While the term “radical” is thrown around loosely these days, standing for what you think is right might be wrong.
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Wow, let’s get radical people!
There’s nothing like some good radical behavior to get the blood flowing in life. In our present-day world, circa 2016, the biggest concern for many people is—apparently—radical Islamic fundamentalism.
Oh yeah, this is the big issue that we must be vigilant about 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This must be conquered or our American and world values will go down the toilet. To be clear, I’m no fan of fundamentalism in any form or watching sacred lands destroyed for any reason, period.
History, though, seems to show patterns that turn into the radical itch-and-scratch. About 20-25 years ago, the big fear in America was radical homosexuality. You know, gays and lesbians were going to be spreading their AIDS disease by simply touching another person on the hand. Go back to the 1950s and 1960s, where the fear was that the radical black man was dangerous. Oh wait, that fear goes back much further.
Let’s just forget about reason and logic altogether and get radical.
May I suggest not getting radical at all?
Say what? You might be thinking that too much snow has buried its way into my prefrontal cortex. No, I assure you that has not happened.
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Spending too much time worrying and fretting about the radicalization of people is never healthy. Plus, it leaves one’s soul tired, disturbed and anxious.
It sets up that old “us vs. them” paradigm that causes more walls to go up instead of staying down. Now I’m a big believer in personal boundaries, yet calling this or that “radical” just to do so falls flat.
Are there radical religious and spiritual individuals and groups? Yes. Are there radical political individuals and groups? Yes. Are there radical police officers, firemen, and prison guards? Yes. But is every one of them radical? No, absolutely not.That’s why it remains such a head scratcher when it comes to people getting so wound up around the subject of radicalization. You do know that radicalization in some form has been going on for a long time.
That’s why it remains such a head scratcher when it comes to people getting so wound up around the subject of radicalization. You do know that radicalization in some form has been going on for a long time.As much as this might be too touchy, I wonder if we could look at the Founding Fathers coming to America for religious freedoms and killing off Native Americans to take land as radical. If that was the case, then history books will need to be rewritten again. Why do that when we don’t all see the colonization of America as a radical overthrow of Native American lifestyles? All those John Wayne westerns (and I love “The Searchers” among other Wayne westerns, so call me out on it) would have to be taken off Turner Classic Movies, American Movie
As much as this might be too touchy, I wonder if we could look at the Founding Fathers coming to America for religious freedoms and killing off Native Americans to take land as radical. If that was the case, then history books will need to be rewritten again. Why do that when we don’t all see the colonization of America as a radical overthrow of Native American lifestyles? All those John Wayne westerns (and I love “The Searchers” among other Wayne westerns, so call me out on it) would have to be taken off Turner Classic Movies, American Movie Classics, and other networks.
Look, you and I have invested so much in what we believe to be true that changing our tune is just too much work. The radical soul needs to always be right, be firm, be intense, be fired up and always needs to be better than the other man. The radical soul lives his life from an almost unconscious state where going with the crowd is easier than bucking the current. The radical soul might just look like he’s got his shit together, only to look in the mirror and see that he’s Humpty Dumpty and about to take a great fall.
Radical souls want to scare the crap out of you. They have a fundamentalist flair to their tone, behavior, and attitude. If the radical soul cannot be right, then it is going to go down fighting.
The presidential race in the United States is underway and, well, there are some people who look at Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton and call them radical. It depends on which political party you call home. Nominees that can look into a camera and say “that other person is going to bring down America” to scare you has done their job. They have turned radical, if you will, in their thirst for the White House. They have left their senses all in the name of winning at all costs.
Could you and I sit back, take some deep breaths and avoid getting radical at all? It would take great restraint to do so.
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It does not do me any good to become radical about anything at all. Being passionate about something—whether it is a cause or movement near and dear to your heart—is a different vibe in my opinion. You might be passionate about politics, religion, relationships, work, health, fitness, happiness, the environment or angelic beings from the Fifth Dimension. Passion, to me, does not totally eliminate reason and logic from the equation. When a person ditches those points, though, then passion turns radical and all hell breaks loose.The radical soul becomes restless. It must be radical in all parts of life or there is no reason to live.
The radical soul becomes restless. It must be radical in all parts of life or there is no reason to live.I wish there was a cure for the universal radicalization of humanity. Would loving ourselves and others help? Love seems to be an antidote to fear, anger and anxiety. I’m not talking about
I wish there was a cure for the universal radicalization of humanity. Would loving ourselves and others help? Love seems to be an antidote to fear, anger and anxiety. I’m not talking about love that turns abusive or hateful.Maybe, just maybe, love can soften the radical soul’s blind ambitions.
Maybe, just maybe, love can soften the radical soul’s blind ambitions.
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