Guy on the Plane

[Not Afraid]

I love this quote, but I think the word "children" is too limiting.

Instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful. Margaret Mead

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I think that what limits my point of view is that I'm very uncomfortable with hypocracy. It's like how some people freak out over dust mites. I know that I'm riddled with it, and that it's all over the place, but I can't accept it.

When I realized that the political party that I had joined did not believe what I believed, I left. When I found that my new political party did not believe what I believed, I abandoned it too. When I came to terms with the fact that my religion held assertions that opposed my own assertions about life, I dropped it.

It may seem very black and white, but how could I sleep at night otherwise? You can't pick and choose. Either you want the Republican party to succeed or you don't. If the Republican party succeeds, we have bans on gay marriage. Many states already have this in place. Either you believe the bible was written with the influence of God, or you don't. The bible says that homosexuals should be killed. If God wrote it, how could you live with that?

I can see what € said about fighting from within, but after what I've seen the Republicans do in the past few years, I am convinced that there is no changing the basic tenets of the party. For crying out loud, it's 2006, and they're still trying to put religion back into public schools.

If this guy is happy, I guess there's nothing I can say about it. But from my perspective, he is a tool of the right. He is being used. He is not going to fix anything; instead, he is empowering his oppressors.

I'm willing to bet that there are people out there who would feel that I'm a tool empowering my oppressors. It's all about perspective.

[Not Afraid]

For me, I rarely see the world in black and white. It's all about shades of gray and rarely do I actually witness black and white. Maybe it comes with the grey hair, but I see a lot more fascination with shades of grey than I ever did with black and white. (Except for the hair - all grey must go!)

[€uroMeinke]

Political Parties are collective entities made up of individuals - there are both similarities and differences. Look at party platforms over time and you'll see they are hardly as concrete as the pretend to be.

Of course, as an anarchist I reject all collective entities including this one.

[blueerica]

Yes, I hate being a part of an entity, but by being human, I am automatically registered into a collective somehow, am I not?

I abandoned political parties long ago, as I also abandoned my willingness to worry about what strangers do, think, or feel. I'd rather look at the actions of others as quixotic, and leave it at that. Or perhaps plunge deeper into the story and learn where it is that one soul came from that dropped him to where he is today.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I know about the shades of grey, but it's a fact - if the Republicans are in power, lots of things happen that I don't agree with. If the Democrats are in power, same deal. This is why I do not belong to either of them, and could not even accept the Libertarian party to a full degree.

I don't like joining things that I can't fully support.

ETA: I myself AM a shade of grey. I am neither here nor there on a lot of issues, which is why I don't commit to them.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by blueerica

I abandoned political parties long ago, as I also abandoned my willingness to worry about what strangers do, think, or feel. I'd rather look at the actions of others as quixotic, and leave it at that. Or perhaps plunge deeper into the story and learn where it is that one soul came from that dropped him to where he is today.

Totally. I found this guy so facinating, I wish I could have questioned him on it. I knew I wouldn't be able to do it though, and wisely kept my mouth shut before I dug myself a hole.

Chalk it up to another episode of people watching.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by blueerica

Yes, I hate being a part of an entity, but by being human, I am automatically registered into a collective somehow, am I not?

I abandoned political parties long ago, as I also abandoned my willingness to worry about what strangers do, think, or feel. I'd rather look at the actions of others as quixotic, and leave it at that. Or perhaps plunge deeper into the story and learn where it is that one soul came from that dropped him to where he is today.

Wise words, woman.

[Capt Jack]

dunno. personally, I think maybe you should have said something/asked. I'm willing to bet you'd be far from the first. I'm also willing to bet the guy has more than one really good comeback/answer to the numerous (and Im sure often substantially less polite) detractors he MUST encounter in any and/or all of his affiliated groups. No way........NO...POSSIBLE...WAY he hasnt had to address exactly your concerns at some point.

Very openly gay catholic republican? yeah, hes had to defend himself/knock someone down a notch or two/educate more than one person Im sure. chances are hes pretty good at it


I'd have been curious to hear what he'd have to say.

[tracilicious]

You have a lot more self control than I do, CP. I would have delved deeper. Not out of judgement, just curiousity. I get myself in trouble with that though. I encountered a Collie rescuer at the Scottish Highland Games last weekend who had her dogs debarked. When I asked how that affected them socially, she said, "They like it because they don't get the crap beat out of them for barking." I was like, uh...