Editor's Note: Featured comments are the most thoughtful or eloquently stated comments from our Facebook page and crestviewbulletin.com and do not necessarily reflect the newspaper management's views.

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TOP COMMENT

School district's response raises more questions

SSTRIDE success does not reduce bullying.

Crestview and Choctaw's engineering programs may be "great" (as opposed to what, "exceptional"?) but what does that empty statement have to do with a kid getting beat up by another kid?

If my child's safety on the bus depends on Niceville's IT studies, I'm formally requesting the Chinese take over our infrastructure.

What does IT have to do with bullying?

International Baccalaureate at Choctaw — nothing to do with bullying.

CHOICE Institute may be filled with many "excellent" (like to know who made that assessment) certification programs, but I fail to see how that nebulous comment has anything to do with bullying.

You guys in the entire leadership of the Okaloosa school system need to wake up to the fact your schools exercise infringements on student rights and you need to quit avoiding the issue with the smoke and mirrors comments you cite as "proven results."

They don't "prove" anything … Especially not when a kid can't defend another kid getting the snot kicked out of him without suffering some penalty.

John Q. Baker

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Reality show may help find Kristy Jean Rogers

Go to the Facebook page for the reality show "Cold Justice." They will help solve this, but they have to be asked by law enforcement.

Misty Leigh Barnes

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2014's crime was more significant

At least this year is better than last year — with a shooting, a homicide, a justifiable homicide, a child abduction that involved a nationwide manhunt, (and) two police officers shot in the line of duty.

I remember wondering what was in the water in Crestview last year at this time! I guess it's perspective.

Y'all are lucky to have Chief Taylor. I wouldn't have done his job the past two years, or now, for twice what y'all pay him. Nothing is worse than trying to straighten out someone else's knot.

Loree Arrington

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City can do better than Mardi Gras

I (went) to Mardi Gras many years ago, and I saw nothing there that indicated any kind of family-oriented benefit, other than maybe throwing some candy from floats like any other parade. What I did see, though, was some of the worst drunken debauchery you could ever imagine.

It’s always about the mighty dollar and how it might benefit us financially. That’s what they said about the lottery and education, yet there is still never enough money to fund education.

That’s what they said about alcohol, and you can’t even count anymore the number of lives that have been lost through irresponsible drinking.

We’ve yet to see how the legalization of marijuana is going to adversely affect our society. I am expecting the worst, because it is a drug that makes one useless and irresponsible. We already have plenty of that to deal with, without people getting high every day.

If the city wants to create more for families to be involved with in the city of Crestview, they can do much, much better than bringing in Mardi Gras.

Chris Faircloth

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Supporting Mardi Gras in Crestview

•Yes, it would be great for (the) downtown area. Shirl Griffin Long

•Would love it. Bonnie Clary

•Yes, it needs to be done. Trish Fulton 

•Just do it. Ray Heath

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A future psychologist's view

We went to the theater to see "The Kingsmen" and saw the people standing in line for "50 Shades."

As a future psychologist, I was concerned at the amount of people who were standing in line to see it lol.

Melissa Kennedy-Shaffer

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No interest in the flick

Absolutely did not see it, nor do me and the hubby have any interest in such things… 

Anna Marie May

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HUBBUB: School district's response raises more questions, 2014 crimes more significant

Crestview's March 10 mayoral race is ramping up, and crime is a hot topic.

You see, the Hub City is experiencing an uptick in crime — or it's not, depending on whom you ask.

The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin metropolitan area ranks No. 8 on 24-Wall Street's "Cities Where Crime is Soaring" list.

The list — which The Huffington Post picked up — shows the metro's violent crime rate spiked 40.2 percent in five years, with 294.8 and 413.2 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2009 and 2013, respectively. The national violent crime rate in 2013 was just 367.9 per 100,000 people, according to the report.

Joining the Crestview metro on the list are Sioux Falls, S.D., No. 9; Madera-Chowchilla, Calif., 7;San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif., 6; Gadsden, Ala., 5; Longview, Wash., 4; Columbus, Ind., 3; Medford, Ore., 2; and Bismarck, N.D., 1.

Receiving such national attention added fuel to Crestview City Councilman Tom Gordon's campaign fire.

Gordon, who's running against incumbent David Cadle, alleged in a Monday news release that the mayor "is attempting to cover up" Crestview's perceived high crime rate.

