  so I got flamed today, by a guy who found my website on a google search string (so I don't think he knows the code of conduct for blogs), but still, it stung. What a jerk. Mean people suck. I can tell you, as a liberal woman who lives in the south, as a person with very conservative in-laws (who still blame me for turning their boy to the dark side, I didn't, I swear!
), and as a connoisseur of popular media, I'm more than used to confronting opposing opinions. Why did this guy get to me? Because I am surrounded by these types of individuals, I've increasingly quieted my distaste for their views, for the sake of preserving relationships. Not long ago I was at an age in which I thought silencing my views in front of anyone for any reason was selling out, but now I try to take time to ask questions in my head before engaging. I try to discern whether I have any chance of changing that person's mind, and whether sharing my views with that person is going to make them angry enough to firm their position against my own.
More often that not, the answers to these questions lead me to keep my mouth closed and meditate on seaweed while they talk. But this guy entered my turf, and probably on the wrongest wrong day at that. I'm still amid a giant struggle with close friends who are personally offended and aghast that my husband and I continue to protest in a time of war. Add to that the holidays which bring me into close proximity with all the aforementioned relatives, and a good dose of fatigue and hormones, and presto!
I can't hold in my feelings any more. Not only was the way in which this guy confronted me egregious, his position is abhorrent. What is it about conservatives that make them so sure of their position that if you don't hold it, you are morally inept? How is it that the party founded on a platform of small government wants to give the government enough power to legislate private, sexually-natured decisions, ranging from nude dancing to the morning after pill to, yes, *gasp* a woman's personal decision whether or not she can withstand a pregnancy? Why do the same people that promote decentralizing school systems and defunding social programs in the name of personal responsibility neglect to leave the most private and personal decision in womanhood up to personal responsibility? Here's the thing that gets me most. Why do people who say a pro-choice stance is killing babies and sinful support the death penalty and this country's current (and standard) foreign policy of shoot first, negotiate later.
And why do these people consider themselves more patriotic or right in their position because they'd line up to be the shooter or shot when I would not. Because they are willing to thoughtlessly die at the hands of a corrupt government and I am not, these individuals consider their position more right! And they consider their position unquestionable! Earlier this evening, my husband had a conversation with his Catholic family in which they discussed the Priest's request that the congregation buy items to support some group.
John said he'd have trouble with that, and all were clearly uncomfortable with the notion that John was questioning the Priest's decision to do or say something. I had a similar conversation with my own Catholic family members recently in which I respected their religion, but could not share in something that gave my kids the notion in any way that girls just aren't as special as boys. Same response. Priest's are clearly beyond questioning. In my head, this fosters the same tendency for corruption as not being able to question the government if we're at war. Our government was founded on the notion that questioning is always critical, it's like the central unit of power in a system of checks and balances.
Not questioning takes out the checks, and leaves it all unbalanced. There you go. That summarizes it. These people are unbalanced. I think that's enough raging for now. I guess I'll get used to getting flamed. As my hits continue to go up, it's only more likely. Bring it on. 
