by Adam Churchill

Created on: May 03, 2008

To some people being polite, and using 'little white lies' is considered important.

To some people speaking the truth in an unoffensive way is considered important.

I learned, not too long ago, that any version of lie gets someone into trouble, somewhere down the line.

I also learned that being 'unoffensive' towards others led me to simply stop expressing who I am, because my opinions, once sugar-coated, were horribly smashed, brutalized, raped, pillaged, and in one case, used as a reason to show I might be 'mentally unstable'.

And as I was having an argument with my psychiatrist, it came out. I simply stopped sugar-coating my beliefs, and came right out, and used every fact in the book to counter his arguments, and shatter them.

And then, he smiled, laughed, and simply said "Good. That's exactly what I want you to do."

As it turns out, hiding my opinions, and parts of who I was, to appear 'unoffensive' to a select few people meant that many people who would later come to value the simplistic, and often brutal way, I have of describing people, or their' points of view, would be offended.

So I came to this very very simple realization. My friends need me to be brash, and to the point, because that's the kind of advice they want from me. When it comes to defending, or offending, a point of view, being delicate may mean having your' point ignored.

And while I'm at work, I normally do my darnedest to keep my tongue in check, not to mention my sarcasm, when I'm not in uniform, watch out, because I don't hold back.

Alot of people would argue, that because of this, I have no use for the above mentioned sarcasm.

While that may be true, Sarcasm is probably the simplest method to relay my opinion to some people, because they can't quite grasp it. And most people understand that Sarcasm is an art-form. It's not something that everyone can use, and I have to admit, I'm rather well versed in it.

Sarcasm is also my primary source of humor, because it allows me to make a joke by insulting a point of view, that many would likely know that I don't like.

For example, my stance on Religious Freedoms allowing people to evade the law, is well known, and my sarcastic jokes about certain types of people who come to this country, and complain that they are being 'discriminated against', because a rule, such as a helmet, for example, which saves LIVES, violates some religious taboo or another.

While my stance on this subject is rather... well... let's leave it at "Offensive", because while most people I meet through the course of the day agree with me, they wouldn't have the gall to actually say so.

And this is the point I am trying to make. Most people are too busy being "Politically Correct", or worrying about "Offending" someone, that they simply lose who they are, and their' point of view behind this mask, facade, or whatever you want to call it.

So the next time, you are given the choice, when someone asks for your' opinion on something, grow up, and tell them to do the same, because holding back isn't helping.

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