Cadle has said the city's crime rate has dropped since Police Chief Tony Taylor joined the force in September of 2012 and the CPD's staff grew.

“In 2013, Chief Taylor’s first year in office, violent crime decreased 12.2 percent and overall crime decreased 13.1 percent, which is the last full year data are available," a recent news release from Cadle's office stated. "For the first six months of 2014, violent crime was down an additional 6 percent.”

Meanwhile, Taylor isn't saying too much about crime rates because of their implications on the mayoral race, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Personally, I think that's a smart move.  

Look, whenever studies on crime rate crop up, journalists report them in good faith, but they also consider that numbers can be interpreted numerous ways.

It's why the first sentence of a Jan. 13 News Bulletin report on this very topic stated, "Is Crestview a hotbed of crime or was data misinterpreted?" as opposed to declaring, outright, "Crestview is a hotbed of crime, according to data from the U.S. Department of Justice's Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics."

Still, I constantly listen to the scanner, and the past few weeks alone have involved a number of breaking news reports in the North Okaloosa area.

Currently, police are investigating a Monday robbery that occurred during lunch near Industrial Drive and the KFC restaurant along North Ferdon Boulevard.

North Okaloosa residents wept for an infant left in critical condition the last week of January after we reported on her child abuse and a man's subsequent arrest.

That same week, a Crestview man was charged with armed burglary and battery of a man after visiting an ex-girlfriend, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

And the CPD is investigating a string of Cabana Way area burglaries.

So, I believe anyone looking at those facts would agree that crime isn't where we all want it to be in the northern county.

It will be interesting to see how mayoral candidates Cadle, Gordon, Lanny Edwards and Jeremiah Hubbard will respond to the issue.

I'm particularly interested in hearing more from Edwards and Hubbard; Cadle's and Gordon's camps have been getting out their messaging to the media, so with less than one month to the election, I've been wondering about Edwards and Hubbards' campaign strategies.

But I digress.

Find out what all the candidates have to say during these forums:

•Nonpartisan, 6 p.m. Feb. 16, Warriors Hall, 201 Stillwell Blvd., Crestview. Written questions from the public will be accepted at the door before the event, and submitted to the forum moderator. Contact Mae. R. Coleman, 682-5518, for details.

•North Okaloosa Republican Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 17, American Legion Hall, 898 James Lee Blvd. E., Crestview. A question-and-answer session will follow.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: Politics aside, Crestview's crime rate needs improvement

Editor's Note: Featured comments are the most thoughtful or eloquently stated comments from our Facebook page and crestviewbulletin.com and do not necessarily reflect the newspaper management's views.

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TOP COMMENT: Zero tolerance policy 'shameful'

Bullies are catered to by "no tolerance," because they know you can't do anything about it unless you want to have district-level repercussions for yourself.

All this does is reward bullying and teach kids that stepping in and doing what's right is anything but.

Has anyone been on YouTube lately? It's full of cell phone footage of kids filmed being beaten up — because now we teach everyone to stand back and watch. Shameful!

Amber Nicole

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Intervening is legal

Anyone can intervene when a forcible felony is in progress. Kids beating each other at a bus stop is a forcible felony.

Any kid who intervenes is acting within the law.

Any kid who is witnessing bullying in progress does not have a duty to stand down or retreat.

The school cannot deny a child his or her rights to act to prevent a forcible felony.

Chuck Billy

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Why discourage helping others?

I remember, when I was in high school in Okaloosa County, a complete dirt bag kid and his girlfriend jumped another girl. They were kicking her in the head when another boy, a good kid, stepped in and kept it from going any further.

He kept her from being hurt, and he was suspended for it.

Unacceptable.

Why would you discourage someone from helping someone else in trouble? 

Thomas Elizabeth Van Dyke

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Some teachers don't care

My kid has been bullied from day one. Some of the teachers just do not care.

One of the teachers asked my son whether he wanted two kids who shoved him out of his chair to be sent to the office. The teacher should have done her job, but instead she left it up to my child.

Carol Sharp

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No-win situation for schools

As for schools not doing their job, it's difficult for them; if they condone a child retaliating, a parent will sue them. If they punish all parties involved, regardless of fault and instigation, a parent gets mad. It's a no-win situation for all involved.

Krissy Leslie

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Considering private school

I have taught my daughter to stand up to bullies, but, to tell you the truth, I'm looking into a private school that I can't afford because it's so bad.

