On liberal "purity".

[Skidmore]

132. Have I ever said anything about

disagreeing on any of these issues? I think not. Nor have I ever advocated for privatization of anything. The only thing I have said is that I believe that we can work to effect change in our individual communities by actually talking to others rather than arguing all of the time. This notion that you get cooties from talking to the people in your community who may not agree with you politically is what I consistently respond to. The strident insistence that we are always in full on shout mode is not always constructive. I have found that because I recognize the fact that people need to be brought along, apparently that makes me some kind of traitor to the left regardless the fact that the policies or political stands I take are not unlike your own. I speak from my experiences of dealing with others and what has worked for me.

I personally find it offensive to have those experiences discounted and derided. It gets old and stale. There needs to be some recognition of the fact that not everyone functions in cookie cutter communities nor are we all clones of one another. There also needs to be some recognition that the leadership of parties are not the rank and file of the parties. The rank and file are our neighbors, our families, our coworkers, and our fellow citizens. They are not mortal enemies and can be convinced to change their minds. I have seen it happen many times and not once has it been because people were screaming in each other's faces. You don't get someone to take a step in your direction when you are always setting yourself up to be unapproachable. Intimidation is how the Republicans have done this and it has gotten them where?