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Greetings, my dear friends,
What a world we live in! What are we doing?
There are wars, large and small, all over the planet, and fist fights going on over a ball game at a local pub.
People march for peace, and then beat those who disagree with them over the head with their signs! Pleasant conversations turn to ugly confrontations with people who profess to be friends destroying one another with words in the heat of the moment.
Adlandpro has been a wonderful community of friends with people from all over the world enjoying meeting and sharing with one another, free from the constraints of distance and difference. It is a microcosm of what the world COULD be if people gave it a chance.
At this point in time, people with strong, personal opinions are lashing out at each other, rather than simply respecting different opinions while holding their own. We say we hate war, but we are killing each other with words! How can we ever expect the world to be a better place if a mere handful of us from around the world can't even get along?
It is absolutely preposterous to think that we would find such a diverse group in complete agreement with one another all the time, but we CAN respect one another, we CAN share our opinions openly, we CAN enjoy long-lasting friendships, even if we sometimes must agree to disagree.
There is a time-honoured way to voice your opinion without giving offence. Ask questions. It is better to help someone to see another angle to a situation by putting a question in their mind, than to try to force them to change their mind. Trying to force an opinion on another is a great way to start a battle, but a totally useless way to get a point across. As soon as an attack is made, the drawbridge is lifted, the gates are closed, and the weapons are set on the wall.
Don't attack someone else's beliefs! Beliefs are a most cherished possession. Your beliefs may be totally different, but that does not change the value another sets on his or her beliefs. You may question one another's beliefs without humiliation or hurt.
Don't attack someone else's country! One's own country is a source of personal pride and comfort for many, regardless of what anyone else thinks. You may question the policies and politics of a country without humiliation or hurt.
Don't attack someone else's intelligence. You did not make yourself; neither did they. You might find, if you are willing to take the time and give it some thought, that some people are far more intelligent than you first thought!
In a community like this, you have the opportunity to learn what people in other places believe, what they value, how they live, what they are afraid of, and most of all you have the opportunity to learn that they are PEOPLE with lives, feelings and struggles just like you. You have a rare opportunity to understand the values and lifestyles of people from all over the globe.
Give one another a chance to be human.
God bless,
Dave
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