So Many Opinions, So Little Opportunity

[dogriver]

I want to offer so many personal opinions on so many topics which I feel
are important. But unfortunately, I feel stifled by my desire to keep
the peace. I see so many things written by others not afraid to speak
out, and I feel tethered and held back by my desire not to offend. There
is so much that should be said but won't be.

Comments

[pawpower4me.livejournal.com]

but isn't that one of the reasons we blog? Imay not agree with what you have to say but it is your blog; your space and if I am offended that is my problem.
There are people who are on my flist (granted not manuy) who offend me by spouting off some political or moral view. I don't just unfriend them because they offended me.
I think it's interesting to learn about different views, different ways of doing things or perceiving the world.

anyway, just my .02 or maybe 1.02 with inflation.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

And don't think I don't agree with you. Someday I'll figure out the best way to deal with this. Thanks for your comment.

[quirkofonic.livejournal.com]

A few things come to mind. Now, I make no claims to be psychic, but I predict there will either be a massive ulcer or a nervous breakdown in your future if this continues. If anything, I expect to see you with extremely sore and tired shoulders, what with having to carry the weight of the world on them. Makes me wonder if your higher power expects this of you. Also, I think there's some being or force somewhere in the universe who's amused by all your atempts to restrain yourself. Gotta wonder if it's worthwhile pleasing such an obviously evil being. You may think I'm just being a kidder, but I'm serious. See, I look at it this way. Every time we communicate, there is always the chance somebody will find a way to be offended by it. It's not like most of us are nothing but a bunch of people going around offending others on purpose. But it seems somebody's dragged you into the culture of offence, as I like to call it. In the culture of offence, the worst thing you can do to a person is offend them, and offence is forever. Getting past the offence is unthinkable. Also, the person who causes the offence is the only one to blame in any situation. It's perfectly OK to have a thin skin or to just act offended just because you're a jerk. It is a taboo to even suggest one's skin requires thickening. But, in the end, it's your choice, and I feel sorry for your shoulders and your nerves.

[maidenhell.livejournal.com]

Voice your opinions, Bruce. I enjoy reading them. If other people don't, they need to be more open-minded OR they can choose to not read your blog (which is your own special place in the universe). We don't always agree, but I like learning new perspectives.

But I can also see why you'd choose this. I work two days at week now at a marketing firm downtown and one of the partners is ultra left-wing liberal. This morning there was a political discussion that, against my better judgement, I decided to air my opinion on. I was made to feel wrong, despite there being no right or wrong answer. I have decided now to just smile and nod when this arises in the future.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I understand where you're coming from, believe me. If only the people with leanings to either side would realize that people with leanings to the other side are also necessary and important for as balanced a society as we can hope for.

[maidenhell.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I feel kinda crappy now sitting here because I feel as though my opinion doesn't matter. It's going to be one of THOSE days. Oi vey.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

If it means anything, and it probably doesn't, your opinion matters a lot to me and I value it highly.

[maidenhell.livejournal.com]

I seek out your opinion on something...as I am confused over my own feelings.

I would peg myself as pro-choice. I've always felt that a woman should be able to make her own decisions when it comes to her body. When Henry Mortgentaler was recently awarded the Order of Canada, I saw nothing wrong with it. HOWEVER...a few weeks ago, there was a patient at one of the hospitals here in Winnipeg that was in a coma. Doctors resigned rather than care for him (he later died naturally, but not after local newspapers asked if keeping him alive was worth the $250,000+ in health care costs). I was appalled at this. I felt the man, even in a coma, deserved to be kept alive. I always feel in that situation it should be the family's decision. There was a similar case in the U.S. a few years ago where the insurance company fought to have life-support pulled.

So how can I support death in one area (for a life unborn) and not another (for a life that is being lived through the support of a machine)? No one knows what goes on in a coma (or what profound things happen in the womb), so how can we decide scientifcally that it amounts to nothing?

Perhaps this is too heavy for a Monday morning?! ha ha

[maidenhell.livejournal.com]

Yes, it means something.

[masterofmusings.livejournal.com]

I don't have an answer for you, not surprisingly, but I do have a story that might help in some odd way. I have always been pro-life. I have always felt that fundamentally, everyone should be given the right to exist, and I believe that abortion takes away that right, which I feel should be inaliable. But okay, we'll disagree on that point, even if our opinions are both very strong. I used also to be strongly pro capital punishment. Just a few years ago, I was thinking, and it occurred to me that these two stances opposed each other. I had to ask myself which of these values was more important to me. The answer, to me, was very, very clear, I could not, can not, and will never condone abortion, end of story. So my stance on capital punishment, after this realization, is that I very reluctantly oppose it.

There is a difference, though, with the hospital cases you cited. In both of those cases, the question was not about terminating the person's life, the question was about artificially prolonging it. My dad begged us not to artificially prolong his life at the end, but by the same token, he would never have done anything to prematurely end it. So there, I think, is where the difference lies. With both abortion and capital punishment, you are terminating a person's life. In the case of disconnecting life support, you are simply not artificially prolonging the life of the tissues. This may not be the right answer, but it's my answer as I see things at this point in time.

[maidenhell.livejournal.com]

Thank you...it has given me something to think about.

I can't reason why I feel so strongly about prolonging someone's life artificially. I would like to say, let nature take its course, but it is NOT natural. These people would die otherwise. Were the doctors right? I don't know. I'm really confused. It's hard to admit one does not have all the answers. ha ha.