Amanda Kay

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Not raising my child that way

From what I understood from the (school) board's policy … if someone is being beat, other kids are to just stand by and not help?

If it happens off school property and you run to tell an adult, the adult cannot step in. By the time authorities arrive, the child could be seriously injured or killed, and definitely scarred for life.

Sorry, but I'm not raising my child that way. She is taught to help anyone being bullied, run and get help if needed, and always report it. What she does to protect someone, I will back her 100 percent!

Rebecca Gardner

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Policy needs to go

Usually the bullying doesn't go on when the right people are around. I can't wrap my brain around this policy. It's been around a long time and it needs to go.

Thomas Elizabeth Van Dyke

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Teaching kids to take a beating

It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to teach our kids to take a beating, because, if you defend yourself, you are as guilty as the attacker!

Kristi Harms

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Impressed with Davidson administration

I have had three children at Davidson. I know no school is perfect, but this is not the norm at the school, in my experience. I am certain the administration will get to the bottom of this A.S.A.P.

…When we dealt with a similar issue, the administration got to the bottom of it the next day. I really have been impressed with their kindness.

Aimee Hodgson Gudinas

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Written in 1995?

“We have no future in this region if we don’t get that bottleneck (S.R. 85) taken care of."

For a moment, I thought I was reading an article from 1995. I sure seem to recall hearing those same words 20 years ago — and every year since!

Kurt Burgess

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Sewer line should spur development

Hopefully this might get some developers to build at this site, now that they don't have to upgrade the sewer system.

Julio Parkin

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Bank has odd location

It's amazing how many banks are in Crestview. I understand free market, but I'm not surprised that this bank finally failed. It seemed really out of place where it was built.

Jerry Lacefield

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Kids are 'not a harvest'

Extremely troubling: “'We’ve been watching Crestview for a long time because the harvest is plentiful here,' the Rev. Rurel Ausley, pastor of the Niceville campus, said.'" 

Since when is my child a harvest? My child is not a harvest; they are free to think openly. Putting a church campus next to a high school to better populate their church is shameful. This church has already devastated other businesses in the area, then decided to not build. 

Todd Lawrence

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Little Free Library is awesome

That's awesome. I first saw this on the Disney Junior channel and I love that someone has done it here in our community.

Melissa Scott Kronenwetter

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Kudos for Beautification Committee proposal

Implementing this committee will enhance the visual appeal of Crestview, which is always needed.

I applaud (Crestview City Councilwoman Robyn (Helt's) drive to change the norm. A visually appealing city will help draw more population and business.

Todd Lawrence

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Editor: Hitchhiker's angel?

What if you were her angel? The kind man, the thoughtful deed, the momentary friendship that gave her strength to continue on another day!

I am proud of you, Thomas! Thank you for being loving, even when it is so scary to do so.

JamesandMerilea McCullough

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HUBBUB: Not raising my child that way, bank has odd location

Often, the corporate world hears a buzzword it loves, adopts the term, and never lets go.

You've probably heard terms or expressions such as holistic, logistics, Come-to-Jesus moment, part of our DNA, and return on investment.

And you may have questioned how such expressions materialized. (Is the second coming of Christ occurring every day in boardrooms across America? Since when did brick-and-mortar gain DNA?)

The buzzword starts in the boardroom, filters down through management hierarchies and eventually enters the local workplace.

Through overuse, it enters public consciousness; soon, it seems like everyone speaks jargon. (Case in point: "multitasking.")  

However, when you hear these popular expressions — some of which we've all probably said at one point — have you thought of using literal alternatives?

It might amuse you to ponder the answer.

Conversely, serious concern should arise when a real word — like, say, bullying — loses its meaning.

Merriam-Webster states that bullying means:

•to frighten, hurt or threaten (a smaller or weaker person)

•to cause (someone) to do something by making threats or insults or by using force

Growing up, I always thought a bully preyed on younger or weaker kids. That was the bully's specialty to compensate for low self-esteem or lack of athletic ability or talent — whatever the case may be.

The Berenstain Bears children's books — which I collected religiously — taught my generation the same thing.

In "The Berenstain Bears and the Bully," Sister Bear comes home shaken and hurting. "Who in the world would want to beat up a sweet little cub like Sister?" Mama asks. "A bully might," Brother says. Readers soon learn about the new kid in school and that one fateful day that she crossed paths with Sister Bear.

