Now that I'm coming out of the pre-reading fog, followed by the post-reading gloat, I'm coming back around to doing some political writing and thinking. Now, I'm very, very aware that this blog publishes to my Facebook page. My Facebook friends are a mixed bunch and I like it that way. I'm a raging progressive, full of piss and vinegar about leftist causes and issues. Some of my friends are to my left, some are to my right. I love all of them, no matter what and honor their thoughts and opinions. (And I'm not just saying that because I had a couple of glasses of wine, chatting with my roomie just now...)
In the world of Facebook, my friends sometimes interact and it can get heated. I think that's a good thing. Ideas should be questioned, buttons should be pushed. An opinion you won't defend, even with bullshit, isn't an opinion worth having, I say. But I also know that feelings get hurt, words are hurled and whatnot. I want to acknowlegde that. I throw some serious flames now and then, but I wanted to make a distinction. We seem to be moving into a period of very intense conversation, discussion, decision-making by our government about a great number of things and I want to be able to talk about it, blog about it, post about it and get feedback and start discussions and back-and-forths, but without anyone getting in a huff unduly. So I want to say something.
I love my Republican friends. I do. I love my conservative friends. I even love my libertarian friends. All with the same vigor and passion that I love my progressive, leftist, hippie, socialist friends. Like Walt Whitman, I hold multitudes and you are the armies of those I love. So trust that.
I want to make a distinction between people who vote Republican and Republicans, i.e. the elected and selected (sometimes self-selected) official voices of the Republican Party. I find Republicans often unpleasant, bizarre and, more often than not, off-putting. NOT the beliefs of People Who Vote Republican (though I have my disagreements there) but the words and actions of the Official Republican Party. So I'm drawing a line: when I'm mocking, shocked, outraged, in a state of disbelief, I'll try to draw a distinction between the Official Republican Party (i.e. The GOP) and People Who Vote Republican (i.e. PWVR). PWVR are cool with me, seriously. The GOP...not so much. Okay? When I post a link to a critical or mocking story, I A) won't take it personally if you don't read it, B) don't mean it personally and C) won't get angry if you post in defense. I just ask that you, PWVR, A) don't take it personally that I posted it, B) don't get angry if I spout off about it and C) defend your position if you feel like it. Is that cool?
I think we need to have dialogue in this country, real, true bipartisanship among the people, so that People Who Vote Republican and People Who Vote Democratic (and People Who Vote Working Parties, or Socialist Party USA and Green Party) can share ideas and thoughts safely and openly. Governing is a bit different, but that's a post for another day. I guess I'm just saying, in the immortal words of Rodney King, can't we all just get along?
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
