As a liberal, I think I try to look at other viewpoints than my own. I don’t mean that I always agree with them, but I look at them. If they feel like they might have some truth, I look again. And if I find something in them that IS true, I admit it. But, sometimes I look at it, see it’s full of shit and I say so. But, I DID look at it. I just don’t feel the need to pretend I agree with it.
That being said, I don’t think that all viewpoints are valid. I think some ARE full of shit. For instance, teabaggers are full of shit. What are they upset about? They say it’s taxes and debt, but you know part of the reason we have all this debt? A war. A war that these SAME PEOPLE called us liberal whackos and un-American for opposing. So, it was okay to run up a stomach-churning debt in the name of killing people, but not for making sure that people, working people, can have access to health-care? Oh no, well health care? That’s just like Hitler!
Uh huh. Full ‘o shite.
And the people who didn’t want their kids to hear about staying in school and working hard and taking responsibility for themselves and their education? Well, that’s indoctrination! If Obama talks to my kids, they will turn out to be gay, socialist, bunny-hugging environmentalists! (Actually, we should be so lucky.) Don’t you know that "staying in school" is just code for "socialized medicine"? And "taking responsibility" really means "global warming is real"? Come on, people, catch up!
Full of it? Oh yeah.
And gay marriage (come on, you had to know that one was coming) will destroy your marriage, turn your kids gay, human race will die out, taxes will be higher, health care will be more expensive, no one (except gays) will want to get married anymore, and Jesus will cry. If you believe any ONE of these, then you are dumb as a tree stump. But, these are viewpoints. (Personally, I think that if Jesus is real, he is crying because he saved a bunch of stupid people.)
So, should I take any of these seriously? Do I take them as a valid opinion or a paranoid’s fantasy? What makes an opinion valid? I think being able to back it up with proof helps a LOT. And if you get your "facts" from Fox, then you might want to run them by a second or third source first (and Rush does NOT count). But, anytime you want to tell someone that they can’t have the same things you do, that they can’t have that operation without losing everything they have worked for, when you tell your child to NOT trust the President when he tells him to work hard and stay in school, you are pushing the crazy envelope. Especially on the third one. You aren’t telling your child that you oppose a policy, but you oppose the MAN. When you spread the fear and lies about how "dangerous" he is to America, how long will it be before someone decides they have to save it? Will it be you? Will it be your child? Or someone else’s?
So, no, I do not take these opinions as valid ones. I agree with Jimmy Carter that the more vitriolic ones are led by the color of President Obama’s skin, rather than true opposition to his policies. And I believe that opposition to gay marriage has a lot more to do with, well everything to do with, homophobia than with any form of religion.
And while I take them seriously, I will never accept them as valid. Oh, and just because someone doesn’t waver in their opinion or viewpoint, that is not necessarily something to be proud of or admired. Not in and of itself. There is no justification in the defense of prejudice. Be proud of your stand, not because you stand.
