The Golden Rule

"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."

There are many principles that we should live by; but the Golden Rule should be high on the list.

Why has this rule been so easy to ignore? Why is it when people leave their place of worship, they often leave what they heard behind? It’s a question for the ages.

Two recent occurrences are good examples. One is building a Mosque near ground zero in New York City and the other is the right to protest near a Military Funeral. In both cases, our Constitution, Bill of Rights and Amendments seem to allow both of these activities to take place. Our Founding Fathers wanted us to be able to express ourselves without Government’s intervention. That’s a good thing. One must also believe that our Founding Fathers expected us to use those privileges with a sense of common decency.

It’s hard to imagine that disrupting the family and friends, burying a loved one who gave his life for our country, is how they expected their good intention to be used. Our Founding Fathers might have believed that a reasonable man, when given a choice as to where to build a Mosque, would choose a place so as not to offend local citizens.

Yes, we should be thankful that we live in a country that affords us rights that are not found throughout the world. But, yes, we should use common sense, common decency and restraint when exercising those rights. We should take into consideration those around us when we initiate an action. We should weigh our right versus the anguish that may be caused.

See excerpts form my book: Essays from a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286544082&sr=1-1