Originally Posted by Michael Zaneski
Originally Posted by Fdemetrio

...when I read Sue's comment that she had a weather man friend who says there's no Global Warming, it drew to mind her stances on many things discussed here. If she was liberal, that weatherman wouldnt have been mentioned or maybe even goofed on. Im pretty sure she's conservative.

But If you read Rays posts, you wouldnt have to dig too hard to know he's conservative and speaks from a conservative/republican mindset. And hes entitled to his own mindset

My point is our mindsets are usually cut out for us before we even adopt them.


I don't agree with "My point is our mindsets are usually cut out for us before we even adopt them."

By "them" you must mean our 'stances on issues'. It makes me imagine a National Enquirer headline:

Scientists discover new "liberal" and new "conservative" gene!

How would you account then, for people who are moderates or centrists and cherry pick things from both sides? Or those that change party affiliations? Or when the issues themselves are deadlocked as to official stance within a party?

Like your Jesuit priest (I love the Jesuits) I believe the "truth lies somewhere in the middle" and much of America is still comprised of "rugged individualists" who think for themselves and only adopt a liberal or conservative moniker after noting the pattern of how they feel on various issues. And I think most folks are like Marty who look at each issue individually and choose to think for themselves about how they feel. And to say all that is "predetermined" cancels out the fact that we've all been living various lives that inform how we feel about stuff. To borrow from Rob, I could easily imagine it is only the small minority of folks who have made a religion out of their political philosophy that actually have pre-determined leanings concerning today's issues, and then issues forthcoming and unseen.

But I agree with you wholeheartedly that it's this "us against them" mentality that is making things worse, not better. Compassion and dialogue have been replaced by hatred and invective.

And sometimes it's plain, old-fashioned stubbornness that can keep us holding onto something past its expiration date. Both you and I can understand that, I think. I know I can be very stubborn. But If, despite my dialogue with you, you find yourself clinging to the notion that all our leanings are pre-determined by the what? The great aura of the liberal or conservative mindset?..perhaps it's your own personal stubbornness to let go of that idea that is getting in the way of maybe seeing it could be the other way around? That each of our personal existences are like snowflakes and we all arrive at who we are and how we feel about things based on those experiences. Not because of some "conservative" or "liberal" gene..and experiences RARELY throw us totally into one camp or another..and it's not a closed system. We are still alive, still taking in new experience. How we feel on some issues can change, irregardless of party stance.

Just my humble opinion..


Mike, I can see you are trying to be diplomatic and I know people respect people who try to see things fairly. When my Dad passed, at his wake i had all these people i had never seen before telling me how he was. I'm like "gee, really? i might have a clue what hes like too growing up in his house" He was very diplomatic, and really, never had a bad word to say about anybody, he had a live and let live mentality and didnt believe in judging people. HOWEVER, if you WRONGED him in any way, didnt give him the same courtesy, he would flip out. The quiet unassuming man was all in with a sleeves rolled up stance. There was that time when a gas attendent... well never mind

Not everybody saw that side. But, if he felt somebody was being picked on, he'd back that person and go to battle for anyone he thought was being treated unfairly. A very good man in my opinion.

But, I still stand behind my beliefs. Let me put it in another way. There is a republican point of view, there is a democrat point of view. If any of us becomes one, we adapted to IT, it didn't adapt to us. It was already there. Love is already there, we either accept and add to it, or we go against it. Hate is already there, we either join the club or find another club.

That is what I meant, nobody invented being Republican, at least nobody in modern times. It's an ideology that we grow into, likewise Democrat. There is a reason why swing states are so important in elections, because for most of the country their mind is already made up. Also genetics and upbringing strongly affect how we will see the world.

Why is it Catholic people when they have visions see Mary, but Hindu's see Chrishna. Jews see Moses, and Arabs see Mohammad. At near death they all report it.

It's how we are wired determines what we see and believe.

People do change viewpoints, and its not impossible, but you gotta admit, Archie Bunker was never going to agree with Meathead!

Last edited by Fdemetrio; 09/25/19 10:52 AM.