Brian’s Reflection: Thursday, September 13, 2007


Indeed, Miss Manners has come to believe that the basic
political division in this country is not between liberals and
conservatives but between those who believe that they
should have a say in the love lives of strangers and those
who do not.

- Miss Manners (Judith Martin), born on this day, 1938


Good Lord! I had no idea that Miss Manners was 8 years older than I am! But, I suppose that she would consider it “rude” that I have had the effrontery to point this out. My apologies.

Now, I suppose that many of you are going to “rush to the judgment” that I am applying Miss Manner’s words to the vicious, nasty, mean-spirited, troglodyte tendency to tell people who love those of the same sex, or perhaps those of whom they don’t approve who might be thinking of marrying their children, most of whom they have stolidly determined to keep as “strangers” and make no attempt to get to know them personally, that such loving is disgusting and all other manner of wickedness.

Nope. Not even going to refer to it. I’m thinking about those who want to intimidate those of us who have been taught to love everyone, including our enemies and those who disagree with us and those who threaten us, that we must have a healthy hatred for such persons. What?! Love a Muslim, who is quite likely a terrorist out to destroy our culture, religion, and way of life? What?! Love a “social inferior” who is quite likely to burgle our house, pee on our lawn ornaments, or reject our every effort to tidy them up? What?! Love those who dare to criticize the way we “have always done it” - well, they can just go back to where they came from! Shocking, ungrateful behavior!

Perhaps if those who “believe that they should have a say in the love lives of strangers” were to give up trying to regulate love and just become lovers …..

Brian+