Great post. Perhaps ironically, I feel the freedom that many people forget to associate with other freedoms is the "Freedom of Association."

I exercised the freedom of association just this morning. As I turned on the car radio trying to find a station that wasn't advertising, I heard a catchy beat to a rap song. I like to give everyone a chance so I started listening. Suddenly the rapper started belting out rude lyrics directed towards women like "shake your a**" - I instinctively turned the channel to avoid letting that negativity into my soul. Maybe those lyrics don't register on the FCC obscenity spectrum anymore. But as a peace loving caucasoid who has worked to help black women and children escape from abusive environments I feel like one supportive things I can do to help the black community in my life is conciously avoid sponsorship of anything they are doing to destroy their own community.

I know that many blacks find those lyrics just as offensive and don't hold black rappers on any higher of a pedestal than they would anyone else who spewed racist remarks. A highly successful black man that I met during some international travel told me he honestly thought that the black entertainment industry was actually ripping apart the fabric of their own community and destroying the tradition of fatherhood and strong families. When he learned I was LDS he told me that his father, a disabled war veteran, had come to Utah, and in the midst of a predominately white community their family found support, strong community, and freedom from prejudice. In spite of religious and racial differences he had nothing but kind words for that Utah community.

I've personally found exercising my freedom of association and sidestepping negative memes to be a safeguard on protecting my own personal peace. I quit supporting by my listenership the caustic contention spewed by talk radio show hosts a few years ago, I was really surprised by how hard it was for me to quit that habit. But I did it, kind of like someone who might have quit a smoking habit I feel good about quitting my talk radio habit. I feel like I am more in tune with my religious convictions and better able to receive inspiration and exercise the priesthood by not having that daily dose of contention. I can be aware of issues like this, but they don't shake me from my moorings. I think white talk radio might be as hard a habit to quit for many white people as it would for many black people to step away from filthy black rap music.

Anyway, you hit the nail on the head. I am convinced that just making conscious decisions about who you will associate with (especially following the money trail to advertisers) is a key concept in the path towards peaceful conflict resolution, problem avoidance, and progress in the pursuit of happiness.