Comments on: Making Friends from Another Camp: We All Need to Get Out More http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/ Here are snippets from the three most-recent postings. Click an article title below to read more. Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:19:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Greg Lanza http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/comment-page-1/#comment-87 Greg Lanza Tue, 29 Nov 2005 07:38:37 +0000 http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/#comment-87 What is probably most amazing about the current level and tone of political 'debate' is it actually makes one feel nostalgic for the tranquil Reagan and Clinton eras. What is probably most amazing about the current level and tone of political ‘debate’ is it actually makes one feel nostalgic for the tranquil Reagan and Clinton eras.

]]> By: Kate Gawf http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Kate Gawf Sat, 19 Nov 2005 03:45:45 +0000 http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/#comment-82 Liz: I think you’re describing exactly what Onward Oregon is all about. Politics has stooped to unimaginable levels in recent years. Former President Carter has described this in detail in his new book, Our Endangered Values, excerpted <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4984885" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Also, Morris Fiorina has written about it in Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America, reviewed <a href="http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/pubaffairs/newsletter/04071/fiorina.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. I think you’re absolutely right -- it’s gotten too juvenile to believe. I want to say, ‘Let’s quit this idiocy.’ We are perfectly capable of differing in opinion and engaging in intelligent discussion. Nothing good is accomplished by casting people with different views as bitter enemies of each other. Liz: I think you’re describing exactly what Onward Oregon is all about. Politics has stooped to unimaginable levels in recent years. Former President Carter has described this in detail in his new book, Our Endangered Values, excerpted here. Also, Morris Fiorina has written about it in Culture War? The Myth of a Polarized America, reviewed here.

I think you’re absolutely right — it’s gotten too juvenile to believe. I want to say, ‘Let’s quit this idiocy.’ We are perfectly capable of differing in opinion and engaging in intelligent discussion. Nothing good is accomplished by casting people with different views as bitter enemies of each other.

]]> By: Gene Johnson http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Gene Johnson Sat, 19 Nov 2005 02:28:04 +0000 http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/#comment-81 I'm a very conservative person, as are many of my friends and family, but I also have many friends who are liberal. I don't feel that politics should have such an impact on a person's life that it limits the people with whom one can associate. I don't think it's good for our country for the left and right to spend so much time and energy trying to blast each other out of the water without regard for what's happening around them. I believe in stating my opinion and I also believe in letting others do the same. Just because we may not agree on something does not make each of us a bad person. I used to be uncomfortable around gays until I found out that a good friend of mine was gay, then I realized it didn't matter. He was still my friend. I'm not too crazy about people who are militant in their beliefs, be they pro- or anti-anything. I find it surprising that so many people will automatically decide that a person is less intelligent or not worthy of credible attention just because they don't agree with their own point of view. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and point of view, so why try to change it? I just try to tell my side and how I feel, hopefully without it becoming a yelling match. One of my favorite quotes comes from Readers Digest:"The best way to lower the level of conversation is to raise the level of volume." So there. I’m a very conservative person, as are many of my friends and family, but I also have many friends who are liberal. I don’t feel that politics should have such an impact on a person’s life that it limits the people with whom one can associate. I don’t think it’s good for our country for the left and right to spend so much time and energy trying to blast each other out of the water without regard for what’s happening around them.
I believe in stating my opinion and I also believe in letting others do the same. Just because we may not agree on something does not make each of us a bad person.
I used to be uncomfortable around gays until I found out that a good friend of mine was gay, then I realized it didn’t matter. He was still my friend. I’m not too crazy about people who are militant in their beliefs, be they pro- or anti-anything.
I find it surprising that so many people will automatically decide that a person is less intelligent or not worthy of credible attention just because they don’t agree with their own point of view.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and point of view, so why try to change it? I just try to tell my side and how I feel, hopefully without it becoming a yelling match.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Readers Digest:”The best way to lower the level of conversation is to raise the level of volume.”
So there.

]]> By: Liz http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Liz Fri, 18 Nov 2005 06:34:53 +0000 http://blog.onwardoregon.org/making-friends-from-another-camp-we-all-need-to-get-out-more/#comment-76 For the last several years I have had friends who were not life long Democrats, and it is a very interesting perspective. Also interesting is the reaction of relatives and friends--such as those who know a public figure as someone's Dad rather than as the famous person. It is always refreshing to be around/ read the emails of the Bus folks. It is also interesting to know people who have been active for decades in politics on opposite sides of campaigns I have been involved with (like old war buddies from opposite sides comparing notes). I have discovered, for instance, that there were even Republicans who were offended by the tone of the 2004 GOP convention. One such friend and I believe that if we could ditch the partisanship for inspiration (as I find in the BUS Project) and serious indignation (this is right, this is wrong, here is what I intend to do about it) rather than the phony blame game of those like Scott, Minnis, Richardson we might actually solve problems in this state. But that requires "here is what I believe, and here is my evidence--and I will be glad to consider your evidence" rather than the juvenile behavior we often see in politics these days. I truly believe the support for such ideas as non-partisan legislature and One Ballot initiative comes from those who believe politics as currently practiced is broken and needs to be fixed. The Bus folks are doing a good job of trying to fix politics. For the last several years I have had friends who were not life long Democrats, and it is a very interesting perspective. Also interesting is the reaction of relatives and friends–such as those who know a public figure as someone’s Dad rather than as the famous person.

It is always refreshing to be around/ read the emails of the Bus folks. It is also interesting to know people who have been active for decades in politics on opposite sides of campaigns I have been involved with (like old war buddies from opposite sides comparing notes). I have discovered, for instance, that there were even Republicans who were offended by the tone of the 2004 GOP convention.

One such friend and I believe that if we could ditch the partisanship for inspiration (as I find in the BUS Project) and serious indignation (this is right, this is wrong, here is what I intend to do about it) rather than the
phony blame game of those like Scott, Minnis, Richardson we might actually solve problems in this state. But that requires “here is what I believe, and here is my evidence–and I will be glad to consider your evidence” rather than the juvenile behavior we often see in politics these days.

I truly believe the support for such ideas as non-partisan legislature and One Ballot initiative comes from those who believe politics as currently practiced is broken and needs to be fixed.

The Bus folks are doing a good job of trying to fix politics.

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