Replies

To all my new friends in the Free Republic:

Thank you for your kind comments on my comment to the WSJ on right-wing polarization. Unfortunately,nearly all of you have proved my point.

My solution to polarization is to tone down the rhetoric, something which you folks need to do. I didn't question Jim's sanity or loyalty etc. I did not attack him personally. I only pointed out the damage I believe his intemperate comments cause to political discourse in this country. After viewing your comments, I do have to wonder:Do any of you really care about this country or do you just have nothing to do with your time but take out your frustration at your boss, spouse, etc. on those with whom you disagree politically?

I acknowledge that I don't have all the answers to all political questions and that liberals aren't always right or have perfect virtue. We liberals don't have a monopoly on Truth (an oligopoly, perhaps). Are any of you honest enough to make the same admission about yourselves and your views?

Only one of you noticed that I read conservative sources. Only one other, the one who talked about liberal rationalism and the Enlightenment, tried to give me a sensible response to my comment. For the rest of you, are you so unsure of your beliefs that you can respond to criticism only by indulging in puerile, ad hominem attacks?

For the record:

I am NOT an atheist, Marxist, Communist,
fascist,traitor,crook saboteur, a practicing thespian or vegetarian. I AM a liberal Democrat and proud of it! I do NOT regard George W. Bush as the latest incarnation of Adolph Hitler who personally planned the 9/11 attacks nor do I regard the GOP's purpose as instituting a crypto-fascist Christian theocracy. I do not believe Bush invaded Iraq solely to give a boost to Halliburton stock. I do not believe Bush to be a greater enemy to the US than Bin Laden. I love this country just as much as you folks say you do and I have nothing but respect for our Constitution (I've spent years studying it)and our way of life.

I was only a mile from the Trade Centers on 9/11 and
witnessed the second plane hit the South Tower.I then saw both Towers go down. It was a truly horrifying experience. None of you should have to see something like that. I regard Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda as the enemies of humanity and that Islamism is the greatest threat to our way of life since Soviet Communism.

I am writing this response in an attempt, hopefully not futile, to make you folks see that liberal Democrats like me are not your enemy. We may disagree, and, to be sure, we may phrase our disagreements sharply, but, for God's sake, let's NOT treat each other like garbage.

From Hal 2004 in Brooklyn

P.S. I did not use a sentence fragment in my WSJ reply. I used a statement that followed a colon.