Republican Friends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a fairly liberal democrat. In the past, when I was much younger, I had a narrow view of the world & would only associate with individuals that shared my views.


Doesn't this just say it all?

ANYONE who is hyper-partisan as a very narrow view of the world and needs perspective. But it is especially funny/ironic/pathetic when liberals are like that. How un "liberal" ....

There are SO many people in this city like this. So much so that I don't talk politics anymore with anyone I don't know VERY well. I have been sniped at, insulted and otherwise hurt by strangers to whom I have revealed my right-of-center (but really not all that conservative) views. (I am pro-business, wary of government programs and government intrusion in private lives, but pro-choice, pro-marriage equality, etc.) It IS hurtful to be snubbed based on a label or how you voted (which is a complex decision). And I find it ironic that liberals pride themselves on their tolerance but are so intolerant and insular about political views. For me, in this city, it is much easier to stay in the closet.

[Anonymous]

funny that the right-of-center PP felt the need to make the disclaimer that he/she was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage. just shows how defensive conservatives are made to feel about their views around here. I am 100% pro-life and have no real opinion on gay marriage and have learned there is no point in discussing politics with anyone.

[Anonymous]

I don't know any fellow conservatives/Republicans who would ever contemplating whether they can be friends with a liberal - gasp- and still be true to their values. Do you only want to be surrounded by an echo chamber of your own beliefs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you are weird then. I really doubt your friends advocate having prisoners drawn or quartered or their eyes plucked out or their heads slowly cut off. hence, I really doubt they advocate torture.

they may however advocate non-permanent and non-painful forms of interrogation in certain rare circumstances where the information to be obtained could save many lives. Some call it torture, some call it enhanced interrogation that can save lives. Our judges find it constitutional, so clearly it is an area on which reasonable minds can disagree.

If this helps you sleep at night then keep telling it to yourself. But people with more integrity are able to see it for what it really is, and leaders with more integrity managed to accomplish the same results without stooping to such uncivilized levels.

so if we were neighbors for 10 years and got along well in every respect, but you then found out that I don't consider enhanced interrogation to be "torture", then you would never invite me over to dinner again and end a friendship? cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo ...

Yes, I would stop liking you once I learned that you even used the term "enhanced interrogation" as a code word for torture. Yuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know any fellow conservatives/Republicans who would ever contemplating whether they can be friends with a liberal - gasp- and still be true to their values. Do you only want to be surrounded by an echo chamber of your own beliefs?

yes, she's a liberal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would stop liking you once I learned that you even used the term "enhanced interrogation" as a code word for torture. Yuck.

It is challenging for me to be friends with people who use "pro-choice" or "a woman's right to choose" as code words for infanticide. YUCK! I manage to be civil and mature, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would stop liking you once I learned that you even used the term "enhanced interrogation" as a code word for torture. Yuck.

It is challenging for me to be friends with people who use "pro-choice" or "a woman's right to choose" as code words for infanticide. YUCK! I manage to be civil and mature, though.

May I add "reproductive health services" to the code words?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, I would stop liking you once I learned that you even used the term "enhanced interrogation" as a code word for torture. Yuck.

It is challenging for me to be friends with people who use "pro-choice" or "a woman's right to choose" as code words for infanticide. YUCK! I manage to be civil and mature, though.

I manage to be civil and mature, too. I still don't like people who advocate torture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is challenging for me to be friends with people who use "pro-choice" or "a woman's right to choose" as code words for infanticide. YUCK! I manage to be civil and mature, though.

Et tu, Brute! Removing an early fetus may be repugnant to you (and is not attractive to those of us on the other side of the abortion issue, who support a woman's right to give birth, as well as to abort), but "infanticide" is more than spin, it's emotional blackmail. So consider your "YUCK" hit back over the net -- in what I hope is a civil and mature way.

It's an emotional issue for folks on both sides, and it would be great if we could find language that does not fan the flames.

[Anonymous]

if my daughter was in downtown DC, and a terrorist scum knew where a bomb was hidden downtown that would likely kill my daughter, you think I'm going to have a problem with dunking that bastard in water if it will get him to tell the good guys where the bomb is located? please.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:if my daughter was in downtown DC, and a terrorist scum knew where a bomb was hidden downtown that would likely kill my daughter, you think I'm going to have a problem with dunking that bastard in water if it will get him to tell the good guys where the bomb is located? please.

You've watched too many episodes of "24". The above scenario is the torture-supporters' wet dream, but hardly ever happens in real life and definitely didn't happen in any of the cases of US detainees. KSM was water-boarded 183 times. Do you want to try to work that into your Jack Bauer plot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:if my daughter was in downtown DC, and a terrorist scum knew where a bomb was hidden downtown that would likely kill my daughter, you think I'm going to have a problem with dunking that bastard in water if it will get him to tell the good guys where the bomb is located? please.

the problem is dunking a bunch of people in water on the assumption that they'll tell you something about a bomb hidden downtown. Then the ones who know nothing about it are being tortured for nothing. You think their lives are just byproducts of protecting your daughter? That's not the way civilized societies behave but I understand that you have a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude. Personally I wouldn't want terrorists to form my sense of right and wrong.

[Anonymous]

hah. never watched 24 actually, but I should get the back DVDs at some point.

obviously the outlandish scenarios are the ones where you test your beliefs. if your beliefs don't pass that "what if" test then what is the point? either something is ok or not.

that said, of course there is a reasonableness standard of when to do the heavy interrogation and when to lay off. wouldnt surprise me at all if the CIA and military crossed that line many times. but, if you ask your counsel before you start whether or not it is legal and you get the green light then not sure how you can second guess (other than perhaps sue the counsel for malpractice if a court subsequently disagrees with the legal opinion).

[Anonymous]

I think we on the left are sometimes accused of giving solace to our enemies. But what could be more consoling to our enemies than saying publicly that we are afraid to follow our own laws because of the threats of those enemies?

Living by our principles is the best revenge!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we on the left are sometimes accused of giving solace to our enemies. But what could be more consoling to our enemies than saying publicly that we are afraid to follow our own laws because of the threats of those enemies?

Living by our principles is the best revenge!

AMEN!!!