You grow up thinking one thing, and then a Crestview dad raises concerns about an Okaloosa School District discipline policy that raises even more questions.

Like whether the word bully is becoming a buzzword and, like all those corporate-world examples, has lost any real meaning.

The Okaloosa School District defines bullying as "…systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees."

The policy states that bullying is "unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture, by a student or adult, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation…"

Suddenly, a student is not a bully without repeat offenses. (And why would you redefine such a widely accepted word — one established through not just the dictionary, but also countless art forms through generations? It's just confusing.)

Then there's the policy that students must sit on the sidelines while another student is — worst case scenario — beaten to a bloody pulp if no school employee is around. Or risk punishment.

My intention isn't to pile on the school system. After all, Niche, a company founded by Carnegie Mellon University students, recently gave Okaloosa an A minus grade based on surveys, district funding and student performance. That makes it one of the state's five best school systems.

But concerns about the school discipline policy show there's room for improvement.

Fortunately, the school board is open to suggestions, according to Henry Kelley, Okaloosa School District Community Affairs program director.

“We welcome them to come to the school board and address the board,” Kelley said in a Friday interview with our reporter, Brian Hughes. “If there are shortcomings in the system, help us work through those issues together. The school board exists for this reason.”

So there you have it, Mom and Dad. My suggestion is to take Kelley up on the school board's offer.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: Time for parents, school board to talk bullying

Editor's Note: Featured comments are the most thoughtful or eloquently stated comments from our Facebook page and crestviewbulletin.com and do not necessarily reflect the newspaper management's views.

What would Jesus do

Would Jesus stand on the streets, yelling all of the things that he didn't condone (or specifically perform, in this case) in order to get people to believe, or would he show people love and encouragement on their spiritual journey? 

Whitney Barrow

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'Go and sin no more'

Yes, Jesus showed love, but He never compromised the truth. He still called (people) out on their sin — because of His love.

Remember: Jesus always told them to go and sin no more.

Erica Mason

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Read the Bible

Common sense tells me if we all agreed with the gay agenda, then we would become extinct because we would not reproduce and we'd die off, which is exactly Satan's plan (to wipe out the Jews and the Christians).

It's nothing new — read the Bible. This has been going on for generations.

Kerry Wood

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Speech comes with consequences

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequence. If (Pastor White) is okay with the fact that his sign has most likely lost him patrons, potential patrons, and respect from some members of the community — and possibly caused his patrons to have lost respect from some of the community — then keep on keeping on.

Kat Welty

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Sign preaches inequality

More intolerance and letting religious views stop equality.

Robert Rohlfing

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Gay marriage violates Constitution In the specific case of gay marriage, we have federal government (in this case, a federal judge) that is ruling on something that is not — not — within his constitutional purview.

Please read your Constitution, specifically the 9th and 10th Amendments. Remember, marriage certificates are issued by states (they are not federally issued certificates) because we didn’t give that power to the federal government, which means we and the states have that power.

Because of that, it is clear that this ruling is illegal and not — not — to be followed.

Rob English

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Municipal elections get little attention

I find it amusing how we're all up in arms over what a church posted (versus) who's running this town!

Jon Bell

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Just make flights affordable

I just wish we could fly in and out of here at affordable prices. I don't care if they call (Northwest Florida Regional Airport) the airfield. If prices aren't great, then who cares.

Kelly Hayes

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HUBBUB: Speech comes with consequences, just make flights affordable

ABC's "What Would You Do?" is a hidden camera show that puts unsuspecting people in unusual, seemingly unethical or illegal situations, and monitors their reactions.

Scenarios have included teenagers beating a homeless man on the sidewalk; children vandalizing a car; a boss sexually harassing a waitress in front of her customers; and a transgender woman revealing she once was a man to a customer who taunts her.

Whenever I watch the show — which John Quinones hosts as part of ABC's "Primetime" series — I sometimes turn away.

Think about it: How utterly, terribly wrong things could go, as some unsuspecting people might not be the let's-hug-and-laugh-about-it type after the host reveals that they've been duped.

Or worse, what if they react illegally themselves upon witnessing apparent discrimination, property damage or whatever the case may be? (How many people can keep their cool after watching a homeless man being beaten?) It sometimes seems like the program builds unnecessary tension by fabricating scenarios statistically unlikely to occur in broad daylight, in crowded areas, just so we can sit back and enjoy the train wreck.   

