Folks that know me well shouldn't be surprised by anything I've written below. Folks that don't know me that well may find some surprises here. I'm not really looking to debate any of this but wanted to put some perspective on why I may post some of the things I post on social media.
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I am not a lot of things.
I am not Black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Arabic, Mediterranean, American Indian, Pacific Islander, Aboriginal, Romani, or most of the other racial/ethnic groups people may consider themselves to be a part of. I am not an immigrant. I've got close friends and family who ARE immigrants or 2nd/3rd generation Americans but my DNA says I'm just a white guy whose ancestors came from Scandinavia and the British Isles a long time ago. I long for a day that these differences are just descriptors of who we are and where our families came from. A day that no one will be marginalized or discriminated against because they look different, or their culture is different, or they were born somewhere else.
I am not Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Christian, or any of the other myriad religions that are practiced around the world. I'm not sure there is a simple way to describe how I view my place in the cosmos and I gave up trying to define it a long time ago. For now I try to follow Wheaton's Law, "Thou shalt not be a dick". Believe what you will but I'll have a real problem with you if you use your faith to justify prejudice, bigotry, misogyny or try to force your beliefs on others through legislation. Go back and read Wheaton's Law again ...
I am not a member of the LGBTQIA+ community but I know and love more of them than I can count. I long for the day that their right to exist safely in the world is fully embraced, accepted and no longer questioned. See comment above about forcing "your beliefs on others through legislation" then go back and read Wheaton's Law again ...
I am not female by anyone's definition of the term. Regardless of this, I believe that there is no acceptable reason that a woman shouldn't have complete control over what happens with her body. The Equal Rights Amendment needs to be revisited and passed. See comment above about misogyny and forcing "your beliefs on others through legislation" then go back and read Wheaton's Law again ...
I am not physically or developmentally disabled but my eyesight qualifies as a sensory disability. In my life I've met people who have had amputations, people who have had spinal injuries and are in a wheelchair, people who were born with conditions that require adaptive technology, people with Down's Syndrome, people that were born blind or became blind later in life, and people who were born deaf or lost part/all of their hearing later in life. I fully support the American Disabilities Act and other efforts to make it possible for people with disabilities to fully participate in the world around us, to be able to live independently and have economic self-sufficiency. I can get glasses ... someone who needs adaptive technology to interact with the world needs more than just the tech. They need access to an environment that doesn't hamper their use of it as well. Able-ism is still a real problem and is an area that I have had to work on. What about you? Go back and read Wheaton's Law again ...
I am not Neurodivergent that I am aware of. I know people who are though, people that have Autism, or ADD/ADHD, or Dyslexia, or are OCD. There are other things that fall under the umbrella of Neurodiversity but I'm not aware if I've met anyone who has Tourette's or Synesthesia for instance. The group I've had the most interaction with are autistic children and they have heavily influenced how I work when I put on that red Santa suit. Making an interaction with a child easier for them can simply be a matter of talking softer, moving slower, taking off loud bells, or keeping your distance. For the most part you can't distinguish someone who is neurotypical from someone who is neurodivergent just by looking at them. What we can do is be aware of how being neurodivergent can affect someone and be willing to make accommodations in our behavior around them if or when we are asked to do so. Go back and read Wheaton's Law again ...
I am not a socialist (by the strict definition of "socialism" per the Merriam-Webster dictionary) but I believe that social programs like free public education, medicaid, medicare, social security, food stamps, school meals, unemployment insurance, emergency food & shelter programs, and the like should be available to any person in the US that needs it. I support medicare for all - I don't have a problem with paying for my healthcare with my taxes (instead of completely out of my pocket or subsidized by my employer) if that means that the poorest among us can also receive medical care. Oh, yeah, go back and read Wheaton's Law again ...
I'm not a proponent of "redistributing wealth" whatever the hell that means, but I do feel that everyone should pay their fair share of the public burden. Yes, Warren Buffet and the like would pay a hell of a lot more than I do but the percentage of their "income" being collected should be similar to the percentage I have to pay. Similarly I'll pay significantly more than a person working in retail or the fast food industry but the percentage they are paying should likewise be similar to what I and the wealthy have to pay.
I am not politically or economically conservative. There are parts of every party's agenda that I disagree with to one extent or another but in our current winner takes all election environment I will always vote blue which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that has read this far. I would love for the United States to move to Ranked Choice Voting for all elections. Only then would I feel that a third party candidate could have a chance at actually winning their election. We'd finally be able to vote for the candidate that best lines up with our ideals regardless of what party they are registered under and then indicate who our 2nd and 3rd choices would be. If it helps keep those candidates I didn't include out of office I'd be okay with that.
I am not a lawyer or a judge. In order to become a lawyer you need to pass certain hurdles such as the bar exam. I feel that there should be similar qualifications for becoming a judge. For instance, if you've never tried or defended a case as a lawyer I feel that you should not be able to become a judge. How could you be qualified to adjudicate the process if you've never been part of that process? I also feel that a judge should have additional qualifications before they can be raised to a District Court or Appellate Court. See where I'm going with this? Supreme Court justices whether at the State or Federal level should be among the most qualified people in the legal field. If there are any questions about their qualifications for the position they shouldn't be considered.
I'm not a sports fan and for the most part don't know which teams play which sports. I'll tune in to the Olympics once in awhile if I remember they are happening. I like the Bengals because they have cool helmets. None of this makes me want to change the mind of folks who love sports.
One last thing:
I hold a security clearance and had to meet stringent background check requirements to receive it. Without it I wouldn't be able to have the job I do. I would feel safer in our world if candidates for the Senate, the House of Representatives, President, Vice-President, and the President's Cabinet all had to pass the same background checks that I did before they can be considered a viable candidate for the position they want to run for. If you fail the checks you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near that position of confidence.
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Still with me? My outlook on life is probably different than yours in some ways, large or small. We may have to agree to disagree on some things. I'm okay with that. Hopefully you are still interested in being a part of my world. If you only remember one thing from all of this, may it be, "Thou shalt not be a dick".