Beliefs

Folks it has always been difficult for me to understand people who think that others should believe as they think, or suffer the consequences.

Awhile back 60 Minutes had a report on a group that believed in animal rights. They were so extreme that that they believed in burning buildings and even killing any person that used animals for medical experiments. Even though this research was being conducted in the hope of finding a method or cure for disease that caused the death of humans. I doubt if I would have believed this story if I had not seen and heard the reporter ask them directly if that was their belief. Their answer was a resounding, yes.

Now folks I am an animal lover and would not stand by and watch a person mistreat an animal. Any of us who would do this should be reprimanded and forced to stop. However to say they should be killed, seems to me, to not make any sense.

However we must be careful and not become so narrow minded as to believe others should think and believe as we do or suffer the consequences.

Folks, our country was not founded on that principle. Quite the contrary, we have the right to speak out when we believe something or somebody is wrong. We can act on our beliefs as long as we do not bring harm to others.

It is my belief that this is one of the reasons that has made the United States great. I remember a joke that was told around WW II. It went like this:

An American was talking with a German citizen and he said, "I can go to Washington D. C. and stand on the capital steps and say anything I want to about President Roosevelt."

The German replied, "Well, I can go to Berlin and stand on the capital steps and say anything about — President Roosevelt."

Folks, in many countries it depends on where you are and what you say that can get you in deep trouble.

So people have the right to protest the use of animals for experiments; but they certainly do not have the right to destroy their property or their lives! Or so I believe.

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