I was wrong.

Mark this one down, folks, because you're not going to hear me say it often. But this time, I have to honestly say that the truth of the matter is inescapable on this one.

See, in our latest round of battles, I've been so embattled, I've been swinging at fenceposts. As some good friends correctly pointed out, I've been seeing everyone as the enemy, making everything into a crusade. The problem is, the legitimate battles, the serious concerns get lost in the shuffle because I'm spending too much time and effort chasing red herrings.

The problem is, I know that the IDEALS I stand for, the core concepts, are right. And I will defend them as long as I draw breath. The thing is, though, with the exception of a few people, nobody's arguing the ideals. They're arguing the method of my approach. As I look around at my assets, I see that I have more than enough support to take care of the few people who are the problem if I don't spend time alienating those who aren't. I may not always agree with their advice, but I should respect the spirit in which it was given.

I honestly intended to get off this topic, but some new information was brought to light today. The information has been relayed to the proper channels, and we will proceed if we need to proceed. If it simply dies away in the wind, as small town gossip often does, we will just let it go.

What I've discovered so far, though, is the following:

1. CPS is not the enemy. I still don't like what they do, or their ideological base, but the truth of the matter is, there are still some hardworking people working for this agency who honestly want to make things better. I can work with those individuals while still standing firm on my rights so that they can stay within the system to make a positive change in a system that desperately needs it. Our CPS case worker recognizes that ultimately the problem here is a community where some individuals despise us, and it is in our best interest to use that acknowledgement to our advantage, seeking out ways that the agency can help us, rather than hurt us. If things turn south, so to speak, we have more than enough resources to fight that problem when and if it arises. No sense in fighting it now.

2. The church is not my enemy. There are some very, very bad people in the church in this community, but that's not the church itself. I've had a very hard time with this, but I think I will take KFC's advice in forwarding this "up the chain". It's an area where she's very knowledgable, and in the long run, I think it would probably help the pastor of this church more than hurt him.

3. The government is not the enemy. I don't like a lot of the things they do, but the truth is, the government is not the enemy here. Frankly, I don't think anyone in Washington knows or cares that I exist as long as I pay my taxes and don't start making explosive devices. I may be wrong here, but I haven't seen evidence to contradict.

4. The city is not my enemy. Now here it gets trickier, because the "bad guys" are in control for a season. But that can be remedied, with enough resolve, which it appears we may have. But the city itself, as an entity, is just that, and I need to focus my efforts in the proper place, rather than at the city at large.

When I pare down that list, and I look at the people against whom I have genuine, legitimate grievances, it comes down to less than a dozen people. A very manageable fight, especially considering that I have FACTS on my side. And even there, SOME of the grievances may be misunderstandings. Who knows, maybe with a little effort, I can pare that list down further.

There are a few people here who seriously need to be made accountable for their actions. But the rest of the community doesn't bear the same responsibility. And with the extensive documentation I've been gathering, it is quickly becoming a pretty solid case against those few people. WHat I need to do is focus my efforts where they need to be focused (which is exactly what some of you have been saying all along) and address these things in the proper order. Sure, some of these may be battles that need to be fought. But they need to be fought ANOTHER day. Today, for the moment, I need to focus on the battles that need to be fought TODAY.