Hey America, we can all have different opinions without demeaning and dehumanizing one another
I am paid to have an opinion about news and politics.
That’s literally the job of a columnist and commentator, which is the role I played several years ago on Fox News and now play on CNN. I have strong opinions on public policies and social issues and I express those opinions strongly in my writing and TV appearances. And I think that having such opinions, and being free to express them, is the cornerstone of an active and free democracy.
AND I think we can all have our different opinions, and believe in them deeply, without demeaning and dehumanizing one another.
In my new book “The Opposite Of Hate: A Field Guide To Repairing Our Humanity,” I explore the dynamic of hate in our society and the world around us — how we have come to historically and habitually treat groups of others as less-than, the science and psychology of why we hate, and what we can do to stop it. And my central argument is that whichever group or side you believe does it worse, we all are part of the problem. Which means we all need to be part of the solution.
If you agree with me that incivility and downright cruelty is becoming all too common in our culture and politics, then the question is what are you going to do about it?
The problem isn’t our differences and disagreements. In fact, I think our different opinions and identities should be celebrated — however imperfectly achieved throughout history, the aspiration to have so many different people with different beliefs co-exist within one nation is what arguably makes the United States unique in the world, an aspiration also worth celebrating.
Our national motto is e pluribus unum — out of many, one. It’s an ideal, if not always a reality, but represents the intended spirit of America — that we come together in spite of our differences, not ignoring them.
The problem comes in how we express our differences and disagreements — and whether we default to treating those who aren’t on “our side” as though they’re inherently evil. So, for instance, part of the reason I’m a progressive is that I believe that in our interactions as people and in our public policies we should recognize the full equality and equal dignity of all human beings. And so since the 2016 election, I’ve been dismayed by the surge of anti-immigrant sentiment, Islamophobia and other forms of hate that I believe have been explicitly stoked by Donald Trump through both his campaign and his presidency. And yet I’ve also watched as my fellow progressives have hurled ugly smears about those who voted for Trump, saying that Trump supporters are deliberately and even inherently hateful… and that’s why my progressive friends hate them.
Do you see the hypocrisy there? Can we all see the hypocrisy when we do a version of this, using the fact that some other group is supposedly hateful to in turn justify our own hatred — as though hate is ever the antidote to hate?
I’m honestly not saying I think all sides are equal here. For instance, I think there’s a big difference between being a neo-Nazi and hating neo-Nazis. But hate is hate and only begets more hate. And we look at the animosity between conservatives and liberals, it’s important to note that neither side thinks they are the hateful ones — but points the finger at the other.
Instead, someone has to take the first step in tempering that animosity and showing how we can disagree without being disagreeable. Or maybe we can all take that step together.
I don’t hate Trump supporters and I don’t hate conservatives in general. I disagree, in large part, with their solutions to what ails our nation — but I don’t think they’re bad people who, by and large, mean to do harm to me or our country. And it’s up to me to convey my disagreements with conservatives in a way that is still fundamentally respectful and kind. Plus to remember that as important as our differences and disagreements are, we all still have so much in common.
We want a better future for our children and, I think, for all children. We want a brighter future for America and the world. At least I assume we all want those things because I try to assume the best intentions in each of our hearts.
I can’t make every progressive be kind and respectful to every conservative just like I can’t make every conservative be kind and respectful to every liberal but I can try to encourage as many as possible and lead by example as best as I can. And it’s my strongly held opinion that if we all do so more, we will have a more civil and productive democracy and society that we can all feel more proud to be a part of. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/04/12/hey-america-can-all-have-different-opinions-without-demeaning-and-dehumanizing-one-another.html
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You seeding this just causes me to roll my eyes. You are one of the worst offenders around.
Please use the image in the article. I have made the changes for you, but please don't use the news source logo.
This from the guy who CONSTANTLY demeans and dehumanizes the other side. Unbelievable...
An epiphany of some sort or another perhaps?
No value [ph]
To him? He has never ever even tried to be civil to anyone else who does not follow his exact politics or religion for many, many years on this site, so it would be surprising for him to make the effort. For him to even suggest it amounts to some sort of a joke. He may actually want to be civil to others that he doesn't agree with on this site, but he has a very long hill to climb and many, many, many apologies to make.
This particular person has a very, very long way to go to say he wants to reach out to this other side before he can be taken seriously considering his history.
For certain people that is a big fat fuck no. The seeder being one of them.
What if I were a mauve communist ?
Sounds good, but to be honest, I'll have to see at least a start before I'll buy it. The heading picture sort of makes it a lie from the start.
