Wednesday, November 05, 2008

double standard

**just a note. I have never figured out why blogger adds all these extra spaces in some of my posts. If after I click Publish, you have to scroll through a bunch of blankness to get to my profound words of wisdom and insight, please accept my apologies and blame it on blogger. cause I've deleted them out more than once!!!**

A comment recently has provoked some thought on my part. Blondie thanked me for allowing her to be open about her political views here by writing about my own.

I was confused about why she would be unwilling or uncomfortable to share her views in her own blog. Then I remembered my own hesitation before I opened my bloggy mouth and let loose with my opinions about all things Politics Schmolotics.

I didn't want any flaming comments, telling me to keep my conservative Christian, hate-mongering ideas to myself. (I should have known better. I've never received a lot of comments and have very few subscribers/followers. Why would this be different?) But I've never been smart enough to know when to keep my mouth shut (bloggy or otherwise), so I let it out, daring commenters to force me to delete their ugly comments.

And, by the way, I've never had to delete any comments. Y'all have always been very kind and courteous and well-behaved. Thankyouverymuch.

Yet I'm still bothered by Blondie's comment. Why in the world would she (or anyone!) hesitate to share their opinions and beliefs in this often anonymous, relatively safe environment known as blogging? ESPECIALLY when the bloggers who believe differently do not hesitate at all.

Why is it ok to share your left of center beliefs and NOT ok to share when you fall to the right of center?

Are those that have more liberal viewpoints so insecure that they can't tolerate any opposition, so they attack and insult and belittle those who disagree with them?
Is tolerance a trait that is correct when it is applied exclusively to individuals who live alternate lifestyles? Or espouse ideologies that "include and accept" everyone (everyone except conservatives)?
Is hate and abuse the only way that liberals know how to process opposing ideas?

Aren't they constantly trying to sell us on the idea that only the liberals love everyone and value everyone and accept everyone and respect everyone and that conservatism teaches the opposite of all that?
Am I the only one who sees the paradox there?



If I weren't so sleepy, I'd be able to ask more rhetorical questions about this. But I've rambled enough. I just hate that Blondie felt unsafe in sharing her views on her own blog. But I'm glad she came here and felt the safety that we should all share with each other - conservative or liberal.

One last thing. You should really read this post. (I followed BooMama's instructions and clicked over. We should all do what BooMama says.) The opening 6 paragraphs pretty much summed up my feelings and how I explained it to Sissy, who was terribly disappointed in the election results.


There may be a time when it might be fun to be able to say "I told you so" to those who elected Obama, wishing for failures and troubles and struggles. But to wish those things would be wrong for our country. To harbor those feelings in our hearts would be toxic to our lives. To say those words would be fatal to our testimonies.


Go on now and be salt and light.



Do it for these two.






And these two...



And these two...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your rhetorical questions were spot on. Love and acceptance only goes as far as the edge of their ideas. Though they don't have a corner on intolerance, I do think that their tent is the smaller one.

Super B's Mom said...

Amen sister. AMEN.

Unknown said...

Well, crap. I just typed a three paragraph response and accidentally lost it. I am listening to a CE online at the same time and, obviously, my multi-tasking skills are lacking tonight!

I should say that I am VERY vocal about my political beliefs (and the faith behind them) in my real life. There is no fear of sharing or retribution, even amongst the liberals in my life. In my blog life, I don't have a lot of traffic that doesn't already know me. For those people, they will be hearing my views for the second, third, or tenth time!

I am also still trying to figure out my bloggy "voice", if you will. The blog started as a way to keep our families informed of various things (most are in AL, we are in NC). It then morphed into a sort of homeschooling blog. I haven't talked politics just because it was the one place where I could be with family and it NOT immediately turn to politics (and arguing, cussing, etc.).

Also, there may be a few readers that I don't know, and I am not willing to deal with what www.misswisabus.com has had recently. She has received nasty comments and hate emails because of her vocal bloggy support of McCain.

Will things change? Will I one day openly blog about the socialist state of the US? Maybe, who knows. But I still say thanks for letting me be able to take out my frustrations in the comment section of your blog!

(BTW, my husband would have just typed "fear of rejection" in the comments - 'nuff said.)

And, finally, War Eagle! (Poor Auburn football...)