Three times that I changed my mind

I always want to fight. But sometimes I am told not to. That is confusing at first but usually the best course. Three recent examples where older and wiser voices prevailed in my thinking.

1.       When the ranchers protested in Oregon I wanted to fight. I think the federal government is wrong and that it is illegal for them to own land in a state. They abuse the ranchers and make life difficult. If someone was going to stand up to the feds then I wanted to support them. However, the church denounced the armed rebellion and said this isn’t the way to go. I agree. We need to use legal means to right wrongs.   

2.       When the Supreme Court ruled wrong on marriage I wanted to fight. When the Supreme Court is wrong then bad things happen. For example, I think the Dred Scott decision, that also negated the compromise of 1850, spun the country into Civil War. When the court changed the definition of marriage then a county clerk protested by refusing to issue licenses. Seemed a good way to make a point and stick it to them. However, the counter argument was given that we must do our sworn duty to uphold the law. Again, you shouldn’t use illegal means.

3.       When the young muslim men streamed into Europe I wanted to fight. These rude, ungrateful invaders needed to be controlled before they hurt more people. Kick them out, I thought. However, I learned that there are also some real refugees in the crowd, women and children fleeing destruction. The best way to solve the problem is to serve.