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Kathleen Sykes's avatar

After an event like this, I am convinced that the only people who are afraid of “words” and “ideas” and “free speech” are those who are ultimately afraid of what the truth will do to the world they built for themselves.

This was a powerful and important piece. Brava, Bari!

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rob's avatar

well said

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ButTheDataSays's avatar

People who are scared of words are children - regardless of age. The VAST majority of people who have experienced real struggle, or real violence, have no patience for the nonsense that is our petulant society.

Those who wish to control how you speak are VERY different people with very different objectives. We should pray for wisdom for the first group. In regards to the second group, we should pray, and vote, for Freedom from their tyranny.

But we should be very, very careful not to conflate these two groups.

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KTonCapeCod's avatar

I would say.about children...they are an open portal of love...until life causes it's close....I am not sure what else to call them besides children. I do understand your point. And believe and hope my heart, and the hearts of others, have enough openness like the hearts of children to save this world from dark because.

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Kathleen Sykes's avatar

I think that’s the process of growing up though. It hardens us when we forget childlike humility, love and curiosity. So many of us have to relearn it.

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KTonCapeCod's avatar

So true...and some never do...and maybe never can....

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Kathleen Sykes's avatar

I agree with you except for one point: Children at least have a sense of curiosity. Petulant adults are closed-minded and can’t accept the possibility of being wrong.

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Marie's avatar

But even that aspect of human life is being exploited by libs.

Only a five year old would be curious why teacher said there’s no such thing as boys and girls.

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ButTheDataSays's avatar

You’re right. “Children” was probably incorrect. Adolescent is probably more accurate. I certainly remember the point in my life when I was certain I knew everything there was to know about the things I cared about. Until that day I realized I didn’t any longer. What life and experience taught me is how little I know to be certain. I expected, thus, that wisdom would be something we all pursue until the day we pass. That the pursuit of wisdom is the acceptance of how little we know, and how little we can ever know, but also why we should care so much to keep trying to accumulate wisdom and pass it down to the next generation.

I suppose that’s ultimately the point. There are those who seek to understand how and why they might be wrong and those who seek to understand why they’re right and ignore, or even go so far as to outright restrict, anything that may be contrary to that about which they’re sure they’re right.

So, I guess, whatever that’s called 😀

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Kathleen Sykes's avatar

I think “adolescent” is perfect! 😅 I certainly remember how moody, temperamental and insecure I was between 13 and 18. Those are the ages we learn to hoard knowledge, build up defenses and view people as enemies.

Tackling the world with childlike curiosity makes life so much better.

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ButTheDataSays's avatar

One of my favorite sayings is that “parenting is not judged by what you do for your children but what you teach them to do for themselves.” We’ve had almost 70 years of parents failing that test, and we should not be surprised by the outcome. And worse yet, the parents that failed that test are now horrified that younger generations are uncomfortable they’re hoarding power they didn’t earn and refuse to pass it to a generation they failed. Hopefully many have learned from a mistake that in many many cases was made with the best of intentions. Desiring for your kids to be “doctors and lawyers” was well intentioned but horribly misguided and we’re paying for it because the doctor and lawyer generation decided their kids should all be artists and PHDs in “thinking.”

We are desperate to put back in the power the people who spent their lives solving real problems with real solutions. Enough of people who have “thought about how to solve climate change” and more people who can actually install an air conditioner.

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Kathleen Sykes's avatar

You put that better than I ever could. You should see if you can find a copy of Bernstein’s “Candide” — it’s a similar moral to the story. The last musical number really hits your point.

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Ellen Gemma's avatar

Your comment is one of the reasons why I subscribe to Bari’s Commonsense… so that I can continue to learn and get other viewpoints!

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milllionthmonkeytyping's avatar

I think we're missing the mark by describing leftist behavior as childish. They are not children. They're adults. We would not tolerate the bullying, lying, scapegoating and blame-shifting the leftists engage in if it came from our children - we would give our kids a time out and explain that such behavior is anti-social, abusive and will not help them make friends and get along in society when they grow up.

Leftists are not children waiting to grow up. We shouldn't be waiting for that either. Leftists use the tactics of chaos, riots, slander, obfuscation and censorship to attain a political goal. They are political operatives with an agenda and they are using the government and media to pursue that agenda.

As an example - Chesa Boudin is not a college student playing radical until he grows up and gets a job in the real world. He is a radical who was raised by radicals and his political goals are the same goals the leftists want to impose on this country.

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Skinny's avatar

Always spot on kjmac!

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Elizabeth Neville's avatar

And they never hesitate. Or self-reflect. There is no reasoning. Which is why it’s so dangerous.

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