+10
Well I will throw my 2 cents on all this political talk.
We live in an increasingly polarized society when it come to politics. We live in a "you are with us all in" politically, or not time. Moderate views are dying. Now while I certainly find it far easier to travel in the more conservative to libertarian crowds, I identify as an Independent. Why? Cuz I just don't fit in to either party.
Now naturally I am never going to really fit in with the hip uber liberal Bernie Sanders and the Clinton crowds. All I need mention is that over the past weekend I drove my pick up truck to the range, shot my AR-15 with full capacity magazines, had a damn good time then went to mass on Sunday and I will have more icy death stares pointed my way more then that time I ate a bucket of KFC at a PETA protest. No matter how much I say I want to preserve our parks or accept the gays, it is kinda hard to rub elbows with folk when they think I am an ignorant redneck. Which is ironic since my folks are New Yorkers. Oy vey.
On the flip side, because of my previous military experience, hobbies, and current line of work I am very easy to get along with some pretty right wing cats. I get along great with the Limbaugh and Hannity crowd. But issues will arise when my pro gay marriage and anti death penalty views come to light. The anti death penalty stuff might actually get some folks to try and have me kicked out of Texas. If the guy is locked up tighter then Scrooge's coin purse in the beginning of the Christmas Carol, I see no reason to execute a guy.
Now you would think I would be a sure in for the Libertarian crowd, and for a while I thought I was. But as a cop not only do I have a VERY different opinion with libertarians on the drug issue (you see a lot of stuff in my line of work), but lets just say certain very extreme members of the libertarian spectrum are not exactly police friendly.
So here I stand. One schmuck as an island in a sea of what seems to be an increasingly polarized society. Part of this is due to the culture we now live in. We live in a society where it is deemed socially acceptable to demonize the opposition. You can't just disagree and debate, you need to destroy now a days. Freedom of thought and the free exchange of ideas in a civil manner are damn near extinct thanks to the extremes on either side. Especially on the internet. Go to any chat board, forum, or comment section for the major political blogs whether it be the uber Liberal Salon or Breitbart and if you voice an honest opinion disagreeing with the whatever is posted expect to be personally attacked. Go to Brietbart and say something remotely pro liberal or the very least a backhanded compliment to the Democrats expect to be attacked. Go tot he Huffington Post and say something that can be deemed the slightest bit conservative and the SJW sharks will swoop in to attack. And this is just beyond the normal A-holes on the net. Thanks to the anonymity of the net it is acceptable to be downright cruel and even cheer for the deaths of those who just happen to have a different opinion. I got issues with some of the points made by Anita Sarkeesian but there is no reason to call for death threats. You may think Limbaugh is an brainless A-Hole, but that is no reason to wish for him to die if he gets heart surgery. Sad part is, both of the last two actually happened. All you have to do is surf through Twitter to find them. And people do it for STUPID stuff too. Scarlett Johanson becomes a spokesman for a make you own soda at home company. The company is based in Israel, so that means she hates the Palestinians, and she must be destroyed. Richard Dreyfus goes to a Ted Cruz rally because he wants to hear the man speak from his own mouth. Richard walks away still thinking Cruz is wacky, but just GOING to the rally apparently apparently is an endorsement. We need to attack Matt Hooper now!
It is not just the internet. Just look at the mainstream news. No longer is there straight news. Now each major new channel like Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC have to carve out niches. Fox News caters to the more Conservative crowd, MSNBC is so far left into the Progressive spectrum their tagline is "Lean Forward" and even CNN had to have it's own spat with MSNBC and Fox just to try and compete. And here I am stuck trying to decipher all the BS.
Said polarization has spread to the political field. Just look at the political races the last few years. The last few have been pretty brutal. But the one we are having right now is making McCain v Obama look like kindergarten kids fighting. And that political race had people attacking a toddler with down syndrome just to get to the kid's mom!
Sad part is NO ONE wants to listen to people who try to bring SOME decorum or SOME civility to the political stage. Whether it be news, the internet, or running for office. Mostly because that does not get votes or sell these days. What does sell is opponent A is Hitler or opponent B is a socialist. Unless it is Bernie Sanders, who described himself as a socialist.
The sooner we can be able to have CIVIL discussions about politics the better. And while debates may get heated, I think we can reach the point where we can discuss politics, disagree, think the other side is a bunch of idiots, but can walk away without the need to try and destroy the person with the opposing viewpoint.
Last edited by The Gunslinger45; 03-20-16 at 10:20 PM.