As has been argued countless times here and elsewhere, the Left is the most inclusive group in the country, for those that believe exactly how they are told to believe. For those that aren't interested in being a Left wing parrot, they will shout down, intimidate, politically assassinate, harass, embarrass, belittle, and generally do anything possible to silence. When was the last time a Conservative group protested to violence because the message was contrary to their beliefs? The Right endured eight years of Obama attacking their belief system. The Left is still trying to tear the country apart even before seeing what the results of a Trump presidency will bring. The Left isn't interested in discourse, they're interested in demands, vitriol, and domination. The Right doesn't have all the answers, but in this, they have the high ground.
LOL Which brings up an article I read, that equated indignity by Conservatives over violent rioting on the Left to hypocrisy, because the Boston Tea Party was violent, and is held up as a patriotic symbol by Tea Partiers. Yes, let's compare the symbology of the Boston Tea Party to hoodlum rioting in response to a call to free speech from a non-Liberal. They are EXACTLY the same. :/
Guys, I agree with your depiction of the far left idiots, especially those in the relatively sheltered college environments. However, your generalization of everyone left of center is IMO the pot calling the kettle black. Full disclosure (as if anyone cares): I'm an independent moderate whose core beliefs lean pretty much to the right but who chooses to vote for the individual over the party. I've been this way since about 1980. I formerly called myself a moderate democrat, but I ultimately "came out" to my democratic family, and I feel the freedom of having done so. Having said that, it's my opinion that both ends of the political spectrum live in their own versions of a bubble, lacking what I consider essential to an enlightened society, i.e., tolerance, even respect, for those whose views are different. We see it here in spades, a microcosm of what's going on outside of our community. I'm not talking about excusing riots. I talking about civil dialogue. I know it's not possible here or for that matter anywhere else in our country, but I can dream, can't I? :wink:
Pretty much exchange the words right and conservative for left and liberal and you have the prime example of how divided in beliefs we are as a country at present.
Sid - while I agree with you that there are those on the Right with similar preference to shout down the opposition, it does not appear to be institutionalized on the Right as it is on the Left. Perhaps that's because of the bully pulpit that has been brandished by the Left-leaning MSM for so long, or because of the institutions that have been taken over by Socialstic ideals. However, I have never seen such hate as comes from those that demonstrate against hate. I, like you, am a Right-leaning Independent and actually identify more with Libertarian than Republican. I had registered as a Republican when I first could vote. I changed to Independent less than a decade later. I have voted for Democrats, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, and Republicans in Local, State, and National elections. I am more concerned with what someone's platform is than their party or religion, and vote in that vein. However, I see attacks on the white Christian male being supported and institutionalized by the Left. I see no such institutional attacks from the Right. Indeed, when such an ill-advised attempt is made to attack an INDIVIDUAL on the Left, it becomes all out political assassination from where that attack came because we aren't allowed to attack anyone except white Christian males.
Kes, you and I think pretty much alike with the exception that I have an old man's mind. You'll know what I'm talking about as you grow older. To be clear, I have immense respect for every single one of my friends here. I just decided that if I'm going to participate in the Back Room discussions, I should make clear my perspective. Like I said earlier, as if anyone cares. :wink:
I'm enjoying everyone sharing their beliefs and believe it or not I identify with you guys as a registered independent with no affiliation to either party. And Sid I do care and appreciate your opinion as I do everyone here on Skybox. I do think the missing link in our Country at the moment is Civil Dialogue but at this point I have no idea if we will ever see it again. I am probably in-between the ages of you and Kes so I struggle with emotions of what I call the attack of the white heterosexual male as Kes does. On the other hand a glimpse of maturity does arise every now and then and I yearn for dialogue and meeting in the middle in this highly charged atmosphere which I admit I have helped feed the flames. Events such as at Berkeley are not a spontaneous happening but well planned out attacks that are so foreign to my thought process that I wonder if the divide can ever come together...
