To the Journal editor:

You may remember a Walt Disney movie called “Bambi.” It was a cartoon film about a deer which ascribed human characteristics to an animal. The deer could talk and had feelings. It was a cute movie intended to touch your heart.

Today, we have movies which also ascribe human characteristics to non human entities. For example in the movie “Wall Street” we see business as an evil entity with designs on taking your money. I guess it’s easier to despise or love a non-human entity.

We seem to have taken this a step further. Our politics has evolved into a love/hate relationship with political parties. Either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party are evil entities. Our media is constantly putting one or the other in the evil category.

Worse are the politicians playing identity politics and ascribing the opposing party as an evil entity. If we step back and observe the discourse between the parties objectively we see the inhumanity of it all.

We seem to have lost the human characteristics of integrity, responsibility, genuineness, and respecting opposing views. Consider the recent activities taking place on our college campuses.

Demonstrations and rioting because a speakers views might offend our sensibilities. We have given up self reflection to simply agreeing with the crowd of choice. Group think has taken over our ability to think for ourselves.

It’s time to stop. “Bambi” and “Wall Street” are just movies. It’s time to look at one another with a new paradigm. It’s time to encourage self reflection, respect for others, dialogue not monologue. It’s time to show love for one another even when it’s not being shown to us. It’s time to understand that Democrat, Republican, liberal or conservative are just labels.

It’s time to step back, take a deep breath and stop being fearful of entities that are not human. It’s time to take a stand for humanity by being an individual. What say you?

God loves you, and so do I.

Gary Symons

Sagola