Posts Made By: Gerald Miller

Originally Posted by Greg Shaffer

SNORT!.....How is the weather in your alternative reality?

Hot.

Ok, thanks. I do appreciate it.

Be safe.

Originally Posted by Greg Shaffer

I am thinking this is what the left sees when they think of Trump?

Actually, it's more like this corrected:

Originally Posted by Greg Shaffer

Bolded is 95% of the issue for both of us I imagine. I base my political perspective in reason and logic and simply cannot comprehend those who allow their perspective to be ruled by emotionalism. Regardless of intentions the general rule is and always will be in my mind that if you allow your emotions to rule no matter how well intentioned, it will result in unintended consequences that are usually not good.

 I absolutely agree with you. That reptilian part of the brain unfortunately seems to rule the day most of the time.

Originally Posted by Greg Shaffer

That explains a lot.....that is a ridiculously skewed perspective lol

I'm not serious. But man, that's a good example of a waste of skin.

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

Hey Superman,  


What is your opinion on this:


https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/01/07/obama-campaign-fined-big-for-hiding-donors-keeping-illegal-donations

Excess campaign contribution from Americans= civil violation with civil penalties.
Campaign contributions from foreign sources = criminal violation with criminal penalties.

That is what differs the two violations.

Richard,

Demonizing your opponents with such nonsense in harmful. Ok, call me one of your "leftists" although I'm simply a middle of the road democrat. But let me tell you, most of what you wrote is simply not true.

But here's what's true of most of those just like me-not on the far left, but a Democrat in the middle.

"They (Dems) want abortion on Demand and they want YOU and I as taxpayers to pay for it."

Abortion is a horrible method of birth control. And either you think it's murder or you don't. Nothing is going to change that. Outlawing it won't stop it and neither will criminalizing it. It won't effect me personally and I don't care one way or the other. I hate it, but I also hate, well, the hate I see here focused on those that don't think the same, and not much I can do about that either. I don't want taxpayers to pay for it.

"They (Dems)  hate cops and want to Nationalize the police."  

No, they don't. And they don't want a police state. Most cops are decent people in an underpaid job. Some are not so decent. That's part of being human. 

"They (Dems) support Antifa the radical left wing group of Anarchists who burn cars, destroy property, and beat people up." 

Nope. Wrong again. We don't support anarchists or any violent act but I do agree we are anti-fascist. Everyone should be. If you don't believe me, look at Germany and Italy in the last century and what nationalism and fascism did to the world. You want that to happen? It could, very easily. History has a way of repeating itself-and what is going on today is exactly the same as other fascists have done in the past to gain power. Why? Because it works.

"They (Dems) want to kill the 1st amendment and Free speech and are doing so on College Campuses.  They believe they have the right to control what you and I say." 

Nope. Wrong again. You can say whatever you want. It is a bit disconcerting to see you attack anyone not marching to your way of belief as a delusional anarchist, but you are free to spout whatever you want. Wouldn't have it any other way.

"They (Dems) want to bring back the "fairness doctrine", which will enable them to be able to control the speech of talk radio pundits, because their Air America Radio Network was  a complete failure."

This one I agree with you (except for the Air America, which I don't know anything about). Media giants are a dangerous threat to our democracy. Fair access won't allow control, just equal access. They can say whatever they want-which they currently do 24/7 to promote one agenda. It doesn't matter if it's left based or right based, either is dangerous for our survival as a democracy.

"They (Dems) want to abolish the 2nd Amendment and take away your guns and my guns.  They prefer a police state, run by radical liberals."

Limited gun control, yes. Most people can't figure out why we need to allow any nut to go buy a weapon designed for mass killing of human beings and then use it specifically for the purpose for which it was designed almost on a daily basis. On the other hand, that doesn't mean we believe in taking away all your guns. That's simply nonsense. As for a police state, again, complete nonsense.

"They (Dems) are avowed socialists and they hate the capitalist system." 

No, we are not avowed socialists. They are called socialists. We are democrats. The two are not the same. And we don't hate the capitalist system. I've been a part if it for all my life. This argument of the right is nothing new. I have a copy of our local newspaper from the day I was born-June 12, 1953. Eisenhower was President and the headline reads "President Slaps at 'Creeping Socialism' of Democrats." The article quotes him saying "...the nation runs a great risk if that group (Democrats) get control again". Seems they did get control, several times, without a disaster. It's a tired story that the GOP never gets tired of repeating, and they've been making the same argument since 1945.

"They (Dems) want to turn over our sovereignty to the fate of the World Court." 

No, we don't.

"They (Dems) are globalists and the don't subscribe to having immigrants assimilate into this country, but want to offer up MORE FREE gov't goodies to Illegal Aliens on the backs of hardworking American taxpayers." 

