I've been moving all week and missed the Chelsea Manning wars here.

[Liberal Veteran]

60. You would think that would be the case.

Unfortunately, I think some folks don't realize that the question, "How can you know where I am coming from, if you haven't been where I've been?" works in both directions.

Put another way, folks are really quick to place their own experiences and frames of reference on others and don't show regard for those who don't "get it" instantly.

In my own experience, I try to recall how dealing with my very fundamentalist family reacted to my coming out as gay. Expecting an instant turnaround in thinking was simply not in the cards and probably unrealistic. If I just stormed off in a huff and called them bigots (which they were at times), I doubt I would have gotten as far with them as being patient and kind and remembering that I was up against 20 to 70 years of thinking one way. To me, that would be the equivalent of saying "cheer up" to someone who is clinically depressed and then getting angry they weren't walking on sunshine from there on out.