Ball Point # 7   "What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not they are extreme, but they are INTOLERANT. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents." -Robert F. Kennedy

Alas, our president has again used name calling to avoid dealing with key issues.

He said that four elected members of the U.S Congress should "go back where they came from" and make those places better.

Three of those people were born in the United States. One is a naturalized citizen who entered the USA with her parents as asylum refugees.

All are elected officials chosen by the citizens of their districts to represent them in Washington.

Whether we agree with some or all of President Trump's policies is irrelevant in this matter.

If we don't speak up against such ridiculous and hateful statements then we accept them.

Let us all let the world know we do not accept his attempt to belittle others who are worthy as any of us to be where we are.

Let us also pray for someone near the President to educate him on things he doesn't understand.

Ball Point #17: “Charles Barkley was wrong.  We are all role models, even if we don’t want to be.”

Others see us in the ways we act and they hear what we say.  We will be remembered decades later for what we said or did today, or what we didn’t say or do.  We don’t care about some of those who will remember, but there are those we don’t want to disappoint.

Usually this is family--especially children and grandchildren. Sometimes it is parents or colleagues.

It’s easy for us to spout something that we think will be a quick fix for a problem.  It’s another for us to do and say what is right and hunker down for the long haul. This is especially hard when we don't acknowledge we are part of the problem ourselves.

Ball Point #23: "A Public Information Officer (PIO) never, ever, tells a lie."
    I define "lie" as "knowingly giving false information."
    President's Trump new spokesperson did that in an extraordinary way, causing great consternation among many about his fitness.  Was he pressured?  Was he a willing accomplice?  Did he believe what he said?  Should he have said, "No"?  Did he do this to intentionally deflect attention from the marches?
   He is now like the little boy who cried "Wolf"--and he's just beginning his first full week on the job.
It will be ugly.  And I fear it is only the beginning?

Ball Point #22: "What is really true ain't worth diddly squat.  What is perceived as truth is really all that matters."
Ball Point #82: "News is what people ought to know or want to know.  To some people that's a conflict."

We all want to have our beliefs sustained, so we seek our news stories that are the benefit of our favorite candidate, or to the detriment of his or her opponent.

Ball Point #5   We need to see ourselves as others see us.

Do we see ourselves as Christian yet spout hate as we ignore the problems of others?  Do we see ourselves as  “pro life” yet fight against sex education, prenatal care, kindergartens and good schools?  Do we see ourselves as young and attractive as others see us differently?  Do we see ourselves as intelligent and open minded, while others see us a closed minded and bigoted?

Until we see how others perceive us we’ll never fully communicate.

One in a series.  Collect them all.

Ball Point # 7   "What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists is not they are extreme, but they are INTOLERANT. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents." -Robert F. Kennedy

Like many "Ball Points" this goes back to #1.  "They" and "Them" show our own intolerance.  And so often we come up with petty excuses to justify our own behavior.

Ball Point #1

"Ball Point #1"    "They" and "them" are often the worst four letter words in the English alphabet.
It's easy to spot our differences with others.  But those differences are often superficial.
It's also easy to assume that because someone agrees or disagrees with us on one thing, they agree or disagree on everything, so we put "them" into a category.  
For example, I believe gun owners and users have a certain responsibility.  Because of that many think I'm opposed to the Second Amendment.  I'm not.