z Let’s say you are a rabid Colts fan and someone comes up to you and says ‘Go Cowboys’ are you offended? Should the wearing of ‘Raiders’ designs be limited to just within the city limits of Oakland?
What if you see someone wearing a T-shirt with the campaign slogan of a candidate you do not believe in? Should they be more ‘sensitive to your beliefs’ and cover themselves up?
Yeah, all that sounds damn silly.
I can’t figure out how ‘offended’ comes into the discussion about saying “Merry Christmas” to someone that may follow a non-Christian faith or may consider themselves atheistic or agnostic.
In my dictionary there are a multitude of words for describing how I feel about things. In addition to ‘offended’ I find ‘disagree.’ I can disagree with something without being offended.
I am offended by people who are completely self-absorbed ajnd think THEIR beliefs are important than mine.
I am offended by people who think because THEY believe one thing and somebody else believes differently and the other person should not be allowed to express their belief.
I am offended by people who burst into a stranger’s home and shoot the occupants dead without a moment’s hesitation just to steal their TV and a couple of dollars.
I am offended by politicians who are only interested in what benefits themselves with no regard for the constituents who elected them.
I am offended by financial planners who elicit the trust of clients and steal their life savings to buy an absurdly-enormous home and dozens of expensive classic cars.
I am offended by people who say ‘God is great!’ and then blow themselves up, alng with 50 other people around them, who were just trying to buy food to feed their family.
I am offended by that number at upper right that is approaching 100 this year and has gone well past that figure every year for at least the past 10.
I am NOT offended by someone who greets me with a smile and a phrase that, to them, represents an expression of cheer, kindness, and good will.
I don’t think that the 1 in a 1000 person who claims to be offended if I say ‘Merry Christmas’ to them really is.
Feel free to disagree with me for my choice of greeting, but don’t try to pretend you are offended. That offends me.