I have a decidedly racist uncle who is from Jacksonville but has lived out in Santa Barbara, Ca. for the past 35 years. He is unabashedly racist and ultra conservative politically and loves to post anything that comes into his newsfeed from the right side media that bashes Obama, Hillary or Dems in general. For example a couple of days ago he re-posted an offical looking news flash that said Trump had decided to prosecute Hillary Clinton on the emails etc. I went to Google and cannot find a damn thing on it. And yet.... I truly think my uncle believes that drivel. That's the kind of B/S that is fueling our division.
So my uncle today posts a blurb from something called National Insider Politics ( another Gipper must on the daily reading list ) and it is asking the question in large type: "Are you ready to have a president that isn't afraid to call Muslims "terrorists" " Comment yes or no..... So that's what we have come to now.... a war on an entire religion? I myself hate the extremists in the Muslim religion who would do us harm... I hate the SOBs....hope they die horribly painful deaths soon. But to condemn the entire religion? Are we ready to go to war against an entire region and religion? So we serve notice to Iran that we mean business and leave out no options including military options Does that mean our sons are now imminently in harms way?
Actually I always liked him a lot.... pretty cool dude most of his life. Until he found religion and ultra-conservative politics. He was always a racist.... but never let that be out front on his sleeve like he does now.
No surprise, I read that differently than our far-left friend. Knowing that we had a president who, for eight years, refused to call any Muslim a terrorist for fear of offending all Muslims, this is a question that is asking "Are you ready to have a president that isn't afraid to call [terrorist] Muslims "terrorists". It is undeniable that some whacko Muslims are terrorists. Calling those Muslims who are terrorists "terrorists" shouldn't be a hard thing to do, but Obama refused to ever do so. I don't think Trump will have that problem. I don't read into it AT ALL that the question is supporting calling ALL Muslims terrorists. There are likely those on the Right that are whacko racist and might label all Muslims as terrorists, but I can attest that is neither mainstream, nor intended by ANYONE I have EVER spoken to or read about. I don't recall any march, platform, or riot supporting such a ridiculous claim. I have read, however, numerous articles that point out how racist, uneducated, deplorable, and misguided everyone on the Right is who may have voted for Trump for lack of a better option. Again, I hold the view that hatred of the Right appears to be ingrained and institutionalized vs. the exception whacko on the Right. Sid - I absolutely care about your input, and the respect Ralph discusses may not always be stated, but should always be understood. As we talked previously, you have no fear from me of disrespecting your opinion or being ticked due to you disagreeing with me.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/01/us/milo-yiannopoulos-berkeley/ Ohhh, so those protesters are the ones who get to determine what is a matter of free speech and what isn't. (Full disclosure, I have no clue what the speeches of this particular tour included. How many of the protesters had investigated the content of the previous speeches before making this determination?) This seems to be a recurring theme at this far-left institution. So, they wanted to silence Yiannopoulos, but only seem to object to the manner in which his silence was accomplished.
Thanks, Kes. Much appreciated. Your comment emphasizes why I like being a member of our little community.
I have no problem at all in calling a terrorist Muslim a Muslim terrorist.... if that truth is a known fact. I like Obama have a problem in calling all Muslims terrorists. I guess I assumed that if a terrorist was also a Muslim that it was a done deal that he was a Muslim Terrorist.
A terrorist is just that as race or religious preference has no meaning in its overall description. We can all relate that their seems to be a sect of Islam that promotes terrorism and the opposing voices against it from Islam has been very muted. If anybody follows the carnage of bombings in Iraq over the years they can see that these terrorist (Thugs) only use the religion as a cover as most casualties have been Muslim. Every morning I stop at a local convenience store where the owner from Pakistan is a Muslim. We give each other shyt as friends normally do and have a good time as he takes my money and I eat his delicious Gyro's (They are incredible). I bring his family fruit and have plans to take him hunting out on the farm as he wants to shoot something (Imagine that I told him ). The summary is I care for the man and his family and wish him nothing but the best as he works hard to provide for his family.
Too bad you don't have a problem in implying (and maybe you even believe it...who knows?) that every conservative leaning person is a red-necked hate-filled selfish white ignorant racist Islamophobe. Yet you call for civil debate.