Dude — I’m a progressive and no, I’m not here to crash a party. I’m here to ask what the heck is going on with Palin? I’m stunned at the vicious attacks going on. This last article is sicko.
I sent homie poet a nice email and told him to STFU, you’ve just set us back 50 years.
I don’t understand the excessive polarization going on in our society. Civil conversation is no more and its out of control.
v. van houten
Listen and learn, is the best advise I have for you here at FR. Otherwise, you will be a VERY short-timer.
Thanks for standing up for common decency. Perhaps there's hope left we can live with and work out our political differences in a civil manner.
WELCOME to Free Republic.
From the very start, let me tell you that Conservatives are not in this political game to be divisive, nor to be paper-thin ideologues spewing pre-thought talking points. We do not live merely to throw Democrats into a tizzy simply because they are democrats. We live, rather, to ourselves enjoy, and to preserve what our Nation’s Founders risked everything to establish, and — where the bounds have been transgressed — to revert our government back to a finer adherence to those original ideals. We seek only to preserve the ideals that were given their finest voice in our Founding Documents: The Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution of the United States, and to pass to our posterity a Nation that adheres to them in at least the same degree as it did when we first came to know it. At the most basic, those ideals are that the God-given Freedom upon which this Nation was built cannot be had except that it be Individuals — not government — that is The Decider in the lives of citizens. This concept is well articulated in Lincoln’s description of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
Unfortunately, in seeking these things, we find ourselves at crossed purposes to many, many policy positions being articulated at DNC Headquarters. For example, President Obama prefers that government — not the Individual — gets to decide between fluorescent and incandescent; President Obama prefers that government — not the Individual — gets to decide between gas-powered and hybrid; and President Obama prefers that government — not the Individual — gets to decide between paying for adequate or minimal healthcare. That we are even forced to debate these things — and especially that we are having to tell government “Hell NO!” at all points (at great risk that they ram it all down our protesting throats, anyway) — would be incredibly odious to The Founders, and it is incredibly odious to us; to Conservatives seeking to preserve a real measure of Freedom, these looming government usurpations are anathema. We do not fight against these things because they are being advanced by Liberals and Democrats. We fight against these things because they are an egregious transgression against the personal Liberty that is the very beating heart of our Nation’s greatness.
So, from the outset, know that we need not carry forward as adversaries. As long as it is clear that you also aim to preserve the original Principles upon which America is established, and that your positions are simply an articulation of different means to that end, then we can freely discuss advantages and disadvantages.
If you, also, are able to participate in dialogue with reference to citations of fact to substantiate the positions you articulate, I see no reason why you would not be able to hang out and engage the great conversation.
Know that this may be a very great test to your personal patience, but I assure you that it will build your character if you can resist becoming reactionary in your replies.
Know also, however, that to the extent you advocate positions that undermine the Foundational Principles of this Nation, you will find no support, here. If you ask, we will be more than able to articulate exactly how what you espouse runs counter to Freedom, and Liberty, but you may well find yourself taxed to the limits of your patience unless you take upon yourself the mantle of the student, and design to hear far more than you speak.
We bear you no ill (though some things you may advocate are likely on our poop list), just know you’ll have to tread lightly, at first, and work to develop a reputation as one who is circumspect, principled, factual, and articulate in disagreement.
Happy posting!
I’m glad to see that some progressives have the decency to call out people like this.