Dissent is a compliment to our values, not an abuse

A man saw his child’s conduct as disrespectful and inexcusable. He angrily called his child profane names, threatened and punished him..

Another man didn’t like his child’s conduct. However, he had always encouraged his children to think for themselves, and to tell him whenever they thought he was wrong or unfair.

Although disturbed by his child’s conduct, he realized his child was being the person he had taught him to be.and his behavior was honoring his father’s unique strength and maturity. His unique strength was not only his willingness to tolerate such conduct, but his ability to realize that his child’s behavior – also unique – was honoring his teachings and demonstrating the power of his values and beliefs.

He defined his child’s dissent as a compliment, not an abuse..

The Boston Tea Party, the writing of the United States Constitution, the Constitutional Convention and the formation of the United States of America were all acts of dissent.

Dissent is ingrained in American history, tradition, and identity. It is a unique privilege and responsibility which must be exercised to be kept alive and well. It tests and validates our unique strength.

This story was originally published October 1, 2017 at 7:48 AM with the headline "Dissent is a compliment to our values, not an abuse."