By Wes Annac, Editor, Openhearted Rebel

This is a busy time for all the openhearted rebels out there, as plenty of issues in the world are demanding our attention and action.

Many of them can be traced to the corrupt elite and the institutions they use to reinforce control over the masses. For example: the elite uses the media to create division by inflaming people over unimportant issues they know we’ll take sides on.

The public then bickers and is successfully distracted from important things happening in the world.

By focusing on violence, rioting, and other sensational or emotionally charged issues, the media conditions us to accept ideological extremism. When we hear about the latest corruption scandal, racially charged police shooting, or equal rights issue in the public eye, we instinctively pick a side and defend our views.

No Hate

This brings me to my point: you can stand up against corruption and take a stance on world issues without hating those who represent the “enemy”. You can be in the middle. Whether it’s the elite or someone who disagrees with your viewpoint, hating your “enemy” achieves nothing.

This is one reason I take a moderate stance on most issues, including police brutality and misuse of power. People direct a lot of rage at police for upholding unjust laws set in place by the elite and, in some cases, getting away with murder or other crimes.

We should call out police corruption if we want the problem to end, but does this mean you should hate every police officer? In my opinion, no.

Hate is useless, and you should avoid the kind of hate that makes you stereotype everyone; the kind that makes you assume all cops, all kids in the streets, etc. are bad. Even if you hold some special hate in your heart for the most corrupt police out there, that’s no reason to hate them all.

This perspective is difficult to express publicly, because it borrows from both sides of the ideological spectrum.

On one hand, I agree that we should call out corrupt cops. On the other hand, I see nothing wrong with showing police officers the same basic respect I’d show anyone else. To some, this stance might seem too soft. But I have no grudge against police for what some in uniform have done.

The Woes of Being Moderate

YouTuber Lockstin has that people who are in the middle on issues like race, immigration, or police brutality are often attacked more than those with extreme views.

If you say one thing (like “many police are corrupt and should be brought to justice”), people will associate you with the ideology they think that viewpoint supports. In this case, they’ll think you’re anti-police.

If you then say something that doesn’t contradict your first statement but softens its impact (like “police still deserve basic human respect and they’re not all corrupt”), people might assume you’ve conformed to the opposite ideology.

In this case, they’ll think you’re 100% pro-police and blind to the realities of police brutality.

It’s difficult to be in the middle, and you won’t find many allies. Even if you agree on a lot of other things, people on both sides might reject you for thinking outside their box.

Even some “conscious” people are guilty of this. If a viewpoint doesn’t conform to their mindset, it’s unacceptable. This contradicts the life they claim to live, as a clear sign of true conscious living is the ability to keep an open mind.

It’s healthy to be open to different perspectives. In doing so, you widen your own perspective and help others with different views feel included.

Compassion Brings True Change

Being moderate and exposing corruption without hating the corrupt puts me in a gray area in which making friends is a challenge.

Nonetheless, this is my contribution to the struggle for freedom. I’ll help in any way I can, but I refuse to hate the enemy. By hating them, I’d only stoop to their level and become what I resist. Instead, I choose love.

Love is a revolutionary force we can use to light up this dark world. It inspires us to fight for what’s right and overcome oppression with an added element: compassion for all. Compassion will bring true change, and along with reason and levelheadedness, it’s exactly what the world is missing.

About the author: 

I’m a twenty-something writer & blogger with an interest in spirituality, revolution, music and the transformative creative force known as love. I run Openhearted Rebel, a daily news blog dedicated to igniting a revolution of love by raising social and spiritual awareness.

I also have a personal blog, Wes Annac’s Personal Blog, in which I share writings related to spiritual philosophy, creativity, heart consciousness and revolution (among other topics).

I write from the heart and try to share informative and enlightening reading material with the rest of the conscious community. When I’m not writing or exploring nature, I’m usually making music.

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