On being right or being wrong as Republicans and Democrats

[Rychek4]

I feel uncertain as I type these words. That I might wake up tomorrow and regret what I have written.

I worry that Republicans and Democrats are playing the wrong game. That Americans are playing the wrong game.

That the idea of seeking the truth isn't what we do anymore. It feels like politics engulfs us so completely sometimes that we become our beliefs and any argument against our side feels like a personal attack. That an admission that we were mistaken is admitting that we are not the person we thought we were, that we are lesser somehow.

When Kavanaugh was confirmed I read so many peoples taunts about winning. How little humanity do we have that we cannot believe we are right and still understand the fear of others, we cannot be humble in our victory. I see the same things in identity politics on the left vying for position as the most victimized or attacking all police because they belong to the tribe that is the police. Forgetting the individual heroes or even vilifying them.

We source our information from sites that make us comfortable. Places that confirm we were right the whole time. I can't think of a value I hold more dear in my friends and colleagues in an ability to admit when they do not know the right answer. I try to do it myself, though I fear I fail more often that I would hope.

I fear that we so much desire to not be uncomfortable in our news and opinions, in those things that we expose ourselves too, that we lose our interest in the truth. We only care that we are right, we twist ourselves in knots to be right. I know I have gone down that road with things like abortion. They seem like easy questions, but if they were, we would have settled them long ago. I don't know the right answer to abortion because it is hard. And we don't really want to look inward and admit that sometimes we don't know the difference between right and wrong. That is a hard admission to make.

I've often said on these boards that some of us do America a disservice, and I think that remains true, perhaps I am one of those. But unless we try to see both Democrats and Republicans as humans wanting the best thing for America, and just disagreeing on how to get there, but still seeking a universal truth in good faith... Well, I just fear that the shining city on a hill might be crumbling around us and we don't even see it.

I don't mean that just about this administration because it happens to be in power, or the last one with whatever legacy it left us with. I mean this just from the perspective of the people on this board that I have many times agreed on football but disagreed with on other things. And please, if you want to respond, read this post a second time. I may have not quite communicated as I wanted to, but I appreciate and value the perspective of the people here and I want to have a good honest conversation about some of these ideas.

 

[blythewood tigers]

I feel uncertain as I type these words. That I might wake up tomorrow and regret what I have written.

I worry that Republicans and Democrats are playing the wrong game. That Americans are playing the wrong game.

That the idea of seeking the truth isn't what we do anymore. It feels like politics engulfs us so completely sometimes that we become our beliefs and any argument against our side feels like a personal attack. That an admission that we were mistaken is admitting that we are not the person we thought we were, that we are lesser somehow.

When Kavanaugh was confirmed I read so many peoples taunts about winning. How little humanity do we have that we cannot believe we are right and still understand the fear of others, we cannot be humble in our victory. I see the same things in identity politics on the left vying for position as the most victimized or attacking all police because they belong to the tribe that is the police. Forgetting the individual heroes or even vilifying them.

We source our information from sites that make us comfortable. Places that confirm we were right the whole time. I can't think of a value I hold more dear in my friends and colleagues in an ability to admit when they do not know the right answer. I try to do it myself, though I fear I fail more often that I would hope.

I fear that we so much desire to not be uncomfortable in our news and opinions, in those things that we expose ourselves too, that we lose our interest in the truth. We only care that we are right, we twist ourselves in knots to be right. I know I have gone down that road with things like abortion. They seem like easy questions, but if they were, we would have settled them long ago. I don't know the right answer to abortion because it is hard. And we don't really want to look inward and admit that sometimes we don't know the difference between right and wrong. That is a hard admission to make.

I've often said on these boards that some of us do America a disservice, and I think that remains true, perhaps I am one of those. But unless we try to see both Democrats and Republicans as humans wanting the best thing for America, and just disagreeing on how to get there, but still seeking a universal truth in good faith... Well, I just fear that the shining city on a hill might be crumbling around us and we don't even see it.

I don't mean that just about this administration because it happens to be in power, or the last one with whatever legacy it left us with. I mean this just from the perspective of the people on this board that I have many times agreed on football but disagreed with on other things. And please, if you want to respond, read this post a second time. I may have not quite communicated as I wanted to, but I appreciate and value the perspective of the people here and I want to have a good honest conversation about some of these ideas.

I'll reply before I go to sleep.
I know I would be considered by many on this board as somewhat of an "outsider" politically, economically and "main" stream. I don't post a whole lot (work schedule) and respect all of what you said. I guess what bothers me the most is how much emphasis people in this country put on being in one "tribe" vs. the other and how this so-called, side of the isle dictates their thoughts, actions, which then become their habits.

Too many people think they have come up with answers to solve all our problems, politicians think they have to create solutions, when the answer(s) are already written in the Constitution. This simple document seems archaic, our politicians never reference it even though they swear to uphold it, a habit of dismissal.

I know people on here will argue with me when I say this as I have in the past, but there are two acts which have taken this country down the path we are on. One (the most important and must be explained in detail to fully understand), we no longer use money as intended per the Constitution. And two, we no longer emphasis, uphold and legally defend private property rights. These two may seem silly on the surface to the "normal" person, but if anyone wants to peel the onion a little they will soon find out how deep and important these two subjects become in a free society.

Your heart is in the right place, we all want what is best for our family and by extension our community, towns, cities, States and Country.

 

[TigerGrowls]

I feel uncertain as I type these words. That I might wake up tomorrow and regret what I have written.

I worry that Republicans and Democrats are playing the wrong game. That Americans are playing the wrong game.

