Coexist - Don't Believe the Lie.

Everyday I see many bummer sticker along the lines of: "Live and Let Live", "Coexist", "No Violence, Know Peace". Basically the old "Can't we all just get along." "The world would be so much nicer if we just let everyone mind their own business." " Why can't we love each other?" " Everything would be wonderful if we could just love one another." "We should value everyone differences." You've heard it all. It's all crap. Let me tell you why.

If you want people to love each other, respect each other, and treat everyone like a real person, you must educate them. You must change the fundamental way they think. You must convince them that all people are valued, or at least bring them to the point that everyone has a right to live.

This sound all good in principle, however once it really starts to impact someone life you will meet resistance. Wanting to Coexist is really just the tyranny of Conformity. Everyone we coexist when they are like me. There are some people that will refuse that action because they don't want to lose who they are or what they believe. Coexist means to change the way people act. If they don't change then you must. Are you willing to do that?

Imagine 10 hungry people in a room ordering pizza, but the room as a whole can only order one pizza with one topping. Everyone only get one slice, but the pizza can be as big as you want it, so everyone get enough to eat. Everyone in the room likes different types of pizza, and want his favorite topping. How do you solve the problem?

Coexist solution number #1: Everyone just orders plain cheese pizza. The pizza is cut into 10 slices and everyone take their piece and put their own topping they carried with them on their own slice. The lactose intolerant guy removes the cheese from his slice. Everyone is happy, but the pizza is not very good and the topping are cold. The group coexist, but everyone is sort of miserable.

Coexist solution number #2: The five pepperoni lovers meet with the two sausage lovers reach some compromise and order a Canadian Bacon pizza. The Meaty lovers are OK, but they still had to change their minds, so they are not completely happy. The three vegans are pissed, but one of them is not so hard core as to remove the meat and eat the pizza. This solution has millions of variation. the decision could have come about by voting, wheeling and dealing, or by lots. It doesn't matter. The group Coexists, but the level of happiness with each person is different. Some people had to change and still not get want they want. This is most like the reality of the western world. This is the problem with a democracy. This solution doesn't really please anyone, but it does spread the misarey around, but not in equal parts.

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I could you on and on about pizza example.... but I'm ranting.

Main Points

Coexistence means to change who you are.

How do you Coexist with someone or a group of someones who want you dead?

How Do you Coexist with someone who hates you? Do you ignore them? Is that really Coexistence?