Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2020 22:17:46 -0500
From: Mark Stinson
Subject: Blessed are the peacemakers
I am sure you have heard the statement ( Blessed are the peacemakers ) before . Many feel its directed at law enforcement or the military when in fact its directed at all of us . Any time you take an unpopular stand to make peace you are a peacemaker . There is an art and gift to being a peacemaker when the world around us is predisposed to arguments , conflicts and war . It would be easy to pick a side and fire up the insults and jump right into the conflict throwing gas on the fire just to watch it burn . I saw this clearly with people on the far left and far right arguing over a 100 year old monument that never moved an inch from where it was in silence till it was snatched down . The threats have flown from both sides . Both sides claim they want a peaceful solution but have lawyers directing them as to how far they can bend and abuse the law to get the outcome they want .. I saw more hate from both sides than I have ever seen in this county in my 55 years .
We all tend to pick sides and sometimes we run into those who straddle a fence trying to appease both sides but in reality they just throw more gas on the fire . I have felt that fire and anger and it’s a powerful force to deal with when you feel your voice is not heard . I locked the Chatham County NC community’s statue arguments down during December to push folks towards thinking of family and joyous holiday activities . I caught hell from both sides . The pro monument and anti monument far right and left nailed me with insults . I always despised those who were two faced and straddled a fence to keep themselves blissfully neutral to benefit from both sides . These people are self serving with no interest to resolve the fight at hand . Its like an arms dealer pushing for a peace treaty ,it’s not going to happen . I had hoped to find a way to promote some kind of constructive dialogue between the two sides . I had hoped to at least bring some peace to a not so peaceful situation . I failed . I have made mistakes and I must do better .
It left me wondering if I was one of those fence straddlers because I wouldn’t swing far right or far left . Where do I stand ? I have a good friend who is a devoted father and husband . He works hard at several jobs and has taken in children from others who were nothing more than a sperm donor with no inclination as to how to properly be a parent . My friend is someone I have always looked up to and always will . I think he’s one of the most peaceful minded people I have ever known . I asked him am I a racist because I think a monument is just a piece of history . His response was no , it is history and once it’s gone our kids won’t know part of the story of how we got to be where we are now . Your issue is you don’t stand on either side of their argument but somewhere else . I replied so I’m straddling the fence ? His reply was no you represent a totally different point of view . His opinion mattered because he is my friend , not just because he is black .
I want to find peace what ever way possible and stand my ground on my belief that the only way to find peace is through compromise and conversation. If you need lawyers to force your agenda by taking with no giving your not looking for peace but control . I stand on my belief that Chatham will remain divided until we remove the four divisive commissioners from office that have had a history of handling things very badly to fit their agenda . They are part of why this county is split down the middle and why being a peacemaker will become more and more difficult in the future . The ( Its our way or the highway mentality ) of both the far left and far right that have brought us to this point of no compromise or compassion for one another .
I won’t allow my FB group to swing far extreme right or far extreme left or I will close it down . I don’t know if I can be a peacemaker . I want to be . I want to do better . I don’t know if I could ever make a difference in this county but I truly wish I could . I may not like what you say but if you talk to me , I will respect you for it . If anything comes from my post or efforts in this chatlist or my group I want it to be that people once again learn to talk to each other instead of at each other .. One last thing to ponder on , as opposite as Virginia P and I are we can have civil conversations where we talk to each other . We don’t see eye to eye on a great many things but we crossed the bridge where we talk to each other instead of at each other . I value that and I consider it real progress . There is a huge difference in being a progressive and making real progress . I still think there is a future out there where Chatham can be a happy united diverse community again . Try to be a peacemaker , talk to people , not at them . Goodnite Mark