Living in Canada for over a quarter of a century, I have often been stunned by our society's sense of entitlement and complete apathy toward the idea that our way of life is fragile. We talk about but, don't really mean it when we recall the sacrifices made in fighting for the ability to speak freely, argue with our leaders, wear what we want, love whom we want, and do what we want.
On the other hand, there is a rising tide of religious extremism. Growing up we are often told that we can be anything we want as long as we believe in ourselves. Again, I say we don't mean it. Western society is big on words that don't mean much.
Religious extremists are the alpha dogs of meaning what they say and doing what they are taught. They sacrifice their lives and their children for their ideals. They value dogma over life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.
Climate change is top of mind as a massive threat to our quality of life and ability to exist. Well, so is religious extremism. So, here is another "inconvenient Truth": If we continue to try to negotiate with people for whom compromise is incomprehensible we'll be better off if the oceans did over heat and all the glaciers melted.
