The dispute between Chick-fil-a and mayor Rahm Emanuel made me think of the catchy tune "Everybody wants to Rule the World" You may ask "why?"

     Listening to how people, including myself, react to those they disagree with makes me think that there is a part of us that wants the world to be "the way I want it." "The way I want it" may be agreeable to most people and therefore it is uncontroversial or it may be disagreeable to many people and therefore controversial.

     If a Mcdonald's have an employee who is developmentally disabled and some customers insult that employee, what should the manager do. The manager may kick those customers out based on the statement in the restaurant that says "McDonald's reserves the right to refuse service to anybody". This rule may be agreeable to most of us when it is applied to this situation. However, imagine if they use this rule against homosexuals, for example. McDonald's action would probably become controversial and disagreeable.

      Why am I writing about this? I am trying to say that our right to shape our world the way we want is a double edged sword- it can bring us "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". If we want to stand by that right, we need to let go of our passion to shape our world as we would like, and our intolerance for any "imperfections" in our world. The truth is, the same passion to shape our world militates against the passion to protect rights. I am writing as an appeal to take it easy on controlling others, if we want ourselves to be respected. It does not work well in the family and it does not work well in society.