REALITY?: Extremes

Been running into a lot of contrasting opinions. To me, often riding the middle rail and playing devil’s advocate is probably more wearying than taking a strong stand on either side of many of the issues. The Right has their Rush Limbaugh, the Left, Michael Moore. Liberals are upset about the Patriot Act spying and the government knowing which library books we take out while the Conservatives are more concerned about having a government with a medical data base on us. I can’t help remembering a lovely young lady I took a college class with who refused to reveal her choice of presidential candidate yet didn’t seem to think twice about letting the class know the status of her virginity. It’s about what’s personal, precious, or private to each individual and each one is different.

Even the very same event, the very same speech, an image locked onto film, is seen in 360 degrees of view, with the obvious 180 degree opposite being an inevitable part.

I try to remember not to try to convince anybody of anything. There are as many who believe I’m naive or ignorant as there are those who think instead that those folk are the ones who are clueless. Despite the intensity of disagreement, I’m grateful for the diversity of opinion, even the extremes. Though it’d be nice to keep the simmering from boiling over, it’s pretty clear to me that if someone can be so passionate about something, and this is assuming that a certain amount of knowledge of the situation is a part of it, there is value in that viewpoint. Nobody gets all het up about something if they think they’re wrong.

As the French say, “Vive la difference!”