I have had the privilege of getting to know a guy approximately my age that could not be more different than me ideologically. To call this guy “granola” would be an understatement. Having said that, while he and I have completely different lifestyles and views, I walk away from my conversations with him with a positive outlook. All I have ever asked of people is that they be intellectually honest, and treat people decently.
This fellow is more than a vegetarian. He is a vegan. He also lives the green lifestyle that others merely talk about. He drives a car that runs on vegetable oil. He even owns shirts that are made out of hemp (My lack of knowledge on the subject made me ask him if he could be arrested for that, but apparently teenagers have yet to figure out how to get high from smelling their own shirts. They will have to stick to sniffing detergent).
He once asked me to try avocado chips made from some derivative of something Earthy. They were terrible, and my mouth needed an hour to recover. However, I do not regret trying them because a little openmindedness goes a long way.
I think of this fellow from time to time because I have seen him be subjected to ruthless “teasing” about his diet and other habits. One day it got so bad that he told me in private “I am just a guy trying to live his life.” Folks, the guy is a human being. He is not a lunatic, and he has never once criticized me for eating red meat. In fact, because of his tolerant nature, I have asked him questions and found his answers about his dietary habits insightful. Although being a vegan is not a “religion,” per se, I have found commonalities between veganism and Jewish (kosher) dietary laws. For example, both the vegan and the kosher Jew would say that if a piece of meat somehow comes in contact with the cheese (or in the case of the vegan prehaps just the bread), then the whole meal is tainted, and should not be eaten. Different vegans would have different answers, but there are many levels, as with religion.
I say this because I have been the victim of ideological bigotry on many occasions. I have often written about liberal intolerance towards conservatives. On many occasions I have screamed “I am a human being for crying out loud.” It is very easy to see it when it is directed at us, but if society is improved, we have to stick up for everybody. So here are some things that decent people already understand, but zealots again need to be reminded about.
1) Being Pro-choice does not make you a baby killer. Being Pro-life does not make you anti-woman. This is a complex issue with many shades of gray.
2) Being against the Iraq War does not make you unpatriotic. Being for the war does not make you a jingoistic, bloodthirsty imperialist. My friend had boots on the ground, and he is against it. I am from a military family, and I am in favor of it. Both of us have sound principles, and that is to be respected.
3) Being for affirmative action does not make one anti-white, and being against it does not make one anti-black.
4) Being for gay marriage does not make one gay, or anti-God. Being against it does not make one anti-gay.
5) Having a crush on Rupaul does not make one abnormal. Actually, yes it does. I threw that in to see who was paying attention.
6) Eating animals does not make one a murderer, and refusing to eat them does not make one a freak.
The list could go on and on, but the point is made. What many Americans on the fringes do not grasp is that most Americans do not hate people. They want to just live their lives. In the 1960s, democratic President LBJ and republican majority leader Everett Dirksen liked each other. They would bash each other on television, and then privately share scotch while joking about who got in the best line of the day, and who would get the best line in the next day. Hannity and Colmes disagree fiercely, but they like each other as human beings. They have publicly said so. Rush Limbaugh and Bill Clinton yesterday were in the same restaurant by coincidence. They were pleasant to each other. They may not like each other, but they did not need to be torn apart like they were NBA basketball players. They shook hands.
The mock outrage of politicians on televsion is acting. It is theatre (although the Korean legislature and their fistfights are real, and much more entertaining). I do not expect this individual and I to have much in common on politics, but we can still get along fine.
I fought against Bill Clinton in the political arena for eight years. I prayed for him when he had his heart surgery, since my father has had that as well. I will do everything I can to defeat Hillary Clinton, but if I meet her, of course I will be respectful and polite. The political does not have to be the personal.
Liberals today can be against everything President Bush stands for, but stop calling him a liar. He is a good, decent man who simply has a different view of the world. Tearing a man down, destroying him, and grinding him into dust to win the next election comes at a heavy price. It becomes an endless cycle of personal destruction.
Lastly, even if I disagree with someone 99%, that 1% we have in common could make for one great friendship. One of my liberal friends loves football. Of course he likes the team I hate most, but how can I not like a guy that believes sundays are for the NFL?
The ultimate goal is to make the world a better place. Those who are sincerely trying to do so in a kind, decent way, without hurting others should be applauded, not condemned. For those who wish to rant and rave about lies, illegal wars based on lies, illegally appointed presidents, and other such nonsense, just know that your hate speech contributes to the poisonous atmosphere that corrodes our society.
Nobody has had a worse life by making a friend. I will respect how you live your life, and you will do the same. This is not optional.
eric
* Applause* This is an excellent article. I must admit that sometimes I get carried away when trying to make my point, but I do try to do it respectfully. Sometimes I fail and sometimes I don’t. My position is that I keep trying and sooner or later, I will succeed.
While I appreciate most of your article I must draw the line at the “baby-killer” part. I can agree that Affirmative Action and taxes and “entitlements” are debatable and that I often loose my cool and abuse people with whom I disagree. This is wrong and stupid of me, so I really do agree with most of your points.
But should I respect those who favor the legal killing of black people? How about Jews? To me the “pro-choice” person does not respect the lives of others, the unborn, and I can not respect their position, which is essentially that one human’s rights trump the rights of another.
Life can be made worse by making a friend. I avoid the criminal, for obvious reasons, but I also avoid “Leftists” because we are in almost complete opposition. I have ended “friendships” with people who call our soldiers murderers or idiots or worse. My life is better without these negative influences. I will not be friends with Nazis or Islamists, either, for similar reasons.
Barry Goldwater said “Extremism in the defense of freedom is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of liberty is no virtue.” and I could not agree more, respectfully, of course.
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