Wednesday Whining Venting.

This "whine" isn't really appropriate for the Wednesday Whine thread, but I feel like venting so I'm posting it here. (Oh, and speaking of Wednesday Whine, don't miss the first ever Grand Whining Carnival--I have a post featured in it too. :) )

Okay, please understand that my intent with this post is not to start an argument. But can I just whine about how disagreements are often treated?

I don't mind it when people disagree with me. It happens often. That's fine.

What I do mind are the constant insinuations from some people (and this happens on both sides) that anyone who disagrees with them must be either (a) brainless or (b) heartless or (c) careless. Or all of the above.


You see, I disagree.

[If you'd rather skip the specifics and go straight to the point, click here.]

I don't think President Bush made up the idea of Saddam Hussein having or trying to make weapons of mass destruction out of thin air to start a war on a pretense.

I don't think the type of surveillance the current administration is doing is anything all that new or shocking. I do understand why people are upset, but I am not yet convinced that laws were broken. I'm not sure why anyone actually thought their cell phone calls and other activities done in/through public mediums were completely secure and private.

I also don't think the President caused the hurricanes by not funding enough research into global warming. I also don't think he caused the disaster in New Orleans.

I think an unborn child is just as human as anyone else, and that the issue of when abortion might be necessary is more akin to the issue of conjoined twins in jeopardy than to a decision about doing cosmetic surgery, although that's still not a perfect comparison.

I believe disabled people are also just as human as anyone else--even severely disabled and unresponsive or minimally responsive ones. I think decisions about end-of-life care should be made according to what would or wouldn't benefit the person and what is humane, not according to some arbitrary judgement about whether the life of someone who isn't dying is "worth" living or not. I think witholding food and water to cause the death of someone who isn't otherwise dying is murder, just as it would be murder if I purposely stopped feeding my baby and let her die.

My opinion is that Darwinism is a theory (which, I might add, does have some flaws and missing information) and should be taught as such in schools. I think it would be beneficial to kids to point out that there are other theories out there also, including intelligent design.

Yes, I believe God created the earth. I'm not sure exactly what method he used, but I believe He is real and is the source of all life.

I believe right and wrong exist. I believe there are absolutes, along with the possible grey areas.

On the other hand, I don't think that everything Republicans do is right, or that questioning anything "the Right" does is bad.

To me, the current President and Administration are neither the devil incarnate nor the greatest thing that's happened in recent history.

[And the point:]

I disagree on theology with many of my friends; on morals and principles with others.

I also believe in respect and compassion for everyone, whether I agree with them or not. I believe everyone is of value and should be treated as such.

I generally believe I could be wrong, and am willing to look into and explore things more. But I don't automatically agree with any one camp or believe everything I hear without questioning it.

There are lots of other things I disagree with friends and acquaintances about. This doesn't mean I don't care, am brainless, or don't think about these things.

Interestingly enough, both my husband and I frequently are accused of following a party line on one side or the other, of being too liberal or too conservative, too right or too left, too fundamentalist or too lenient, too opinionated or not opinionated enough. In fact, we tend to be accused of being on each side of the fence, by different people, at the same time--sometimes in the same discussion. Personally, I think that might be a good sign.

Maybe, just maybe, it means I'm a reasonably intelligent, thoughtful and caring person who *gasp* thinks for myself. Maybe I actually considered the issues, and came to a different conclusion about them than someone else did.

Maybe it doesn't mean I'm stupid or don't care.

Maybe it just means I disagree.