Tuesday, November 27, 2007

An Open Letter To Liberals, Friends and Strangers Alike

It's not going to work. You're not going to convince me to change my party affiliation. I'm not saying it could never happen. I'm just saying that it won't happen if you don't change the tone of discussion.

It won't happen so long as you assume that I don't apply rational thought and good faith to my political views. I hate to break it to you but I actually read about and listen to a broad array of facts and opinions before reaching a conclusion on how to cast my votes and which causes to support. While the media that I prefer tend more towards the right, I read plenty of left-leaning publications and/or websites. In addition to various newspapers, like the Detroit Free Press and New York Times, I also regularly peruse the Daily Kos and New Republic, among others. Before reaching a conclusion about an important court ruling, I will often read the applicable statutes and do my best to understand the underlying facts.

It won't happen so long as your debate consists of labeling all conservatives as yahoos, haters and hypocrites. Neither the liberal camp nor the conservative camp has a monopoly on intelligence or virtue. Neither camp can totally wash itself clean of the undesirables, whether they be politicians, pundits or just people posting on a blog's message board. Both sides have leaders and spokespersons who want what is best for this country. Some are right and some are wrong and debating which is which is all fine and good. If you don't like something the current administration does or says, explain why it's wrong. I can name a number of issues on which I have disagreed with President Bush. But dismissing everything he does as the act of a moron or evil genius, depending on the day, will never persuade me. If you don't like what Rush Limbaugh has to say, explain rationally why you disagree with him instead of saying he is wrong simply because he's an evil, overweight pill popper.

It won't happen so long as you criticize my plan to vote for President Bush and Vice President Cheney's reelection. What's that you say? They're not running again? Well, in that case, stop whining about what you dislike about them and instead tell me, in rational terms, how your candidate will improve things.

If you want to mock or hate those with whom you disagree, be my guest. Just don't expect me to listen anymore.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Amen brother!

While I don't necessarily agree or disagree blanketly with everything that this administration does, to say that everything they do is stupid, is just that.

I am so sick and tired of neo-liberals tacking a stance which basically amounts to "exactly the opposite of what the Republicans want".

That said, I fear that the only thing that will ever wake up the left is when a bomb goes off in their backyard and kills someone they love. Of course, they'll just blame that the policies of the current administration. They forget that 9/11 wasn't planned or conceived during the Bush administration, it was planned during the Clinton (queue majestical heavenly music) administration.

Noahdaddy said...

You're nuts.

The Zwicker said...

Don't forget ignorant, racist and self-hating sexual deviant.

Noahdaddy said...

That all went without saying.