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This is an opinion about opinions. Something off the cuff.
A famous saying, don't know who said it..."Opinions are like $%#holes, everyone has one." to that I add, "like $%#holes, they all smell different. No one thinks their s&@t stinks while holding their nose at the smell of others.
Over the past couple of days I strayed off course to poke my nose into a conservative blog. Man did that place smell bad !
I came away with a clear if over simplified definition of conservative vs. liberal. If you put yourself ahead of others you are probably conservative. If you put the good of the whole first you are probably liberal. Perhaps not always fair, but this is the sense of things from my perspective.
The topic was the death penalty. I know....some liberals believe it is OK to kill people as a way to make the statement that it is not OK to kill people. I never understood that logic. I suspect it is genetic and comes from having republican parents or perhaps a professional executioner in the family, job security and all.
While there were some in the blog who believe, as I do, that capitol punishment is wrong and sends the wrong message, most of those right-wing bloggers are of one mind set. Kill them all and let God sort it out later. It amazed me how quickly they could all post some bible passage to support killing despite the commandments! They must have a school for this somewhere.
Presented with the premise that humans are basically blood thirsty and require vengeance to feel better in response to a murder, the conservatives seem to embrace that flaw, saying, it's human nature but I'm OK with it while the liberals are more prone to say, "It's human nature but we should try to rise above it".
Not once did I try to refuse anyone their right to their opinion. This is America and everyone has a right to their opinion even though mine is the right one. (smile) I find most opinions resemble the $%#hole for another reason, we are very anal about our opinions. I know I am most of the time.
But I will listen patiently to see if someone will interject some fact I can check from a reliable source, offered to counter my opinion about something. Sometimes the facts stink too. Sometimes not, at which point I am open to some adjustment, but don't ask me to admit I was wrong. That would ruin my day !!
I am never wrong, though I am occasionally factually deprived or emotionally unable to let go of something I thought was a perfectly good opinion. Opinion challenged might be a good term.
I enjoy blurting out stuff in the hopes someone will revise their thinking toward my opinion. I resist others doing the same to me. What does this mean about opinions and those of us who post them here?
We think. We are not afraid to speak our minds. For the most part we accept each others right to voice their opinions and to hope their words will effect the opinions of others. We are probably stubborn, even bull headed.
Throw enough opinions into the pot, stir well over open flame and POOF! out comes a consensus. Over time the crowd wins due to the "wisdom of the crowd".
Each opinion is valuable to the owner, all opinions en mass are valuable to everyone. No opinion is a bad opinion ( certainly not MINE ! ) and no opinion should be left unvoiced. No opinion deserves ridicule.
I may not agree with you. You may not agree with me. But keep the opinions flowing because this is America and here we all have an equal right to make fools of ourselves in public !!
A final saying..."Better to keep your mouth shut and be considered a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." Go ahead...call me a fool. I like it !
