In the light of the terrorist attack on Paris this week I really feel the need to say this.
The attack upon Paris left 129 dead and hundreds wounded. I don't care who did it. Whatever the political/religious leanings were that brought them to this point, it was immoral and it was wrong.
It was just as immoral and just as wrong when, in April terrorists attacked a University in Kenya and left 147 dead and at least 79 wounded. Again, I don't care which organisation was responsible, it cannot be argued from any direction that this was morally right.
I have not named the group who has claimed responsibility for these attacks and others on purpose. They have had sufficient publicity with out me adding to it.
Which leads me my next point. I am proud to say that my friends have always come from different backgrounds than my own. I don't care what their religion is, or what their skin colour is. I. Don't. Care. As long as we have shared interests and a common ground upon which to meet and discuss, anything really, I find the rest irrelevant.
Which also means I do not, cannot, offend easily.
However. I can not tolerate bigotry or sectarianism, racism or xenophobia. I don't care who says it. It is not productive nor will it move us as people forward. The lack of tolerance of others in the world today is of serious concern, Whilst we may not agree with the worldview of others, attempting to change it by force or violence will never, and has never succeeded.
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"In the evolution of civilization, if it is to survive, all men can not fail eventually to adopt his belief that the process of mass application of force to resolve contentious issues is fundamentally not only wrong but contains within itself the germs of self-destruction. Gandhiji, however, was one of those prophets who lived far ahead of the times."