Of course, I wonder whether a news show should create essentially false situations to score ratings, yet I find the spectacle of watching a different set of case studies on human compassion fascinating.

It's no surprise the show has lasted almost seven years; its theme taps into a question I think we all wonder about: what would we do in a given situation we'd never encountered?

Well, my test came Tuesday morning.

While driving to work, I took a shortcut from McCaskill Street and, while signaling to turn onto Hickory Avenue, a woman, perhaps in her late 30s, walked up to my car.

She said she was tired from walking and asked for a ride to her car, which was waiting at Pep Boys.

Having studied the woman's body language and read numerous books on making snap judgments to assess situations — I highly recommend Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" to learn more about that — I believed this was a time for charity.

Despite being on tight press deadlines, I let the woman in my car, but rolled down all the windows.

It's good to ask questions in these situations, and no journalist is short on questions.

The woman — let's call her "Marge," — said she lives in Crestview, graduated from Crestview High School and was a former Homecoming queen. (She even gave the year, but I won't divulge that here.) She answered my questions naturally, and I couldn't sense deception. So I started to feel at ease.

But her story changed a few times.

For instance, instead of going immediately to Pep Boys, she asked me to take her to the gas station for some oil, and to withdraw $15 in cash for gas.

Then, instead of going to Pep Boys, she asked me to keep driving past the auto repair shop and take her directly home.

Throughout the various detours on our trip, she commented on my car. "It's so nice," she said. There were moments when I questioned her motives, but I also thought how sad it is that we often turn away so many people who legitimately need help, fearing they're up to no good.

In this case, it was odd, but I trusted in God. I've never picked up a hitchhiker before, but was reminded of an old Tommy Shane Steiner song:

The lyrics go like this: "Maybe she's an angel/ Sent here from Heaven/ And she's making certain you're doing your best/ To take the time to help one another/ Brother, are you going to pass that test."

And then, as we pulled up to her house, I heard the rest of the song:

"You can go on with your day to day/ Trying to forget what you saw in her face/ Knowing deep down it could have been her saving grace/ What if she's an angel."

Here's hoping I helped her, and here's hoping I passed the test.

Have you encountered a similar situation? What did you do? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: Testing compassion on Hickory Avenue

It's amazing how much has changed since 1967.

I was watching "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" Monday night on TCM, and couldn't believe the dialogue.

When John Wayde Prentice Jr., a black doctor portrayed by Sidney Poitier, introduces his white fiancée, Joanna "Joey" Drayton (Katharine Houghton) to his parents — John and Mary Prentice Sr. (Roy E. Glenn and Beah Richards, respectively) — they appear stunned.

"I can explain," John Wayde says — as if he must justify falling in love.

Throughout the film, viewers wonder whether they and Joey's father, newspaper publisher Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) will accept this coupling.

Despite leading a liberal household that touts racial equality— Matt refers to black housekeeper Matilda "Tillie" Binks (Isabel Sanford) as a member of the family — it's a different situation when he realizes the challenges his daughter and potential son-in-law would face in a prejudiced world.

However, Joey's mother, Christina Drayton (Katharine Hepburn), and Mary provide much of the film's moral compass, recognizing that this man and this woman found love, which is all that matters.

All the concern about interracial marriage may puzzle today's viewer. Sure, some interracial couples still get second glances, but this seems like a non-issue for most people.

Today's viewer also may be shocked when Matt asks his potential son-in-law about Joey's expectations for any children they may have.

"She feels that every single one of our children will be president of the United States; that they'll all have colorful administrations," John Wayde says. "Frankly, I think your daughter is a bit optimistic; I'd settle for secretary of state."

The likelihood of a black president, even in Hollywood, seemed remote, yet Joey was right. Whether you approve of his policies— that's another discussion all together — this country elected Barack Obama while he was in his 40s, the same age range that the Prentices' children would be, in 2008.

The strides this country's made toward racial equality are credited to brave men and women like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks; they stood up — or sat down, in civil disobedience — for what's right in hopes of a better tomorrow. Some were beaten and bloodied; others gave their lives to change this country's thinking about something as simple —  but, inexplicably, divisive —  as skin color.  

It's important to remember these trailblazers' sacrifice. A number of Crestview residents marched in peace on Saturday to do just that; others gathered for an MLK march on Monday in Fort Walton Beach and throughout other locations in Northwest Florida and the country.

That's a fitting action, particularly for the civil rights movement.

