From: derekbill@allsummerlong.com   
      
   In article <22847-4172FAB7-135@storefull-3138.bay.webtv.net>, Doug   
   Burrell  wrote:   
      
   > >derekbill@allsummerlong.com (Derek A. Bill)   
   >   
   > >Fair enough. At times like this I understand   
   > > why it's good advice not to discuss politics or   
   > > religion in mixed company.   
   >   
   > I've never had any problems discussing politics or religion in mixed   
   > company.  But, then again, I don't insult those to whom I'm speaking.   
   > Also, I'm very thick-skinned and have a sense of humor about myself, so   
   > I'm not easily offended.  I would only suggest to you that if your   
   > interest is in changing someone's mind about things, then you're going   
   > about it all wrong.  One thing you tend to do is generalize people.  You   
   > might be surprised about some of my views on politics and religion.  I   
   > definitely don't walk the party line.   
      
   Denial, like bad tradition, often dies only when the resident host   
   succumbs. I'm less interested in trying to change people's minds than I   
   am in exposing the flaws in their arguments. So much right-wing garbage   
   has gone unanswered for so long, many people don't even realize there's   
   a rebuttal. Fortunately, progressive radio is changing that.   
      
   As for insults.....nothing is more insulting than being lied to with a   
   smile. Your President is at once a laughingstock and a perceived danger   
   to the vast majority of literate people in other countries. I'm   
   insulted when the citizens of other nations assume that, as an   
   American, I'm a party to Bush's incumbency.   
      
   You may recall (or if you review our entire conversation here you will   
   see), that my gripe isn't with Republicans. It's with people who vote   
   for Bush. In fact, the first paragraph I wrote on this subject was an   
   indictment of the Bush vs. McCain primary battle in which Bush used   
   outright lies and smear tactics to defeat a more worthy opponent. A war   
   hero. Sound familiar?   
      
   My father was a moderate Republican, and an elected official. His last   
   vote went to Nixon in '72, a man who did more harm to the Republican   
   Party than anyone in history, until now.  At least in that instance   
   Nixon hadn't been exposed until after the election....giving those who   
   voted for him some excuse.......Bush is a profoundly different story.   
      
   > >And i'm sorry if i've offended anyone. My   
   > > quandary is that when i read posts that I feel   
   > > go too far, i feel the need to respond in kind.   
   > > Then perhaps i go too far. I don't know for   
   > > sure.....only time will tell.   
   >   
   > Nah, I'm not offended.  Now, if someone I respected said such things to   
   > me...  :)   
      
   Well, then you probably won't be offended when, as the next two weeks   
   unfold, major newspapers across the country fail to endorse the   
   incumbent (I'll go out on a really short limb right now and predict   
   that he'll get fewer endorsements than any incumbent in the last 100   
   years).   
      
   > >And by the way....listen to your Mother.   
   > >Doug   
   >   
   > My mother is a repubican, too.  Are you sure you want me to listen to   
   > her?   
      
   Assuming she can see that Bush is doing more harm to an otherwise   
   generally decent party than any liberal could, yes, by all means please   
   do listen to her.   
      
   Derek   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)