The political scene in America today is worse off than I originally thought it was. I really was afraid we had divided ourselves into two camps (the left and the right) and that there was no hope for a middle ground. Today, I have learned there is a middle ground and, while the middle tries to work with both the left and the right, they instead view the middle as fence-sitters without any conviction to their opinions. It seems most actually have more respect for those who they hate then they do for those who will find the truth. See, the truth never exists on the right or on the left. These sides each have elements of the truth to them, but they also have a filter to their beliefs that stops them from accepting any truth that does not conform to their world views. Those of us in the middle realize this fact and that is our central political reality: the truth does not fall on a side.
My parents always tell me about this friend of theirs who was a judge. Most of this judge’s cases were divorce and he had a very simple way to settle these often nasty affairs. He knew that the husband would believe every word he said and paint the wife as bad as possible and visa versa. To help him deal with this fact, he always tried to make both parties unhappy in the settlement. He said that the side that was happy with a divorce was the side that got away with something. The only way you know you got it right is if both sides are mad at your decision. That is how I see politics. If I agree too strongly with either the left or the right then I feel I must re-examine my position.
Today, I went to my old posting grounds and got into a debate with a former ally. I say “former ally” because we were both opposed to Bush and the war in Iraq so we found ourselves fighting on the same side, but I was fighting because I really believed those points. It seems he was fighting because he is part of the left and that is what he was supposed to do. I say this because I became the target of his attacks today when I dared defend someone on the right from false accusations of racism. Imagine my nerve, defending someone from the other side.
The guy said NFL players were thugs. The guy said that the NFL player who was just shot and killed used to run with gangs so this probably was gang-related. There was nothing racial about those statements in the slightest, but this former ally had to say this was a black player who was shot who played in a mostly black league and that gangs were mostly black so saying his shooting was probably gang-related was racist. I must be missing something. This is a logical leap bigger than the Grand Canyon. I mean for these statements to be true then there must not be any non-black players in the NFL and there must be no non-black gang members. That is the only way a comment on NFL players could be racist. “Not all NFL players are black and not all blacks play in the NFL” seems like such simple logic to me. At the end of the thread (it is still going but I am done) I have become a “wishy washy” “fence sitting” ball-less poster with no convictions and a desire to just be liked by everyone.
Is this really how a moderate is seen? I mean if so, then this country is doomed to partisan squabbles instead of progress for the rest of time. The first thing everyone must realize is the fact that they could be completely wrong in their opinions and that there are probably elements to the equation they do not know. Until every element is known and understood, then we really honestly cannot fall on the left or the right of any issue. If we do then we are partisan sheep being led and not free-thinking individuals with opinions.
12 comments:
You should be spending time at the PWZ and leave the Retort for the wackos......We only have one wacko there and you can handle Jackass....
Bennett was shot and killed afer a night club incident, but at present that is all that is known.....I don't see the purpose of introducing a racial element into a story prior to there being one......I guess that to this other poster, all blacks that die, must be racially motivated....
This is Jesse 'race pimp' Jackson thinking.....and its wrong....
The moderates are the most disliked among politicans.....look at Lieberman, he had the courage to stick by his convictions on one issue and the hard left rejected him.....And had him tossed from the party.....
McCain has staked a moderate position on social issues and is distrusted by the rupeublicans beacause of it....but he was not kicked out of the party like Joe was.....
No politican in a leadership position is a moderate on either side right now...and its a shame....
Just read your exchange.....
1. the NFL is NOT filled with thugs....take the Seattle Seahawks as an example, everyone of those guys, black and white, is a high quality guy.....
2. The biggest racist in the bunch is R8, I called him on his racism months ago...the only dif now is it was from his crappy playoff missing team...(which it is a damn shame no one pointed out to him)
3. Corky has alwasy been a race baiter.....always has been always will be....
4. Most NFL players are spoiled rotten prima donnas, not gangbanging thugs....
5. It serves ya right for hanging out at rcades joint.....
I see them as thugs personally, but that was not the issue. Anyone who gets paid to hurt other people is a thug to me. The NFL just has many people who are also thugs on their own time.
PWZ has too much sports for me personally. I do comment on some threads sometimes, but you guys really love your sports there. You should go full on sports to be honest. Hunter Thompson was full sports and used it as a metaphor for politics.
Nah, you got the NFL all wrong man.....they are not trying to hurt each other, they are trying to win the game.....
I was one of the hardest hitters for my size, ever...Opposing players were terrified of me, even ones a foot taller then me.....And only once, did I try and hurt someone, and that was called for.....
The PWZ is, what it is...about 30% sports.......You should have seen my slide show on 'Zeitgeist boys' football 78', those pictures help me remember what football and sportsmanship is all about.....
And that was wrong of me to a take a shot at Corky like that.....sorry ....
You know, I have had time to think about what you said....I guess some blogger feel more comfortable blogging where the material more matches their viewpoints and intrests....I realize I may be stopping some of the people from your prefered blog from coming here......
So, for the sake of the lemming house, I am going to remove myself as an obstacle to its growth.....
Rex,
What?! You have been coming here since day one. I do not want to lose you coming here. What does that post mean?
Besides,
They quit coming here so you guys can and you guys quit coming here so they can and no one comes here. It is amazing how many online friends I have who will not come here because of those that they think do. If they were really my online friends they would come here because I am here regardless of who else may come by.
'If they were really my online friends they would come here because I am here regardless of who else may come by. '
It's a shame you don't feel that way Kan......
I actually do feel that way Rex. This has always been and will always be a grudge free zone. All my friends are welcome regardless of how they feel about each other as long as they are polite. They do not even have to get along, just be polite. I hope my friends know that any and all conversations are unspoken private and I never tell one person something another tells me. As you have seen, I always do things very openly here. I do not play around with this site. I want you to continue coming here.
If you feel you must stop then I want it to be because you find this site boring and not because you think you are stopping people from coming here.
And what does that preferred blog thing mean anyway? This is my preferred blog.
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