Okay, I just got a note from someone who took offense over my comment about Sandra Fluke; specifically when I said,
"it's still part of the maturation process (especially by age 30!),
learning how to say "no" once in a while, instead of diving into your
carnal lusts like wild howler monkeys in heat."
Folks, I opine here, and on FB. And I make no secret about being conservative while doing it. It's what I do. I won't apologize to this person for being offended about my comment above, because this person should know plainly and clearly that I am a conservative. Not only do mature people learn to control their sexual appetites by age 30, then also learn how to agree to disagree about the issues of the day.
As an opinion writer, I expect to get disagreement over my views. If I didn't, then I wouldn't be a good opinion writer! Not only do I expect it, I enjoy disagreements, because I view it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer. Am I perfect? Hell no! I'll learn from whatever mistakes I made, and then I move on. But it won't stop me from taking other chances in the future, because if I become fearful of offending someone, then I lose my effectiveness and my "edge" as a writer. And I wouldn't keep doing this if I didn't love it.
So I won't say "I apologize if you're offended." Instead, I'll say "I'm disappointed that you're offended." Instead of taking me to task about how offended you are, why not just take me to task over the issue itself? And I am truly disappointed in this person. Because this person is a progressive, I expected tolerance and open-mindedness with views that are different from their own views.
By the way, I stand by what I said. Fluke went to Georgetown in order to ask for birth control from a Catholic university in order to put them in the position to either violate their views on artificial birth control, or to deny her so that she can cry "Foul!". She intentionally put Georgetown in a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" position; this despite the fact that she could have gotten her birth control from the local Planned Parenthood, DC's women's health office, or at a public university where they're offered without conflicts.
So Fluke could have gotten her birth control from other sources, or she could have said "Not tonight, honey". more often. In fact, developing a more mature attitude towards your sexuality means learning how to say no once in awhile. Don't we have way more than enough of alleged adults in our society with their sexual attitudes stuck in adolescence? And wouldn't a more mature attitude towards sexuality help prevent the spread of STDs and of unintended pregnancies (and thus, cut down on the number of abortions)? Isn't that what we all want?
All of the above is what could have come out of this conversation had this person chosen to debate me on this issue rather than take offense over what I said. "Taking offense" is a coward's tactic to avoid discussing an issue, and it has no place in the arena of free and open debate and discussion.
I'll keep believing and practicing the art of debate and discussion even if I'm the last person doing so.
1 comment:
Too often liberal "open-mindedness and tolerance" just means we have to let them talk, but we aren't allowed to. Keep at it.
I lost a long-time liberal friend over such a silly thing. What it came down to essentially is that I posted a political cartoon for humor's sake with a disclaimer that although I typically avoided politics in that venue, I thought it was funny no matter which side you were on.
The friend said avoiding politics was probably a good idea. I said that I saw things that he and some other friends posted that made my skin crawl, but I ignored them. He sent a PM saying that if what he posted made my skin crawl then it was time to dissappear.
When I tried to explain that my comment was to tell him that although not often, there were times I had to overlook things he posted instead of telling him not to post them, he blocked me from even communicating. Then, I found out, he posted a comment to others concerning it (which of course he blocked me from seeing).
This sounds like a bunch of juvenile, High School or earlier stuff, but this guy is in his fifties or older. I really do hate it, but haven't pursued it further. It also isn't the first time I have seen Liberals do such things. They want the freedom to speak freely, but want to stop others from debating. I love to debate, but most of them either resort to name-calling, temper tantrums, lying, attacking or some combination thereof. It is real difficult to find some who can even defend their positions. In fact, that is probably partially why so many do the other things, because they are incapable of defending their positions either due to lacking the ability, or their positions not really having much logic. So, like bratty kids they have to deflect and try to turn it around on us.
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