Southern Way

Now I'll admit, I get sucked into blog comments resulting from ridiculous reports on obscure topics. 

In this case, the Red Hot Chili Peppers suing a TV show for using Californication. 

Well, I promised myself not to get into the competing salvos of traded insults. 

Suffice to say I was reminded why I cringe at posting any comments on some topics.  Opinions are expression of personal freedom. We don't have to meet any litmus test for being right in order to have one. I’ll reserve the condition of well thought out opinion as an ultimate goal. Instead acquiesce to the more common practice of an opinion not having to be logical, or even reasonable; never mind acceptable to other people. I will utter instead whispered private Thank Heavens. 

I've discovered that in the South, the culture is more sublime; they've learned to deal with outright stupidity and still be polite. 

"Bless their hearts" covers a host of missteps.  

Seems so superior to being threatened to beatings, told your sexual preferences are suspect, or that your hygiene demands ridicule. Today, tolerance has taken an all time back seat to outrage. As it appears not to be about any belief that really needs any sort of defending. Now that I've mentioned it, seem in fact, the more obtuse a topic can be; the more I read outrageous claims of some sort of affront. 

I've committed way more time to this then my initial reaction. I know I've other pressing matters that do indeed require my full attention.  I recall a wise old platitude that said our concerns were like an archery target.  The different colored rings really didn’t matter as much as the bulls-eye; the silver-dollar-size red circle.  THAT represented what we could affect, what was in our power to control and make a difference.  The rest of the target was just degrees of concern, but actually we didn’t have any power to influence.  I found that reference profound, knowing as I do, how difficult it is to hit a bulls-eye.  So for all the effort at spending precious time (arrows in this case) at arguing where they hit, what mattered was only those that hit the bulls-eye.  Everything else is just missing the mark. Which just so happens to be a term we’re all familiar with as well

‘sin’.

For whatever prompts a complaint, I suspect it's an effort to control an otherwise out of control situation.  So I’m most prone these days towards responding to such behavior with a well worn southern way.

Bless their heart