Gotta bring this up

[Pyrite Gal]

I see that I've started a political debate here, dividing 'liberals' and 'conservatives'

 

This was not my intention.

 

My level of patriotism is very balanced.

 

There are good things about this country and there are bad things, you enjoy the good while trying to improve the bad.

 

My point in the 'Nazi' remark was that I didn't want anyone on this board to accidentally perceive me as someone who spends ALL of their free time acting as some sort of patriotism watchdog, looking to judge everyone else based on their level of expressed patriotism and then express extreme hatred towards those who choose to dissent.

 

The 'Nazi' remark was more to illustrate the level of zeal that some possess when dealing with issues.

 

To all 'liberals' and 'conservatives (I consider myself neither) there are zealots on every level, left or right and whoever they are they make ALL of us look quite stupid.

 

I did not interpret your remarks in a way that would make your analogy make no sense. I interpreted it to mean that just as the Nazis were so focused on symbolism to support their views of what they called the Fatherland, so too you are not one of those American patriots who get so caught up in preserving and worshiping the symbols of our country that they are quite willing to destroy the American right to use these symbols even stupidly in their ranting protests.

 

One of the side effects of folks pursuing the good ol American task of making money by attracting listeners and viewers to their shows and network by consistently ranting against evil forces undermining the American way is that they constantly depict opposing forces as advocating dumb things which are simplistic interpretations of opposing views.

 

I certainly would feel folks from Lou Dobbs at CNN to Bill O'Reilly at Fox would really demonstrate they had half a brain if they would do something beside choose to interpret opposing views in the most nonsensical way they can and then they easily beat back the straw men arguments they have set up and then try to claim that this proves everything they believe is correct.