A Difference of Opinion is Good.
I recently posted my thoughts about President Bush and to be honest with you, I don't know if I would have if I was pro Bush. One reason I suppose is because anger and disappointment tend to be great motivators as opposed to content and satisfaction. I do want to make it clear, however; that I do not believe Bush supporters are any less intelligent. It's really a matter of how conservative or liberal you are.
I recently was talking with someone from work about Iraq and his view was that we should have just blown them away a long time ago. I simply stated that I will not bring the subject up with him again. Why, you ask? First off, it does not seem to me that he knows the situation very well and secondly, if he does by chance know, then that means he is willing to kill innocent people for no apparent reason.
I was totally against this war in Iraq. It seemed more of a personal vendetta than anything else. I then began reading a blog from an Iraqi doctor who is estatic about the possibility of freedom. That gave me a different perspective on things. Finally, the Iraqis can live freely and have a public voice without fear. I started to feel that maybe we did make the right decision. Then all the beheadings began and I was back to being against the war. The price we paid is too high. My heart breaks everytime I hear of another kidnapping or death for an American.
I get more upset when an American dies than an Iraqi. Is that fair? Is one life more important than another? No, but I do feel that way. I feel guilty about it but I also trust that most people feel that way about their fellow countrymen.
I listen to Public Radio, read the newspaper and watch the news on TV every night so I usually have a good handle on what is going on in the world. The people who are not well informed are the ones whose opinion I take with a grain of salt. But if I believe that you have the basic facts of the situation (you don't have to be an expert), I will respect your point of view regardless of whether it agrees with mine. Also, if you do not have all the facts, it simply means you do not know about this particular subject. It certainly does not mean you are stupid.
Remember what Will Rogers said, "All's I know is what I read in the papers". That is unfortunate for all of us because we get the journalist's slant on the facts. That is why public opinion boards like this are important so we can see what the individuals of the world see and feel.
I recently was talking with someone from work about Iraq and his view was that we should have just blown them away a long time ago. I simply stated that I will not bring the subject up with him again. Why, you ask? First off, it does not seem to me that he knows the situation very well and secondly, if he does by chance know, then that means he is willing to kill innocent people for no apparent reason.
I was totally against this war in Iraq. It seemed more of a personal vendetta than anything else. I then began reading a blog from an Iraqi doctor who is estatic about the possibility of freedom. That gave me a different perspective on things. Finally, the Iraqis can live freely and have a public voice without fear. I started to feel that maybe we did make the right decision. Then all the beheadings began and I was back to being against the war. The price we paid is too high. My heart breaks everytime I hear of another kidnapping or death for an American.
I get more upset when an American dies than an Iraqi. Is that fair? Is one life more important than another? No, but I do feel that way. I feel guilty about it but I also trust that most people feel that way about their fellow countrymen.
I listen to Public Radio, read the newspaper and watch the news on TV every night so I usually have a good handle on what is going on in the world. The people who are not well informed are the ones whose opinion I take with a grain of salt. But if I believe that you have the basic facts of the situation (you don't have to be an expert), I will respect your point of view regardless of whether it agrees with mine. Also, if you do not have all the facts, it simply means you do not know about this particular subject. It certainly does not mean you are stupid.
Remember what Will Rogers said, "All's I know is what I read in the papers". That is unfortunate for all of us because we get the journalist's slant on the facts. That is why public opinion boards like this are important so we can see what the individuals of the world see and feel.
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