can you talk politics w/o getting personal?

[HollyS]

ladies and gentlemen...
introducing the next President of the U.S. Holly S.....

You don't want my finger anywhere near The Button!

 

[Arkteia]

It is possible if we can avoid personal attacks. Potentially it should be easy but anonymity of Internet stirs up this soup all the time. Numbers, data and statistics make things less personal.

 

[Pandora II]

SO and I have very different views and get along fine. It probably helps that we're both law students and forced to evaluate/defend our positions all the time, so when we get into disagreements, they're not personal but more academic.

I think you can hold different views on particular topics - for example I'm a staunch monarchist and DH is an equally staunch republican - but often your political views will colour your values and the kind of life you want to lead... obviously it depends just how important political standpoints are to you.

I have friends whose political views lead them to feel that private schools are bad for society as a whole as bright and committed parents aren't putting their efforts into the local state schools and that it is divisive and gives those who can pay an unfair advantage. Even if they have the money and the local state schools are dire they will choose it because their philosophy is that important to them. I have no such qualms, but would find being married to someone with those kinds of values impossible to live with comfortably - on the other hand I'm happy to argue the toss with my friends till the cows come home!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Yes, I can always walk away, no hard feelings and agree to disagree. MY Father was head of the Republican party in Philadelphia, and remember him having big issues with peoples thoughts. I didn't lke any of that, so walked away thinking there had to be a better way.. My son is a HUGE republican, he has issues with how I feel. I just say.... Deal with it.. I can't change how I think...

Kaleigh...nice job of raising one fine son...

 

[Imdanny]

Oh, yes, but it takes a great deal of effort, so much effort that I usually don't talk politics at all these days.

Maybe people have changed their minds about political topics on these internet forums over a period of years, but I think if change happens it happens slowly and I've seen none recently.

I was getting so bored with the same people saying the same things over and over. It's like person X had a rubber stamp saying "CENTRIST" and no matter what the topic, he rubber stamped the thread, "CENTRIST," and so on.

I'm pretty good at discussing or debating politics, believe it or not, but lately it feels like 1. banging one's head into a wall and 2. doing it for no good reason because who cares what a bunch of people on some forum have to say about politics, especially when they're so often debating with themselves like self-important fools.

 

[soberguy]

To be honest... I'm not sure lol! I have been severely attacked for being a homosexual who is extremely conservative... It makes having a grown up conversation sans personal attacks very nearly impossible. "But... you're gay..." That's all I ever hear... I am a very staunch Constitutionalist.

 

[HollyS]

To be honest... I'm not sure lol! I have been severely attacked for being a homosexual who is extremely conservative... It makes having a grown up conversation sans personal attacks very nearly impossible. "But... you're gay..." That's all I ever hear... I am a very staunch Constitutionalist.

I believe that is another good reason to like you.

 

[kenny]

To be honest... I'm not sure lol! I have been severely attacked for being a homosexual who is extremely conservative... It makes having a grown up conversation sans personal attacks very nearly impossible. "But... you're gay..." That's all I ever hear... I am a very staunch Constitutionalist.

Yeah, it sucks that people stereotype about gays.
Gay is as meaningless as brown hair.

 

[Imdanny]

It sucks when people have bizarre prejudices against gays that they express without even realizing they're doing it. It's condescending, ignorant, and rude.

I don't think it's "personal." It just is what it is, a kind of condescending, bigoted, blindness.