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Essay: "Taking a Stand"

by Silent Dale Wortham
The idea of taking a stand conjures up many thoughts from years gone by. People take a stand on many issues like war and human rights, abortion, civil rights, women's equality, the draft, underage drinking, drinking and driving, elderly rights, environmental issues, religious views, political agendas, terrorism, animal rights and countless others. General George Armstrong Custard took a stand against the Indians and it was his 'Last Stand.' During these "Take a Stand" times reveals peoples high moral beliefs when they surface creating a lot of emotionalism.

These are also times of courage and strength and loyalty because people go to great length most of the time to make known their point of view. People assemble and protest even get arrested voicing their beliefs. They spend time on the phone or on the computer. They write to politicians or boycott products. Often people feel so strongly about something they are prepared to physically defend their position if need be even if they are wrong. I had thought at one point that the Terri Shivo feeding tube issue would get physical- that was a black-eye to humanity a very sad time for all. We treat animals better than we do human beings and unborn children. Shame, Shame, oh yes I am a right to life stand taking kind of guy.

I have high beliefs against people who batter women, abuse children or the elderly or take advantage of the disadvantaged or ignorant.

Being incarcerated most of the my adult life I've seen the criminal element exercise some of their high moral beliefs like : Cut off their tongue and flush it down the toilet so not to snitch on someone. Stab a man to death ever changing the television program without a majority vote to do so. Rape another man because they could easily overpower the smaller man. The spiral downward in to the abyss of immoral ideals and negative action when they truly think they are living righteously. Steal, lie, or cheat to gain a position they feel noble. Countless violent beatings and stabbings over nothing. A couple of examples are beatings over 50 cents or the simple fact someone looked oddly at another man.

Many of us realize that a lot of what we learned early on in life was learned in error. So we take the stand to do the things necessary to counter the violence. We attend substance abuse programs or spiritual activities and educational programs too change our mindset and move away from the criminal lifestyle. Only on rare occasions have I seen these people return to change our paradigm and our old belief system as we develop honest high moral beliefs. Then we actually become someone that society can benefit from since we are released back into the mainstream life.

We take a stand believing we deserve more in life than a prison cell and insanity, which dwells in this place. And we what ever is necessary to make change true and complete. We turn selfishness into selflessness, meeting the needs of others with little or no regard for their own needs. We go from hate to love, a tough transition of which I am well aware. We learn that through our weaknesses we are made strong and it's in professing them that we find meekness which means strength under control.

I just came from a worship service. I listened to a man who was clean cut maybe a college graduate who had kept his name good and done well in life. Come to find out he used to be a street kid. His folks kicked him out of the house and his brother became an IV drug user and almost died, he was in and out of jail and finally came to prison. In 1977 he gave his life to the Lord, the Lord then restored all the years he had lost by giving him a wife, children, and a successful construction business. He's been free for 24 years. Ya, he took a stand.

And so I too take a stand and say if living for the Lord is wrong, I want a whole bunch more of it. Even if I'm the last man standing, for me and my house we shall serve the lord. Because taking this stand is for me above all other stands and its one that will last through eternity. May God richly bless you.

Silent Dale Wortham