity he marched for is being divided by the same group of people he was fighting on behalf of.  His dream was for all to march together, arm-in-arm, in peace.  Instead we have division; an "us vs them" attitude.

What happened to the goals of being color (of skin) blind?  As the Rev. King preached, it's not the color of a person's skin, but the integrity within.  This is how I treat others, and believe it's how it should be.  You could be green and still be an asshole; making me turn away from you in disgust.  One example of this is Asian/Indian (usually older) men.  (surprise!  it's not blacks!)  Why? Because of their culture and how women are treated oppressively.  Again, if you disrespect me, you will get the same treatment.

BLM claims disrespect by those who are sent to protect them.  Some in this camp don't want to hear "white" logic: If you don't break the law, the law will not come after you.  If you are hostile towards someone, you are going to get that same hostility back.  Although this makes sense to me, those who have been raised to disrespect, or even hate, law enforcement will not understand this concept.

Just like the cultures who are taught to hate Christians and Jews at a very young age, grow up with hate in their hearts. There are those in our own (American) society that grow up with anger and hate in their hearts--just as they were taught the anger and hatred.