Is it just me or does the stunning lack of self awareness exhibited by the alt-right leave other mouths agape?
Hey America, We Can All Have Different Opinions Without Demeaning And Dehumanizing One Another
No. No, you can not. Period.
You should try it sometime XX.
There is no one on NT who gets ridiculed more than Heartland America. Just check out the ones who have commented.
There is no one at NT who does what HA is complaining about in this article, more than HA himself. That's what's pertinent here, and it IS ridiculous.
What does HA expect when he posts his daily generic, "Liberals Are Stinky", crapola opinion pieces? Bouquets of Roses?
There have been few, if any, who have been as openly hostile to those who don't think the way he does religiously and politically to the point of ridiculing them. The vast, vast, vast majority of ridiculing has been coming from his direction, not directed at him. His history warrants suspicion to an attempt to open up to others now.
Seriously, just look at his seeds, 90% of them are just bullshit opinion pieces degrading and insulting liberals and have exactly zero purpose other than that. Hence why I don't even bother to show even the slightest amount of respect towards HA.
John Russell gets more criticism and "hate mail" than anybody else here on NT.
Bob Nelson is a very close second
I wasn't here for those events but you're their biggest follwer
And well deserved.
And HA deserves all the trolling and disrespect he gets.
Two way street
yes you do
Your seeds attack the NT liberals every day. You, sir, are not a nice person or a Christian.
He brings it on himself. Especially with his constant ridicule and sweeping generalizations against democrats, liberals, progressives, secularists, ect.. Some of us just call him out for his hypocrisy, erroneous, and/or libelous statements.
Then you would believe and understand why he whose name sounds like Don Brussel gets the same criticism and ridicule.
Liberal and Progressive mantra = We MUST be "equal"....and "Diverse"....... at the same time !
They are not mutually exclusive...
Sure they are if you don't understand the meaning of "mutually exclusive".
Or logic
It does seem like whining coming from a source of the most egregious disrespect of the 'other side'. Republicans have used dirty personal politics to a degree that goes beyond the pale pretty much since Clinton. The type of people who put a high school student's face on a practice target. Who expect standards to be met for everybody but themselves. And who use lies and misinformation to further their political goals over everything else, including their supposed morals and values. I guess we just won't sit by and let it happen anymore. Which doesn't have to mean disrespect, by the way. I think some of us do feel like giving back fully at times though, holding the mirror up, so to speak.
Dear X - Thank you for posting this seed. I appreciate your effort.
I disagree with the writer. The country is too far gone for us to reconcile. I do not dislike conservatives but I don't consider true conservatives supporters of this President. In regards to President Trump supporters, I find that I cannot muster up any type of respect for them. I find them immoral in their blind acceptance to this President's past and current behavior.
Therefore, I maintain my position that the country should split due to irreconcilable differences.
ps - change your avatar! It's hard for me to converse with you when you have a girl avatar. (smile)
Come on now.....the title might be appropriate for those of us on the left and those on the right, but the messenger is one of the worst offenders of that attitude on NT. We can be political opponents and lay out arguments that support our point of view or refute the other side without the invectives and accusations that substitute for either legitimate opinion or research.
Legitimate arguments should be welcomed by all. We are a diverse nation in many ways, including our politics. Accept the truth, question it's political validity, argue with the purpose, but don't call the truth fake. If you believe its fake, prove it rather than attack the reporter.
Dean - put some clothes on!
Or at least lose that gut!
Back in the fifties that guy would've been considered "fit".
Are you body shaming? That's a liberal no no. Being a conservative as I am......if you are fat you are fact. If you have a big ass you have a big ass.
Yes Mango, body shaming is wrong. Just because I'm incredibly svelte and handsome, doesn't make me better than anyone else!
It's bar day, Deano, be there or be square!
I'll have a shooter for you!
I just knew you were!
Body shaming doesn't have anything to do with politics, I call out fatties all the time and I am considered to be a liberal by damn near any standard. Personally I think their should be a fat tax with the funds being directed towards insurance subsidies for those of use who aren't overweight and actually make an effort to stay healthy.
social politics.
Civility and Trump Derangement Syndrome are mutually incompatible.
Civility and Trump are mutually incompatible.
As are the Clintons and ethics. But that's no reason the people who voted for one or the other have to mimic them.
Tell that to their supporters. It constantly blows my mind the amount of loyalty people have, for some fucked up reason, towards certain politicians.
HA just wants people to stop telling the truth about his seeds.
Anyway, things in America are going to get a lot worse before they get better. The laws are closing in on Donald Trump, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth is just getting started. As it unfolds this year, we are likely to see more public animosity than at any other time in the modern history of this country.
