...Just sayin'...

[blackdwarv.livejournal.com]

Comments

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

All true, and trust me, I've engaged with people who literally think we are in a "cold civil war" and that they have to stockpile guns in order to be ready when it "goes hot." Yikes.

I still think the version I was referencing with the caption "what is the difference" is a bit premature. We're not to that point... yet. I do like the version where the caption is "Is it just me, or is Republican Christianity starting to look a lot like extremist Islam?" That accurately sums up my complaint against these people: they are BECOMING more and more radicalized, and their rhetoric is mirroring that of the violent (my fear is that their insane persecution complex is going to make more of them cross over that line than the tiny handful we've seen in the past.)

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Don't you think the juxtaposition, even if hyperbolic, does serve to initiate the conversation of how to avoid getting to that point? Thinking of "what's the difference?" as an actual question, not a rhetorical one, is where you get the one on the left to justify their position.

Of course, if one considers guns, religion and patriotism as anti-thetical to society as terrorism, then it's not even a matter of degrees; they're both demonstrating anti-social behaviour that should be condemned.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

Maybe. See, I'm the last person to pull out a "tone" argument; I've found that people who are willing to listen will listen regardless of tone, and those unwilling will find some excuse to dismiss any argument regardless of tone. That being said, I've noticed a lot of religious folks getting really turned off by the comparison, and it seems to be shutting down any possibility for conversation on this beyond that.

Now, whether that initial shock really shuts things down totally, or will result in them thinking more about it once that initial shock wears off, is another question I've heard raised.

And yea, I agree that the conversation has to be initiated. I'm just not sure of how best to go about that.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it definitely runs the risk of having people just close their ears, and I'm sure the intent here is a liberal circle jerk, not conservative self reflection.