That the idea of seeking the truth isn't what we do anymore. It feels like politics engulfs us so completely sometimes that we become our beliefs and any argument against our side feels like a personal attack. That an admission that we were mistaken is admitting that we are not the person we thought we were, that we are lesser somehow.

When Kavanaugh was confirmed I read so many peoples taunts about winning. How little humanity do we have that we cannot believe we are right and still understand the fear of others, we cannot be humble in our victory. I see the same things in identity politics on the left vying for position as the most victimized or attacking all police because they belong to the tribe that is the police. Forgetting the individual heroes or even vilifying them.

We source our information from sites that make us comfortable. Places that confirm we were right the whole time. I can't think of a value I hold more dear in my friends and colleagues in an ability to admit when they do not know the right answer. I try to do it myself, though I fear I fail more often that I would hope.

I fear that we so much desire to not be uncomfortable in our news and opinions, in those things that we expose ourselves too, that we lose our interest in the truth. We only care that we are right, we twist ourselves in knots to be right. I know I have gone down that road with things like abortion. They seem like easy questions, but if they were, we would have settled them long ago. I don't know the right answer to abortion because it is hard. And we don't really want to look inward and admit that sometimes we don't know the difference between right and wrong. That is a hard admission to make.

I've often said on these boards that some of us do America a disservice, and I think that remains true, perhaps I am one of those. But unless we try to see both Democrats and Republicans as humans wanting the best thing for America, and just disagreeing on how to get there, but still seeking a universal truth in good faith... Well, I just fear that the shining city on a hill might be crumbling around us and we don't even see it.

I don't mean that just about this administration because it happens to be in power, or the last one with whatever legacy it left us with. I mean this just from the perspective of the people on this board that I have many times agreed on football but disagreed with on other things. And please, if you want to respond, read this post a second time. I may have not quite communicated as I wanted to, but I appreciate and value the perspective of the people here and I want to have a good honest conversation about some of these ideas.

Good points here @Rychek4 The ego is involved with all people and when does it become more important to win than for the best interest of the country to be served for citizens watching the current happenings? I think about this a lot myself.

 

[CU Alumnus]

I feel uncertain as I type these words. That I might wake up tomorrow and regret what I have written.

I worry that Republicans and Democrats are playing the wrong game. That Americans are playing the wrong game.

That the idea of seeking the truth isn't what we do anymore. It feels like politics engulfs us so completely sometimes that we become our beliefs and any argument against our side feels like a personal attack. That an admission that we were mistaken is admitting that we are not the person we thought we were, that we are lesser somehow.

When Kavanaugh was confirmed I read so many peoples taunts about winning. How little humanity do we have that we cannot believe we are right and still understand the fear of others, we cannot be humble in our victory. I see the same things in identity politics on the left vying for position as the most victimized or attacking all police because they belong to the tribe that is the police. Forgetting the individual heroes or even vilifying them.

We source our information from sites that make us comfortable. Places that confirm we were right the whole time. I can't think of a value I hold more dear in my friends and colleagues in an ability to admit when they do not know the right answer. I try to do it myself, though I fear I fail more often that I would hope.

I fear that we so much desire to not be uncomfortable in our news and opinions, in those things that we expose ourselves too, that we lose our interest in the truth. We only care that we are right, we twist ourselves in knots to be right. I know I have gone down that road with things like abortion. They seem like easy questions, but if they were, we would have settled them long ago. I don't know the right answer to abortion because it is hard. And we don't really want to look inward and admit that sometimes we don't know the difference between right and wrong. That is a hard admission to make.

I've often said on these boards that some of us do America a disservice, and I think that remains true, perhaps I am one of those. But unless we try to see both Democrats and Republicans as humans wanting the best thing for America, and just disagreeing on how to get there, but still seeking a universal truth in good faith... Well, I just fear that the shining city on a hill might be crumbling around us and we don't even see it.

I don't mean that just about this administration because it happens to be in power, or the last one with whatever legacy it left us with. I mean this just from the perspective of the people on this board that I have many times agreed on football but disagreed with on other things. And please, if you want to respond, read this post a second time. I may have not quite communicated as I wanted to, but I appreciate and value the perspective of the people here and I want to have a good honest conversation about some of these ideas.

I agree, and yet I don't. This may ramble a bit......

This part I take issue with:
"But unless we try to see both Democrats and Republicans as humans wanting the best thing for America, and just disagreeing on how to get there, but still seeking a universal truth in good faith... Well, I just fear that the shining city on a hill might be crumbling around us and we don't even see it."

I no longer view politicians as wanting to do the best for anyone but themselves first, and their party second. I don't think we have any true "statesmen" anymore - people who try to do stuff for the good of the nation, the state, or their community. If there are any, the political machine eats them up pretty quickly.

One thing I see is that people tend to pick a candidate they like FIRST, then form their opinions based on what that person thinks. I think that's the wrong way around. But in the end you usually get two choices to vote for, and you have to just pick one. So you may vote for someone you disagree with on some issues. Then those who don't like "your guy" hammer that "he said this" or "she did that." Yeah - no shit.

But I had two choices and I picked the cleanest turd, to my eye. **** off.

Example - I didn't vote Trump in the primary. But he won so in the general it was Trump vs Hillary, with a bunch of NCIH candidates behind them. I took issue with some (a lot) of what Trump did, and how he runs his personal life. But I viewed Hillary as a massive disaster waiting to happen, so I held my nose and pulled the damn lever. Would I have preferred to be voting for a Reagan or even W? Yep. But they weren't candidates.

I'm honestly at the point that I just sit back and await the carnage.