Where is the line? What principles are so ingrained in our DNA that betraying them would sound a death knell for the self?
If, for example, someone’s home is on fire and a loved one is trapped inside, should the victim stop the firefighter before entering and question him or her about their political beliefs, religion, ethnicity or gender of origin? Should the aid be declined if one or all of their answers are not to their liking? Most reasonable people would say no.
But what about in the absence of life or death scenarios or catastrophic property damage?
When seeking relief from a backed-up toilet, how important is it that the plumber voted for a Republican in the last election? Which comes first, a like-minded service provider or a fecal-free bathroom floor? Is a Red plunger more effective than a Blue one?
How often in our daily interactions with one another does it matter who the other person is? When checking out at the grocery store do we look for the line where the Christian clerk is scanning the products or do we make our decision based on length of line and how friendly the cashier appears? Does an atheist ask, “Would you like to buy a bag?” better than a Jew?
When the son-of-a-gun in the flashy Mercedes cuts us off on the freeway or takes up two parking spaces at the crowded mall are we incensed more because of their heritage? Or is the rage at maximum levels regardless of parentage, skin color or primary language?
If a kid at the park is crying and appears lost do we ask him first what part of the city he lives in before asking if he needs help?
When we wave the American flag, respectfully salute a funeral procession or remind ourselves to “support the troops” and “Blue Lives Matter” do we add the proviso “provided the dead soldier was not transgender or the cop was gay or lesbian because if they were, to hell with them.”?
What and where are our core beliefs and what are they based on — the labels we assign to ourselves and others or upon the actions that effect us directly?
While a Republican lawmaker will propose and support legislation that impacts her Democrat constituents are the differences between them so great that they are insurmountable?
More often than not lately it feels as though we look for reasons to separate ourselves from one another. To find reasons to dislike one another rather than to simply coexist.
Obviously beliefs and principles are shaped by life experiences, family and cultural backgrounds. But are they so set in concrete that they are permanently immovable, preventing us from ever working together? No one says we have to like one another. But if we want to survive, be it a house fire, a checkout line or a day in the life, we have to find ways to coexist.
