Quote:
Originally Posted by Gingerdeltaz
First I will identify myself as the lone conservative Republican commenting on this thread...so let the feeding frenzy begin. 
. . .
I will step off of my "soap box" now and end my rant with the hope that we can disagree in a civil manner. Thank you. |
I won't participate in the feeding frenzy -- as a moderate Democrat, I agree with almost all you said. I do, though, agree with others that the comparisons you make are apple and oranges, and I do tend to think that the 'left wing liberal" in "left wing liberal Samuel L. Jackson" risks moving away from the civil discourse you rightly call for. It seems to me that labels like "left wing liberal" and "right wing conservative" have pretty much ceased to have any meaning beyond the pejorative "extremist."
I would also say that I have seem some Tea Party rallies that made some Occupy protests I have seen look like garden parties -- the level of vitriol and, well I don't know how else to say it but ignorance about our government, was disconcerting to say the least. I'm certainly not saying all most Tea Party folks are like that, nor am I saying all Occupy protests are garden parties. I'm agreeing with your assessment that there are extremists and loonies at both ends of the political spectrum. I don't think it's helpful to have a contest on whose extremists are the looniest or scariest.
I do also think there is a tendancy among
all of us to think that the "other side" gets more of a pass from the media. Sometimes it may be true, but not always. There's Todd Akin, there's Anthony Weiner. As for the Palin kids, I have a hard time thinking a comparison to the Obama kids is apt. I don't think the Obama girls have being doing reality TV. Yes. as you say comments about Bristol Palin began earlier (though she was 18/almost 18 at the time), and as I recall, there was lots of condemnation from all quarters about those comments.
As for Samuel L. Jackson's tweet, accuracy matters. He didn't say anything about "wiping out" those in attendance at the GOP convention. He tweeted "Unfair S---t: GOP spared by Issac ! NOLA prolly F-----d Again. Not understanding God's plan!" (Later, he tweeted "Daayum! Poked a Hornets nest, hunh? Apologies to God, Tampa, da GOP& Isaac(sp)! Who played the Race card?!") Was he being funny or offensive (or both)? Certainly up for debate, and there's a lot of it out there. But he didn't speak of the possibility of "wiping out" those in attendance. Criticize what he said by all means, but if civil discourse is what we're after, let's not attack what he
didn't say or put what he didn't say in quotation marks.
Meanwhile, I heartily recommend (again)
Patriotic Grace: What It Is and Why We Need It Now by Peggy Noonan.
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