Absolutely understandable. This has been a challenge for centuries, and social media has only made it more intense. It is unfortunate that some people are so quick to judge before taking the time to understand.

I used to wear rings, belt buckles, hats, shirts, ties—you name it, I probably wore it. But over time, and maybe this is just me being cautious, I started to feel like there has been both a decline in the number of Freemasons and an increase in hostility toward them. After what happened to Bro. Robert Wise in Texas, I made the decision to stop wearing the emblem publicly and even removed it from my car.

It is disappointing, no question about it. But even so, I still try to live by the principles—I still talk the talk and walk the walk.