How do you kill an idea?

Elizabeth Decker
Aug 29, 2017 · 1 min read

It’s not with bombs, bullets, or bats.

It doesn’t tend to happen by force.

How does one kill something that’s non-corporeal? As amusing as it could be, swinging a bat wildly in the air at nothing does, well, nothing.

There are ugly, deadly ideas spreading in our country and around the world. Can we just go beat up every single person who has ever even entertained these ideas? If we ban anyone who has ever potentially been exposed to those ideas, are we suddenly safe?

What if we silence anyone who doesn’t agree with us, and only engage with those who are likeminded? Isn’t that likely to push us to extremes?

I wish I could end this with some pat answer that will make everything okay and take away everybody’s fear, my own included. I don’t have the answer today. I may not have it tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. But I know without doubt that this question leads to the solution.

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Elizabeth Decker

Written by

Ever seeking the intersection of logic, emotion, ideals, and practicality. Ever seeking because the damn thing moves.

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