And yes "the deplorables" are to blame.
So all of these preceding comments bitching about the seeder's generalization of liberals/progressives, but comments such as the above never bother the same group of people. For some reason the peanut gallery becomes silent.
Negative personal comments about Trump supporters and conservatives are evident everyday on this site yet the ones who bitch daily about this seeder seem not to mind the attacks on conservatives.
The hypocrisy is evident daily.
One of the sad developments of modern America is the belief that every bad person or idea on one side MUST be balanced by the existence of a bad person or idea on the other side.
In this case, we all know Trump is a piece of shit as a human being and has no more business being president of the united States than , for example, you do, but 'correctness' requires us to adopt the ol' "both sides do it" position. Yes, Trump is worthless, but what about Hillary, or Obama, someone else whose name can be invoked to defend trump, even if the comparison is just plain stupid.
No one is as bad as Trump. No one has ever been as bad as trump. His worthlessness occupies it's own entire category.
well, you almost made a comment without a personal attack.
but please go on bitching about everyone else.
I am beginning to think that someone is actually very very jealous of Trump.
Like a jilted lover.
Not being able to face reality is no way to go through life.
Try not to cry as your hero suffers endless trials and travails over the next weeks and months.
Your delusions are of no interest to me HA, you know that.
Well, knowing that that bit of advice is coming from someone with direct experience, I guess I have to agree.
Even his own hard line supporters are now turning against him for his ignoring them;
Trump supporters slam decision to launch strikes against Syria
This is getting interesting...........
i think that's a great concept - does that mean we aren't going to have the "Liberals and Progressives are all evil" articles anymore ?
I would if that is what happened. I said people including myself, can defend our constitutional rights such as religious freedom without being religious themselves. People can also post surveys to make other points. Not everyone is as one dimensional as you seem to be with your reasoning.
Taking comments out of context is dishonest and underhanded....I am sure we agree.
yes, on that we can agree.
absolutely they can - but as you admitted, its not commonly done by posting those surveys.
ah, a separate point - no longer just "defending constitutional rights" huh ? hmmmm...... interesting. I find lots of non-religious people commonly posting those surveys to make a point to defend the religious, don't you ?
You do?
nope, i really don't. But, of course i could be wrong - i was just told that i don't understand my own posts (it's nice that someone informed me of that, i had no clue that i apparently don't understand what i wrote or it's intentions) so who knows, right ?
Are we talking about how common things are now? And please post where I admitted this? What is the relevance?
One dimensional thinking again....
Your attempt to conflate is failing.
It's ok. If people would actually take the time to read something instead of automatically wanting to argue or bitch about it, the world would be a much nicer place and I wouldn't have so many headaches
16.2.54 (read your own posts please)
*sigh* if you haven't caught on by now, then i can't make you catch on, can i ? i suggest studying this conversation further and you will have your answer as to it's relevance (since it's been explained already)
LOL yes, so complex... i really can't keep re-explaining everything to you, it gets tiring *sigh*
sorry, no attempt to conflate. care to try again ?
ABSOLUTELY TRUE !!
i wish i could vote up your response 100 times over !
Thank-you.
I just had the worst phone calls because people are dumb. They don't read the letters I send them. And then call me to bitch about them
Everything is just so difficult for you....poor baby.
I suggest you take your own advice.
I also suggest that you keep uninformed personal strikes to yourself.
LOL i've had similar circumstances in my line of work too, i know how you feel
wow, another personal attack - very classy. It speaks volumes about you - thanks
you would know who should take the advice if you just took the time to read the posts instead of looking to just argue
who said it was an attack ? it has definitely been my experience and my opinion, sorry for your luck
have a great day 
You are welcome. You are the one complaining....everything seems to be so hard for you.
I already know who should take the advice.
A genuine apology would be better, but not expecting it.
I will, thanks, you too.
Why should Phoenyx apologize to you? He wasn't the one throwing out the personal attacks
i did ? please point out to everyone where i complained that everything seems to be so hard for me - i can't wait to see this !
I do too, unfortunately for you - you won't take it, but that's your decision.
Good, because you definitely aren't getting a genuine apology unless i have done something that deserves one and so far i haven't
this "discussion" has devolved into an exercise in futility (just like teaching a turtle to play chess) so i will be leaving it now - enjoy ! (p.s. just so you know - "teaching turtle to play chess" was an example of futility and not an insult towards you, i wouldn't want you taking it personally, we've been down that road of misunderstanding already haven't we ?)
"misunderstanding" right. you are so misunderstood.
you are a something else...have to say that.