No Filter

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don't mind, and those that mind don't matter."

-- Dr. Seuss

I've been accused, by a very good friend, of having no filter.  I didn't know what that meant until she told me.  I speak my mind and damn the consequences.  This is true.  The truth is the truth.  You can candy-coat it, or you can just speak it.  Either way, the truth will be known.  It is a lot easier for me to just speak it. The problem is with the people who hear it, and that belongs to them.  I own no responsibility for how people deal with the truth.  Am I Selfish?  So be it.

Me:      "That's kind of ignorant."

Them:  "You mean you don't agree?"

Me:      "That too."

What are some creative ways I use to express myself? Honesty. I have no filter, so what I think is what I give voice to. Is this rude? More times than not. Is it the truth? More times than not. I can blow smoke up your ass, like everyone else, or I can give you the straight scoop. I’d like to say the choice is yours, but… I have no filter, so the choice is mine.

I don't agree with ignorant statements.  I have no problem with telling people this.  Why?  Because, as I see it, I have no filter to prevent the truth from pouring out of my pie hole.  Is that a fault or a blessing?  Well, it depends on if you agree, or not.  From my perspective, I simply don't give a shit.  Grow a  broad back with wide shoulders so the truth can roll off you, or you can get with the program.  It is a choice you have to make because, again, I simply don't give a shit.

I have been accused, at times, of being brutal where the truth comes in.  They are right.  Why?  Because they speak the brutal truth.  I have no filter.  I own that.  It is who I am.  

I learned about the truth when I was in high school, being bullied by guys bigger than I was. I became aware that they had issues with the truth. So, I used the truth against them.  Then, I used the truth against their girlfriends who thought the way the bullies acted was appropriate.  I was a punching bag... until the bullies realized I wasn't going away.  Then, they tried to ignore me.  

I started standing up for others who couldn't defend themselves.  Bullies are essentially cowards hiding behind a mean facade.  They have deep issues that need to be brought into the light of day.  It was day, I was the light, and the punching bag.  I was a fast punching bag, but you can only run so far from "jocks" who made the football team.  I wasn't intelligent, but neither were they. I was smarter than they were, however. Smart trumps intelligence for those who know how to use it to great effect.

The bullies disappeared from my life when I went to college.  Some joined the army. Some died. I took two years of psychology, got my draft notice, and I chose to enlist in Air Force Intelligence.  Basic training for a guy with no filter was an exercise in learning to keep your mouth shut and your ears open.  

Ten years later, the Royal Navy came over to teach interrogation and resistance training.  They asked me how I would get information if it came to protecting our allies and American troops.  Waterboarding?  Really? This is a college game. I outlined what I could do with a plastic knife from McDonald's if left alone with a prisoner for fifteen minutes.  Illegal? Absolutely.  It raised some British eyebrows.  It is amazing what you can learn from Nazi, Japanese, Chinese, and Vietnamese interrogation techniques. One group builds on what another teaches, and I have a mind that only learns what it wants to. I have no filter, I love psychology, I served almost 23 years in Intelligence, and we make it up as we go along.

When I retired, I went to work for the Vice President of an Institutional Review Board.  He had issues with getting employees to tell him what he needed to hear. I told him that he would have no problem getting the truth from me, after all, as I would find out later, I have no filter.  I ended up being the eyes and ears of the company for another 17 years. It would seem I never really left the intelligence field.

At 49 years of age, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  At 59 years of age, I retired for the second time and left the Intelligence field far behind my memory.  Playing games with people's heads lost its luster. I like the "Jack Reacher" series of books.  In restaurants, I sit with my back to a wall, search out the exits, check out the other patrons and, if possible, make the waitress leave a pot of coffee.  Jack Reacher... who knew?  

I still play with a plastic knife, whenever I go to McDonald's.  Habits are harder to break than the thin plastic blade, it turns out.

“Torture works Here’s why. If you grab a man by his balls…soon his heart and mind will always follow.”

-- James Morris Robinson

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions, and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I have come to believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance... he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com