I received more than twenty comments on last night's essay. I have chosen to remove all personal information, but I felt these comments were worth repeating. For what's worth they come from all over our beautiful country....Rhode Island, Florida, Utah, South Carolina, Indiana, and from people of all political stripes. Enjoy.
Comment 1: Having grown up in a home of fairly rigid Republicans as a liberal independent, I learned early how to listen well and state my position in a non-combative way. Most of my family didn't learn either of those lessons well, but they have served me well throughout most of my life. And as a testimony to that fact, I can say that I've lived the past xxxxxx years of my life in the conservative reaches of the Bible Belt and no one has shot me, beaten me to a pulp or spit on me because I happen to NOT be a conservative. A witness to tolerance on all fronts.
Comment 2: Sounds like my family, too. When asked if she was a Republican or Democrat mother would always respond "Independent" but we all knew she never voted for anyone who was not a Democrat. She also told me that black, brown, yellow, green people were just exactly the same as us and we should treat them that way.
Comment 3: AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! Thanks for your thoughts. Sounds a lot like the way I was raised. My children had to watch the speech at home. It sickens me to think parents are so poorly skilled at communication and so closed minded that they would refuse to allow their children to hear the President speak! What is this country becoming?
Comment 4: sound, thoughtful, and reasonable thinking. some day i hope that defines an American.
Comment 5: I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make is to be afraid of ideas. It's one of the things that bothers me most about the "the Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it' mindset. Don't think, don't debate, don't explore - be afraid. See evil everywhere. Huge mistake.
Comment 6: I didn't listen to the Obama speech. Despite my media based career, I avoid all things political.
Comment 7: Now to your blog about your family and differing political views. You were obviously making an oblique comment on the President's speech to schoolchildren. Why oblique? Why not finish it with a from-the-gut paragraph about parents who wouldn't let their children see the telecast? You had the perfect chance to let the (deleted word) have it and you equivocated. I wish you had used your platform differently.
Comment 8: You articulate your memories and your purpose so very well.
Comment 9: Thank you for this. I have been outraged by this disrespect for the office of President of the United States. I even called the local CBS station last week because they kept showing this one parent on their newcasts using language like “socialist” and “Marxist”.
Comment 10: The healthcare initiative is so that people who get shot will have access to health care, get better, and live another day to shoot someone else, who will then have access to health care, etc. The great cycle of guns and health care. Yahoo.
Comment 11: Whoever said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" had no idea what the future held. --
