To the Good People on the Right: This Is Not How You Deal With Disagreements in Your Own World, Is It?
A couple of days ago –in a posting called “Mission Re-Definition”– I put forward an idea of what we’re called on to do right now to address the political sickness in America, and I proposed a strategy for how to execute this mission.
This strategy involved how my efforts in the region where I live might “go viral” through the actions of many other people. If I (and perhaps others) were to write up the right kind of “challenges to conservatives,” and if enough other people were to send out those challenges via email to the people who need to be thus challenged, then a purely local impetus could become national.
On the “Mission Re-Definition” thread, several people indicated a need to give the matter more thought. It seems to me likely the the process of deliberation about whether to get on board or not requires a clear sense of what these challenges would be like.
Here is the first one I’ll have posted since proposing the “viral” strategy. So I’d like to ask for people to take a look at this with this in mind: is this something that you would be willing to take up and send out in prosecution of the strategy laid out in “Mission Re-Definition”? (See items 3 and 4 in that piece.)
If not, you can indicate why you think this piece, or this whole campaign, does not warrant our efforts. But if so, please make the case for why this effort is worth people joining in.
I want to know if we can get this baby off the ground.
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I’d like to address all the good people, some even godly people, who have aligned themselves with today’s Republican party.
When issues arise in the world that you know first-hand, personally –like in your family or your church or your neighborhood– do you deal with the differences and conflicts that arise the way the Republicans and their media allies are dealing with the issues in our politics?
There’s no good reason the two should be different. If you’ve accepted that difference, it’s only because you’ve been persuaded that –in the political realm—the liberals, the Democrats, President Obama are beyond the pale. But this demonization of “the other side,” making them out to be far more evil, far less human, than the people you may have issues with in your family or church is unwarranted.
Your politics should be like your way of dealing with differences in point of view when issues arise in your family or church. Your way is the right way, and you ought not be led astray by people who try to convince you that unbridled contempt and anger –a much worse way of dealing with differences—is the right way in the political realm.
October 8th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Andy, you had a thread one time on Contagion, I think I remember.
This current dis-ease began I think with Rush Limbaugh.
Rush, a Capricorn, with a mouth totally detached from heart or soul(does he have one?) came on with this totally detached dissing and his success in ratings(audience #s) prompted imitators.
However, the imitators did not have Rush’s detachment and in tryint to imitate his manner they came through as ugly rather than superior to the issue and detached. However they too attracted many of the listeners attracted by Limbaugh. More little ugly bad mouths got into the act
and a new style of political partisanship came into acceptance
Initiated at the first by the successes of a guy who was primarily just detached with the pretense of being authoritative.
The best the imitators could do was just the ugly
and some(or many) of the ditto-heads apparently could do no better.
How many millions of Conservatives, though, are never heard from in the political arena except at the ballot box?!
THey are just busy living constructive lives.
October 9th, 2009 at 6:43 am
Andy,this is a noble effort,and !`m fully on board.
The thing that frustrates me is how “liberal” is perceived as something shallow or negative,while “conservative” is a badge of honor.
I`m proud to be liberal-minded (open-minded) rather than narrow-minded,which is how conservatives act.Flexible and compassionate is the way to achieve solutions,
rather than rigidly dogmatic and negative.
Conservatives are insecure,and huddle together for warmth,but there is none.
October 9th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
It is understood by many that it is normal to treat members of an in-group differently from members of the out-groups. You say, “There’s no good reason the two [treatments] should be different,” but that is a matter of opinion, a major religious issue upon which people do differ, whether or not they feel like arguing with you.
Larry