i believe in controversy

its one of those difficult uncomfortable things

like being late for dinner

and everyone has started eating without you

the controversy

the mimicry of the argument created by three-year-olds

"i'm right" "no, i'm right"

"no I'M right" "NO, I'M right"

and on and on

and you wish that instead of hatred and opinion

that everyone would just get along.

but if everyone got along, then nothing would ever change
if sickness never happened we would never need a doctor
never need a cure

if nothing ever happened we wouldn't need a savior
we wouldn't need superheroes
we wouldn't need moms and dads to kiss our scrapes and bruises

without controversy the world
would be a rather dull place
even the colors...
think of the colors
without white,
no black
or even grey
without red, no pink
without yellow
no orange
without light hitting water droplets in mid-air
there would be no rainbows
if there was no high tide
there would be no low tide, no picking up seashells and tide-worn pebbles

controversy is messed up
we take it too far
we push it
and say "if you don't let me do this,
you're taking away my rights"
but are we? or are we merely limiting our controversy as we should?

for even wars must end
even peace must end
the night does not last forever
but neither does the light of day
there is a time for everything
even the bad things
and I can't help but think that when the end does come
the bad things will end in the night
and the good in the day
each respectively put out
as fires are extinguished so they don't spread to everything
as diseases are treated
and as weeds are pulled
so that they do not consume the world around them

I believe in controversy.
without it
we would be nothing
but I also believe that controversy must be stopped at some point
because otherwise, it would take over

oh the controversy of controversy.
when will it ever end?
perhaps that is something that shouldn't be controversial
shouldn't be debatable
but rather
we should all agree that
controversy should be used
as needed for the good of all
not for the good of you
a single person
controversy is not opinion.
it is conflict between different life styles when neither will give
controversy is often selfish
when it should be wholesome, used for
furthering society.

I believe in controversy
and that it will solve itself
if we help it along.
but if we don't
it will tear us apart
from the seams
to the structured framework
it will destroy us
from the inside out and the outside in 
and we will be eaten alive by our own selves.
our own neighbors and friends.
controversy, out of control
is merely disguised bullying
and stubborn people
forcing their own world upon people from the opposite lifestyle.

i'm not saying that either side of a controversy is right
i think we need to be adults and love even in our differences
if i turned out to be lesbian, but i didn't tell you until after i gave you a hug, what would your reaction be?
if i turned out to be a democrat, would you wash your hand after i shook it?
if i said i was a christian, or an atheist, or a Buddhist, or agnostic, or just a self-ist (one who is searching for their self) would you avoid my conversation, my eye contact, my wanting to be liked?
would you hate me if i was different than you?
or would you accept and love,
and tell me that you disagreed
but agreed that maybe we need to talk about our differences.
tell me why you are the way you are
what changed you.
and i'll tell you the same about me
and we can agree and disagree and be us
and maybe one of us will realize that the other is wrong
or maybe we are wrong.

i believe in controversy because it separates the adults from the children
who can do this without hurting someone?
who can do this and still walk out with a smile on their face and a productive outcome?
who can be right, wrong, or just generally messed up
and not throw a fit at the outcome?
who can handle this like a rational adult
not a child who isn't getting their way.

i believe in controversy.
i believe in controversy because we have to live with it.
i believe in controversy
like i believe in sleep
like i believe in summer
like i believe in salt.
too much
and it will ruin you.

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now for the photos:
notice the differences
some are light, dark, fuzzy, clear
some are both. most are similar shots of the same thing.
but they are all photos.
they each have a little bit of everything
a little bit of controversy