Critical Thinking

I have become a critical thinker over the years but I remember my mother always saying "why didn't I have you first when I was younger, because you are always asking why and how." Beliefs are passed down from family, government, religion and other sources I'm probably not thinking of right now. I'm sure you've heard the story of cutting the butt off the ham. A family is gathered for dinner and the mother has cut off the butt of the ham to put it in the oven and her daughter asked her why she was cutting off the butt of the ham and she said, "Because Mom always cut it off" and grandma was there and the daughter asked her why did you cut off the butt of the ham and grandma said "because it wouldn't fit in my oven." Great example!

As I said in my last post, I have been going through some of my son's school books from college. I realized as I was reading one of the stories in his English book that I had taken someone else opinion of a person. The person is Martin Luther King, Jr. I vaguely remember hearing that he had communist views and I can't give you specifics but I had a negative view toward him. I ran across a story in the English book entitled "Letter from Birmingham Jail." He was in jail being arrested for a peaceful protest. His letter was addressed to the clergyman in his part of the country who had been criticizing him for his beliefs and position in the civil rights movement. It was a very moving and inspirational letter and once again I saw where I had been sucked into believing something that wasn't true. If I had been older when King was protesting for the civil rights of the black people I can assure you I would have been marching with him. I read nothing in the letter that would make me think he was a communist, in fact from reading his letter I could see why he was asassinated.

I am writing this to encourage you to think critically. Research things for yourself and know what you believe and why you believe it. I think if you will start to do that you will find out that things may be different than what you think.