There are two sides to every sword.....

Darned if you do and darned if you don't.....  The classic "double standard" statement.

Ever notice even the smallest of achievements having repercussions?  Not everyone thinks the same, not everyone believes in the same thing, and even more obviously.....  No person can truly stand by their statement with 100% conviction.  It is all about angles in how a person looks at something.

I have seen and even heard contradictory things lately... and I can even agree that my previous beliefs over some things have what I call, "a gray area".  While there are a select few that see things as "black or white", there is a very large "gray" area that brings to light the truth behind the "double standard".

Here are a some examples of what I mean....

*  As people discuss the increase of violence created by children via gangs or criminal tendencies out of boredom (yes, I am mentioning about previous acts of vandalism at my home when it came to my Christmas Decorations being destroyed and/or stolen a while back).  While most parents (and others I have heard from), state that it is the parent should be held accountable for their child's bad behavior because they should have control over their children.  Well, then when is it the child's fault if they are the ones given the freedom to do as they choose because their parents have to work and cannot focus 100% on them?  If a parent has to work, they cannot fully focus on their job and their child at the same time.  Double standard...  work and leave your child to their own devises or stay home and continue to teach your children right from wrong.  Either way, someone will tell you that you are wrong.

*  Politics:  something everyone is aware of, but is angered by.  After a marathon of automated calls from the candidates running for office, the long-winded and automated message over property taxes getting out of control, and even those automated calls that have no political undertones (you know, saving interest on your credit card bill, saving on your electric bill, etc.) have me on the verge of yanking my home phone out of the wall.  The ones that seem to have more prevalence to the double standard are the ones that scream politics and politicians....  "Vote for this guy and not that guy", "did you know that this guy voted against something we needed?", "did you know that this guy voted for something we did not need?", and the most recent one (since I had to stop typing to answer the phone... "Did you know that this candidate wants you to ignore his past 20 years in politics..." (I hung up after hearing that one).  Really, has there ever been one politician that has been running for office ever really offered something of a solution compared to the ridiculous bashing of their competition?  I have not heard one thing from any candidate or potential candidate that offers facts about themselves that is pertinent to deciding if they are remotely qualified for the job?  While everyone came from somewhere and did something in their lives... hearing that they grew up poor, or struggled to become successful means absolutely nothing when it comes to relating to people.  People change, their agendas change, their abilities differ....  Even what they voted for or against has no explanation to why.  Show me the compelling reasons behind their actions and I might feel a little favoritism...  spew out half-truths and you lost my attention.  If lets say, a presidential candidate voted for abortion rights and is personally against it....  wouldn't it be more compelling to know why they voted like they did?  Did they just act like a lemming and followed suit to what was popular?  Did they agree on some compelling part of the argument like pregnancy through molestation or rape being a valid reason to abort?  What makes them decide to choose is what I would want to know. That is more compelling than labeling a person a hypocrite for their choices or a bad person for the job if they do not necessarily agree with your thoughts 100%.  People have to realize that there is more to that job than we think.  That one person decides for the masses and not just you.  While we would tend to believe that we all agree on things, there will always be a different view that offers the opportunity to change your mind.

*  Arguing over beliefs.  Expanding a little more on the topic of abortion, if you do not mind....  While I teeter on the fence over abortion, I have some beliefs that put me in that position and will probably never fully agree on one side of the fence over the other.  Here is where I agree:  I believe that it is the choice of the woman, but the reason needs to be valid... such as rape, incest and molestation.  If a woman chooses because their actions would cramp their lifestyle (aka a form of birth control)...  then I am against it.  If you choose to have unprotected sex, you are already fully aware of the risks involved.  Now, when it comes to risks to one's life or the unborn child's....  That should be the choice of the potential mother and father.  While I do see that life begins in the womb, it is about the life that comes from it and the commitment of care that can be offered.  Not everyone is perfect, but it does take a very special person to commit to the life of a special needs child and they should be given the chance for survival.  There are plenty of people that are willing to adopt and that option should be highlighted if a potential mother feels that they are capable to raise a child.  As you can see...  I cannot commit to agreeing or disagreeing with the choice a person should be entitled to make, but there are some parameters that create compelling arguments.  Those compelling arguments create the double standard when perceptions cannot be completely related.

So....  long story short....  There will always be a double standard.  No longer are the perceptions of "black or white" as long as there are gray areas that can change the result.  Not one thing can be 100% one way or the other.  If that was the case.....  nobody learns and nobody truly understands.

Thanks for reading.  Have a great day everyone!