And it calls to mind another movie that will become a classic: "Selma."

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: Classic film offers black history lessons

A Milligan church displayed an anti-gay marriage sign last week, and we posted a photo of it on our Facebook page.

Then battle lines were drawn.

When Milligan Assembly of God displayed a sign that stated, "This church does not marry homosexuals," our Facebook fans —  and a ton of their friends —  turned out in droves.

"That's discrimination, any way you look at it," one woman said.

VIDEO: Watch Editor's Notes for commentary on this issue>>

"The general statement is they will not perform the ceremony," another woman said. "That's not hate, just a truthful statement."

The discussion touched on familiar topics —  the church should love the sinner, hate the sin, some said; sexual orientation is innate, so legalizing same-sex marriage in Florida was long overdue, others said —  but many of the comments devolved into attacks on Christianity, The Bible and even on other Facebook users.

TWO ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM

Social media attracts diverse perspectives that I'd bet many of our readers don't hear every day.

For instance, if you're a Christian living in Baker — Florida's most conservative community, according to the website Business Insider — you may not encounter too many people who outright deny God's existence or blame organized religion for much of the world's problems.

But that sentiment was typical among 400 comments made about the viral photo. 

"More and more young people are not choosing to live a life ruled by an ancient, and I mean ancient, religion that is out of touch with reality," one woman said.

This is a fairly expected go-to argument when issues challenging traditional values crop up. However, what isn't so familiar are some of the subversive images users posted in the seemingly endless message threads. Particular among them was Baphomet, a goat-headed symbol of the occult that celebrates' humans' sinful and spiritual nature.

So on one end of the spectrum were comments glorifying God and encouraging the church to take a more loving approach in expressing its views, and on the other end were Satanic symbols and messages.

And somewhere in the middle laid a voice of reason.

"Seems like a lot of the people on these comments just like to go around and argue with people," one man said.

Indeed —  especially for an issue that people may never see eye to eye about.

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Same-sex marriage is a complicated issue. Many Christians follow The Bible word for word and believe marriage is between one man and one woman. Heterosexual union opens the relationship to fertility, which is God's plan, the faithful say.

Then there are people who fall in love with someone of the same sex, that's the only reality they've known, and they feel that is a heaven-sent relationship. For them, same-sex marriage's legalization means securing long-sought equal rights, not redefining ancient tradition.

If you're in the first group of folks, you may firmly believe you're saving souls, but if you're in the second group of folks, you may feel, as one man told reporter Brian Hughes, like "a second-class citizen."

Then there's the political comparison of same-sex marriage to the legalization of interracial marriage. No one wants to be racist, so similarly, no one should want to deny gay couples their rights —  right?

And if you do, you must be a bigot. If you don't, you must be a sinner, right?

Not exactly.

Sometimes, I believe, it just is what it is. (An expression that makes no sense, but what better expression for issues of divinity and equality that are far beyond any mere mortal's grasp?)

LIVING IN COMMUNITY

We are called to live in community with each other; this is a Christian principle.

So it was refreshing to see so many Christians stand up for gay people, speak out against persecuting them, and preach Christ's message of love.

Still, there's a long way to go.

Too many people in the message threads instead fanned the flames. They called each other names and made snap judgments.

And it all seemed so pointless. If you're a staunch Christian who believes engaging in homosexual acts is a sin, someone calling you a bigot won't make you rethink your position; and if you're a gay Christian, or  a gay non-Christian, someone thumping a Bible won't convince you to change what you feel in your heart. 

So if you're not going to change someone's mind, why not call it a draw and just get along with each other?

I'm reminded of a story about Mother Teresa, who once said a baker spit on her face when she requested bread for orphans.

She wiped the spit away and said, "I will keep this for me, but please give something for my children."

The baker donated the bread.

Mother Teresa changed his heart through her humility, which, by contrast, reflected the baker's hatred back on him.

Similarly, everyone wants the same thing — to live authentic lives and be treated with dignity — and everyone has an opinion and wants to be heard. But sometimes that opinion becomes a raised voice, which escalates to a yell, becomes a scream and incites a war. 

But fighting hatred with hatred only begets more hatred.

Look, some battles are necessary, and thank God for our service members defending our country. But this war on social media isn't.

Sometimes, with hot-button issues like faith and sexuality, it is what it is.

So why don't we all just live and let live?

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: With gay marriage, live and let live (VIDEO)