Preconceptions

When I was a kid, I found some mail in the street.  The postman had obviously dropped it.  I thought I would do my civic duty and besides, it was a chance to embark on an adventure.  I delivered the mail to the door and told them I had found it in the street.  Next thing the story was “Kuskie’s stealing mail.”
I was reminded of this event as recent circumstances have reinforced it, and it is something that occurred to me not that long ago.  That is, my belief that some people will base their assessment of you, not on the evidence, but how they see the world.
Those people said I was stealing mail, not because of evidence (there was none, and to tell you the truth, it had not even occurred to me) but based solely on how they perceived the world.  I have no evidence, but it would not surprise me if theft, (way more subtle) was ok for them, if it achieved their ends.  It is no wonder I love a song that contains the words “…and a head full of preconceived notions that manage to get in the way.”
I am thinking that open people tend to weigh things up, and base their assessments on what is presented, rather than pre-conceived ideas.  Closed people on the other hand, determine that nothing can ever be right unless it agrees with the way they see things.  I see a lot of that in politics.  It matters not which party it is, if it is one not supported, they can do nothing good.
I have written to the paper a few times, and am fortunate in that I have never had something not published.  I wrote to the paper praising a leader of a party I would never vote for.  My perception was that this leader had done good things and was a decent bloke.  By the same token, I wrote praising a polly of a party I did support, and received an anonymous letter (first name and street name was all that was supplied) telling me what an animal this person was.  I could only go by my experience, and it was good.
At the moment I am reading a speech by Calvin Coolidge (the thirtieth president of the US).  In my opinion he said a lot of good stuff. One thing that stood out to me. “(T)he electorate and judiciary cannot combine.”  Judgement must be independent of personal persuasion.    That is one of the reasons I am so against “trial by media.”
To me, preconceptions based solely on hear-say or inheritance, cause nothing but damage.  It can also isolate.  Someone recently said to me “line them up and shoot the lot of them.”  When I said I wouldn’t, they said I would.  I then told them why I would not.  My reason is someone may feel the same way about me.  Potentially, I reckon there could be a whole lot of shooting going on.
That is not to say I do not feel injustices.  I do.  I have experienced a few, and no doubt caused a few.  Where I can, I will do something about it, but the bottom line for me is that I am an imperfect person.  As much as is possible, I need to try and ensure my motives are right.  That keeps me busy enough without being judge, jury and executioner of others.  The best I can do is love.  It seems some things are best left to someone else.