Actually, I'm not sure what a globalist even is. Is it taking into consideration what is going on globally that effects or impacts our country? If that's the case, then guilty. The world these days is a small place, and we cannot isolate ourselves from that realty. We don't want to offer up free goodies to anyone, although I will admit helping others in need may be a characteristic of a democrat, and if that's the case, I'm proud to be one.

"They (Dems) do their best to destroy entire industries like Coal energy."

Actually, the natural gas industry did that for coal as plants transitioned to cleaner and cheaper natural gas energy production. Democrats had little to do with it but I admit they certainly discouraged it, as dirty and polluting coal is something that probably should be eliminated since there are other methods of creating energy that are cleaner and cheaper. Such changes in industry have been going on since the dawn of the industrial age, and unfortunately there will always be such those who suffer when technology or demand for the product they produce changes. Burning coal increases global warming whether you believe it or not. Science doesn't care what anyone believes; rather it is what it is.

It's like we are in a marriage where love and respect for each other has turned to hate, and when that happens, it is hate that has no boundaries.  I seen divorces where former loving couples literally lose everything they own simply because they hated each other so much and fought over every single issue-and both always seemed to find the worst and most unethical lawyers to do the bidding that only cared for how much they could bill the client to self destruct then walked away laughing in the end. 

In a way, the right verses the left is a similar relationship. We are stuck with each other, so we better learn to live together because neither is going away.  If we can't learn to respect each other, and all of us require common decency and honesty in those we elect to run our country as values that each and everyone of us should believe in and share, we will self destruct.

Demonizing your opponents is ultimately and absolutely harmful to our democracy.  It is that same demonizing and hate, encouraged by the rhetoric of the last few weeks, that in all likelihood will be proven to be the driving force behind whoever is targeting those on the left today with bombs. Do you really want to live in a country where someone who disagrees with you sends you a bomb for breakfast? Because that's exactly the country we now live in. And that, Richard, is an act that is the very definition of anarchy no matter what the motive was by the sender.

Demonizing by anyone, on any side, is wrong and harmful.

Who will be the first to say enough, and stop and reach out to their fellow citizen to stand up for common decency and common ground to resolve the many problems facing our country rather than fighting among ourselves?

Why does morality, decency, and truthfulness become traits that we as a nation abandon?

If we don't stop the diatribe, we all will lose.

I don't see the first comment as anything but an observation I see here from comments made on this forum-not particularly by you. And I do hate it. What's wrong with hating hate?

The second is simply the truth. That's what you did. You said all democrats are anarchists by supporting the Antifa. How is what I said anything but repeating what you said? Sorry if that offended you.

I'll hold an olive branch out to you if you want. Someone has to be first. I promise not to call you any names or even mention you if that's what it takes.

I'm just sick of all the crap I see here, and everywhere, as our country goes to hell. I don't care whether its from the left, or right, or in between. Enough already! Let's get back to civility! What's it going to take? A war with another country to unite us? Or our ultimate downfall as a the once great nation we were in our place in the world?

Together we can accomplish the impossible. 

Fighting each other, we will go down. You, me, and everyone.  It won't matter whose side you are on when that happens.

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

I think they all (especially James) forgot that there was a shooting last year, and the target was ALL Republican men in the Senate and House.  The shooting nearly killed Steve Scalise, and the Perp it turned out was a Rabid Bernie Sanders Supporter.  

Funny how James, Rod, and Gerald never mentioned that event, or any of the Vitriol and Venom spewed by their political leadership in any of their postings. 

Par for the course!   

Hey, leave me out of this. I was't even posting here when that occurred but if I had been I would have condemned that cowardly act. As for any vitrioal or venom by anyone, I condemn that as well on both sides.

Equally, I condemn the guy who owns the van with all the GOP/Trump stickers arrested today for the attempted bombing of Democrats or others who Trump has been relentlessly targeting the last few months at his rallies. And I condemn FoxNews/Lou Dobbs for promoting the unsubstantiated theory it was a liberal who had done the act rather than focus on the reality that until the person arrested, the motive can not really be known (I think it's pretty clear from the guy's van he wasn't a liberal if he is guilty).

And, I condemn Trump as well as his supporters who join in and seem to relish in that same hateful and demonizing spirit. I condemn Trump for encouraging violence at his rallies, and his supporters who react to it with laughs and glee. In the same vein, I condemn any liberal or Democrat who does the same (sorry, I really can't specify anyone in particular because I just don't pay that much attention to all the crap being said by both sides).

Words by public officials and even public postings here have consequences, and I condemn anyone who demonizes someone else simply because they have a different political viewpoint.

The polarization and inability to see our common ground, rather than focus on our differences, will, in the end destroy us if we continue down this path. You can either keep up the hate and division, or you can try to reach out and find common ground. Ultimately, it's up to everyone of us which path our country takes.