I’ve been working on this post for a few days … through several drafts … and trying to get it to express what I’ve been thinking for the past several months on this subject. Apparently I was just concerned that I might offend someone. Then it occurred to me that just as I can choose whether or not I’m going to be angry about something, I can just as easily choose whether or not I am offended by someone.

The catalyst was the events in Tucson last Saturday when a young man opened fire on a political event killing 6 people and wounding 14 others. I don’t know many of the details and there seem to be as many opinions as there are pundits, but I’m pretty sure it started with the shooter being offended.

Then a day or so later, a church announced that they would be picketing the funeral of a 9-year-old shooting victim, celebrating her death. I decided that I was offended by their actions.

That’s kind of the way it is. Someone else doesn’t make me angry … they only provide the context and it’s my decision to blow my stack. Someone else doesn’t offend me … they only provide the context and it’s my decision to be offended or not.

Then if I choose to be offended, I can then further decide what I’ll do about it.

It definitely begins … and ends … with me.