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#1
07-09-2010, 12:20 PM
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United we stand
I saw this great opinion piece this morning. There was a time when being an American united people of differing opinions for a common goal.
I remember being in High School in the mid 80s. I went to a Catholic school run by a group of nuns who were calling for unilateral disarmament. Not a popular opinion in the era of Reagan. Folks in the mutually assured destruction camp didn't much like the idea, but they didn't hate the people who proposed it. No one marched in front of the school with angy signs. When Sting asked if the "Russians love their children too?" no one put him on a list of "most evil people" or asked him why he hated freedom. I think this guy makes a really good point. Fear was bad, but at least it united us. But the fear wasn't entirely of our own making. Now we're seeking out people who serve to divide us. I think we need to wake up and reject all of these messages. We need to find the American spirit that united us witout the fear or the hate. Is it possible that George Bush did what he thought was right for the country? Could it be that Obama thinks health care coverage for all Americans would make us a better society? Is it possible some people honestly believe America will be stronger if we have lower taxes? Is there a chance that some honestly believe the war in Iraq is a serious mistake that is costing us money and lives? Maybe people with all of those opinions love America. Maybe none of them hate freedom. Maybe none of them are evil or siding with the people who would like to see us dead. Don't get me wrong, I've been on the front lines of the hate war. But I'm announcing my unilateral disarmament. No more hate. There are people on this forum I disagree with, but I don't hate them for having different opinions than I have. We tell ourselves we do it because our cause is just and we have to win or America will die. But maybe we are the biggest threat America faces right now. Maybe we've done more harm to America in the name of Left or Right than the terrorists could ever hope to do. http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/artic...aters/19547053
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Two days slow. That's what they are. Last edited by Fast_Eddie; 07-09-2010 at 12:23 PM. 
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#2
07-09-2010, 01:08 PM
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I hate articles like that.
 As much as I support the tenets of the article and your post, I'm afraid that hate and fear are kissing cousins and are the fuel that drives political movements. Rallying against a common enemy is just about the only surefire way to consolidate political support (e.g., Hitler and the Jews, McCarthy and Commies, the Ayatollah and the Great Satan). Whether you like or dislike Obama or find him effective or ineffective, the common criticism is that he is too dispassionate in the search for common ground. Humans seek tribal identity and part of that identity is who their enemy is. Sucks, don't it? 
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As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
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#3
07-09-2010, 01:34 PM
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Neither MSNBC nor Fox can count on me to boost their ratings.
I thought Obama had the potential to be a unifying force. The national feeling of pride at having overcome boundaries in our selection of a president unfortunately fizzled when he actually tried to do something. His intellect, which was such an important factor to me seems to have become a weak point. Logic and passion aren't always on the same page. Humans might be tribal, but they also seek to improve themselves and their circumstances. The difficulty comes in having to cut through the rhetoric and partisanship to convince people that it is in their best interest to work together. It's even harder when people have been convinced that the elected leader is a comministfasciastdarkietaxnspendliberaldogooderwho wantsourguns. Regards, D-Ray
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Then I'll get on my knees and pray, We won't get fooled again; Don't get fooled again
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#4
07-09-2010, 01:37 PM
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Quote:
To quote an old friend of mine, 'I see what your sayin'. I don't believe Democracts are actually trying to destroy America. They're just doing it accidently I keep friends of all political stripes. Why, some of my slowest friends are Democrats Sorry folks, just in a good mood  Pete
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“How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.”
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#5
07-09-2010, 04:01 PM
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We have no close neighbours, the doors are all locked, the effing world can stay out.
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Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt
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#6
07-09-2010, 06:38 PM
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Quote:
Chas
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#7
07-10-2010, 12:43 AM
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I hate everyone. All 6.8 Billion of you are clueless imbeciles who refuse to face the fact that I am always right. And I know you do it just to spite me......BASTARDS!
Dave
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"When the lie is so big and the fog so thick, the Republican trick can play out again....."-------Frank Zappa
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#9
07-10-2010, 09:26 AM
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Here's an excerpt extracted from an Op-Ed piece by Rick Barber, the Alabama Teabagger running for Congress (link provided on recent post a few minutes ago):
"Though I'm not a veteran of politics, I've come to understand that arguments, and thus governments, move most often through fear. Those on my side of the aisle seek to move the argument through fear of deficits, inflation, terrorism, socialism and the loss of individual liberty; those on the left through fears of global warming, poverty, racism, depression. I don't bemoan the politics of fear. It's natural to the polemic, and from my perspective, there is ample reason for it." Good luck with changing the politics of fear.
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As long as the roots are not severed, all will be well in the garden.
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well, let's go buy another gun!
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