Years ago, NFL running back Ray Rice hit his then-fianc\u00e9e, Janay Palmer, knocked her out, and drug her out of the elevator in which the altercation happened. Rice and Palmer were each highly intoxicated at the time. After celebrity media outlet TMZ released a video of the violent incident, Rice was released from the Baltimore Ravens and subsequently indicted on a charge of third-degree aggravated assault.<\/p>\n
Said incident was serious, emotional, and prompting-of-immediate reaction. It was hard to watch that video. How people responded (and continue to respond)<\/em> seemed dependent on their proximity of view.<\/p>\n From the viewpoint of some \u2014 especially those who have personally witnessed the horrors of domestic violence \u2014 Rice should be incarcerated for years. From the viewpoint of some others \u2014 maybe those whose focus is on football, and solely winning or losing \u2014 it was no big deal. And from still others \u2014 those who saw that Rice and Palmer married six weeks later \u2014 and continue to speak out against domestic violence \u2014 they see the experience as awful, hard, but yet a poignant story of redemption and reconciliation.<\/p>\n My point is: the proximity of a person\u2019s vantage point matters. Proximity affects perspective.<\/p>\n Last week, the House of Representatives repealed Obamacare\/the Affordable Care Act\/whatever-is-politically-correct-to-call-it. For some \u2014 especially those whose premiums have gone down or who are troubled by the mere existence of the Trump administration \u2014 it was an awful, shameful thing. For others \u2014 whose premiums have skyrocketed or who have lost their desired coverage or doctor \u2014 it was to be celebrated. And yet, still from others \u2014 who realize that this has become a partisan debate, instead of realizing that neither ACA or a \u201crepeal\/replace\u201d campaign mantra is totally good or effective and simply, the American healthcare system needs to be fixed \u2014 the reaction was mixed. As a wise friend said, \u201cHealthcare needs fixing \u2014 doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s the ACA or not. But if both sides of Congress are not willing to sit down and work together to fix these things, nothing will change.\u201d<\/p>\n On healthcare, too, our perspective is typically based upon where we sit\u2026 what we see\u2026 and how we \u2014 and those we love and do life with \u2014 are affected. The challenge is that multiple, valid perspectives exist.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s try one more.<\/p>\n With all the plates spinning in the Intramuralist\u2019s daily routine (house on the market, graduating senior, a few increased days of single parenting, etc.),<\/em> I have become the new favorite customer at my local kennel (\u2026 at least I keep telling them I\u2019m their new favorite\u2026).<\/em> Yesterday when I dropped off my animals, I had to step aside, waiting for a young man to exit with his pit bull.<\/p>\n As the man and his dog walked out, the dog asserted himself, attempted to lead, and attempted to go farther and faster than his owner desired. Immediately, the human involved here yelled at the pit bull; he was mad. \u201cStop it! You know better! Cut it out! NOW!<\/strong>\u201d<\/em> The man was more than a little agitated.<\/p>\n From my close perspective, it seemed like that man was being a little harsh on the dog. It\u2019s a kennel; there\u2019s lots of other animals there; it\u2019s easy to be distracted. But I quickly recognized there existed other perspectives that from my vantage point, I had no way of seeing\u2026 I had no way of knowing this pup\u2019s past record of behavior\u2026 I had no way of knowing how this pit bull best responds to direction\u2026 and I had no way of knowing what else was affecting the dog owner\u2019s day, which would in turn affect how he communicated with his dog \u2014 and with everyone else.<\/p>\n My point is that even though I was the closest to the man \u2014 and even though I had a pretty good vantage point \u2014 a vantage point which served as the basis for my opinion\u00a0\u2014 there were still aspects I was incapable of seeing \u2014 aspects that might provide the basis for other, different, and yes, valid<\/em> perspectives.<\/p>\n Can we recognize that multiple, valid perspectives may exist?<\/p>\n Can we acknowledge that most of the time, we are incapable of seeing all?<\/em><\/p>\n Or are we simply too stuck in thinking what we perceive is the only possible perspective?<\/p>\n Respectfully\u2026 Years ago, NFL running back Ray Rice hit his then-fianc\u00e9e, Janay Palmer, knocked her out, and drug her out of the elevator in which the altercation happened. Rice and Palmer were each highly intoxicated at the time. After celebrity media outlet TMZ released a video of the violent incident, Rice was released from the Baltimore … <\/p>\n
\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"