Thoughts for the night: I have friends that have been making comments that Islam is the problem; we should get rid of it worldwide. I also have friends that believe that it’s appropriate to trash talk Michael Sam because he’s gay instead of giving him the usual trash talk that all NFL players are destined to receive. I have friends that post inappropriate things on a daily basis, and I’m sure that many question why these people are my friends. The answer is simple. Whether you are religious or not, I’m sure everyone will understand the expression “love the sinner, hate the sin.” Until people treat me badly, I’m going to continue supporting them in their desire to live a fulfilling life. Once you treat me badly, I will likely forgive you if you demonstrate your remorse for those actions. We all need to remember that none of us is as strong as all of us. Thanks to a popular country song right now, many of us are reflecting on the fact that it takes all kinds of kinds in order for this world to exist with so many people. Are there people in the world that do bad things? Of course there are. Are there ways to prevent those things from happening? It’s possible. Will we continue advancing as a civilization if we are closed-minded? Definitely not. The idea that we should eliminate one type of religion in order to fix our problems is not part of the framework on which our nation was built. Gay bashing does not reflect the values of any religion that believes you should be kind to one another. Radical extremists do not define any belief structure except for their own. Hate is simply not the answer. That’s quite the statement I just wrote considering that, nine times out of ten, I hate myself. How about we all make a deal? I’ll be more tolerant of myself and all of you try to be more tolerant of each other. Of course, there have been a lot of people making comments today about the tragic events of 9/11. There is just so much that can be said about what happened that day. I think President Bartlett said it best: A hero is willing to die for his country, but he’d much rather live for it. Here’s to all of those that I am proud to serve beside as a first responder. I’d walk through fire with you… literally.