Casey is scrolling through social media after a long day. She sees headlines from the big story of the day as well as seemingly endless related shared posts, comments, and memes. Some are celebrating something awful and others are brutally belittling secondary characters. 

There is nearly zero information available, but it seems like everyone has an opinion and wants to fight about it. 

In a moment of weakness after reading a nasty note and amplified by her rough day, Casey clicks in and fires back. It’s an artfully written put-down. 

She smugly posts and continues scrolling. Two hours later, long after her comment has reached hundreds of eyes, she regrets her decision. 

Jordan’s feed is similar to Casey’s. He sees the shares, the memes, and the comments. He recognizes chaos and fake bravery of keyboard warriors. He sees the clickbait, but he doesn’t bite. 

He sets his phone down, says a prayer for his friends, and goes to play with his kids. 

In a moment of wisdom and humility, Jordan chose not to add to the discord. He chose not to alienate friends. He chose that he preferred to talk with people face-to-face and not give in to a knee-jerk reaction which would only make him look like a jerk, not his target. 

Pushing his daughter on the swing, he has no regrets. His little girls gleeful screams and giggles are infinitely more valuable than a clever put-down of some stranger online. 

In this country, we speak about the First Amendment as if it exists in a vacuum. It certainly does protect our right to speak and worship freely. It protects our right to speak with logic and passion when we see wrongs. It protects our right to make complete fools of ourselves. And unfortunately, it also protects our right to rip apart communities. 

The concept of #Liberty does allow for great freedom, but Liberty is not License. Today, we misuse the word. We say “Liberty!” when we mean “License!”. Liberty has consequences and we all have the #responsibility to CHECK THE VALIDITY of what we say and how we say it. 

As we approach Christmas, are you dreading a conversation? Or are you itching to pick a fight with that family member who votes differently than you do? 

We suggest being a little light in your family. Proactively make peace. Decide to enjoy the time with family. 

Choose to find what brings you together rather than irritating the things which divide. 

Choose to be humble. 

Choose to write a story of peace and love. 

Choose to deserve the Liberty that you have. 

*** 

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