SavannahMann
Platinum Member
- Nov 16, 2016
- 14,540
- 6,819
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We all have several things in common. Left and Right. Liberal, Libertarian, and Conservative. We all believe in our hearts we are right.
That is fine. It is what makes spirited debates. In the old days, we used elections to show who the people agreed with. The person who lost the election used to say something along the lines of the people have spoken and did not agree with us.
Times changed. We were fair losers and perhaps a little gauche as winners. But the people deciding was no longer the end.
As with most of our political problems we go back to Bill Clinton. After the impeachment of Clinton the Liberals were outraged. It began the era of strident talk. The denigrating of people who disagrees with you. The people of the South need to stop voting God, Guns, and Confederate Flags.
It began the era of anyone who disagrees with me is not just wrong. But evil, socialist, fascist, racist, or determined to destroy America.
Since that time we have added other ist to the labels of our fellow Americans we disagree with. How did this happen? Easy. We began to hate.
A truth that has been proven time and time again in history is this. Be careful what you hate. You will become that which you hate.
The problem is that we don’t hate the reality. We hate the fiction we created about the opposition. Liberals decried some who voted against Obama as Racists. So it became anyone who opposes any policy of his was racist. Conservatives hated the caricature of the Left and soon anyone who is left of the Kaiser was a socialist goon. We hate the reality because we want to believe the fiction.
We isolate ourselves and insure we hear only news and opinions we agree with. The most strident among us anxiously awaits the chance to prove our beliefs. Anti gun and pro gun scour the news for proof that guns take or save lives. Guns don’t do either. It is people.
We used to be Americans first. Not anymore. Now we are politically identified first. Americans if only because the courts won’t let us throw them out. They are traitors. They disagree with me.
That is fine. It is what makes spirited debates. In the old days, we used elections to show who the people agreed with. The person who lost the election used to say something along the lines of the people have spoken and did not agree with us.
Times changed. We were fair losers and perhaps a little gauche as winners. But the people deciding was no longer the end.
As with most of our political problems we go back to Bill Clinton. After the impeachment of Clinton the Liberals were outraged. It began the era of strident talk. The denigrating of people who disagrees with you. The people of the South need to stop voting God, Guns, and Confederate Flags.
It began the era of anyone who disagrees with me is not just wrong. But evil, socialist, fascist, racist, or determined to destroy America.
Since that time we have added other ist to the labels of our fellow Americans we disagree with. How did this happen? Easy. We began to hate.
A truth that has been proven time and time again in history is this. Be careful what you hate. You will become that which you hate.
The problem is that we don’t hate the reality. We hate the fiction we created about the opposition. Liberals decried some who voted against Obama as Racists. So it became anyone who opposes any policy of his was racist. Conservatives hated the caricature of the Left and soon anyone who is left of the Kaiser was a socialist goon. We hate the reality because we want to believe the fiction.
We isolate ourselves and insure we hear only news and opinions we agree with. The most strident among us anxiously awaits the chance to prove our beliefs. Anti gun and pro gun scour the news for proof that guns take or save lives. Guns don’t do either. It is people.
We used to be Americans first. Not anymore. Now we are politically identified first. Americans if only because the courts won’t let us throw them out. They are traitors. They disagree with me.