Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Never Talk Religion or Politics with Your Friends

How often have I been warned by people I know and in some cases they are right because some people are emotionally unstable and will harm you if you do not agree with them. They will try to make you a social outcast for expressing views that fail to be their own. These individuals don’t really want to hear you views because they can never truly listen to them.

Now I talk politics all of the time on this blog and sometimes I even commit on religious issues that are dealt with in the local and federal government. I make people angry with me because of my view point on some issues.

Partisan politics are the result of us failing to be able to calmly listen to other viewpoints. Common ground can only be reached when we stop yelling at each other and start listen to the other side of the issues. Being unable or unwilling to give and take can only result in a smaller party. Sometimes you even have to agree to disagree on issues.

I am sure that some of my friends on facebook will no longer call themselves friends of mine after this week because they fail to be able to talk religion and related politics without becoming angry and hateful towards anyone that cannot totally agree with their view point.

I lost one friend a week ago because he wanted to treat me like a social outcast because of my expressing my viewpoint during a political meeting. I will not be friends with someone who can so publicly disrespect me. I did not demand or expect him to side with me on the issue but at the same time I would not allow a friend to disrespect me in public either. I am a person and you can be nice to me without agreeing with every view I hold on issues.

The Democratic Party is the big tent of issues and we do not all agree on every issue but to treat someone badly or disrespectfully because of their views on issues can only in the long term harm our party. I hold no personal anger toward anyone that disagrees with me on issues. As a matter of fact I hang out with lawyers because I enjoy the ability to talk issues without taking it personally.