http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/California_woman_who_says_she_was_0315.html

And you’re right about being obnoxious at work about your politics. Work should be about work; not about force-feeding your ideals.

And there are two sides to every story as well.

In the comment section of one of my blog posts, an American commenter stopped by to give his version of why there may be so much hostility between the two loyal parties:

This is just a hunch of mine, but not one without careful and considerable observation. It comes down to one thing: Vietnam.

It’s a very personal, walking-on-eggshells sort of issue. The U.S. military has always recruited heaviest in the south and midwest. A lot of men in “fly-over” states either enlisted, or were drafted into Vietnam in the 60’s. They thought they were doing the right thing. They saw all these hippies burning their draft cards and running off to Canada. They went off to war and when they came home, were treated very badly by the country they thought they were serving.

Something like that you never forget. Their kids and grandchildren hear tales of how all these hippies and “intellectual sissies who think they’re so damned smart” spat on their loved ones way back then, calling them “babykillers”, god knows what else, and it breeds quite a bit of contempt. As a result, as long as there are people protesting the war, they will be there to support it, even if only out of spite. I don’t agree with it, but I understand where it comes from. That’s just how it is.

I found that thought provoking. From having spent so much time with Foreign Anti-Americans, I have moved just a bit toward the right in my politics. People can be so incredibly intimidating that in order to cope, one must make a few adjustments to make it easier even if they don’t know they’re doing it.

I also keep noticing that anytime a candidate says the wrong thing, the polls tilt in the opposite direction. If the Libs keep harassing Palin, Palin will win. And visa versa.

I read the article you posted regarding the woman who was allegedly fired by her boss for having a Kerry bumper sticker. If that is true, that is very disturbing.

The idea that a boss, religious leader, or other person in an influential position can pressure someone or even make someone feel uncomfortable because of a bumper sticker that indicates the person’s support of a major political candidate is ridiculous. Things get much more difficult if the person is obnoxious at work about their support for a political candidate.

At any rate, I hope that this the only example of something like this happening. It does not reflect the best in anyone.

Deana

I think the best judge of treatment would be to ask Liberals themselves (not the cookie ones!!) because naturally all groups will say that they are the nicer ones. And based on my experience on the internet, if I had a penny for every time I’ve been called a commie, Anti-American, racist, moonbat or whatnots, I’d be rich now. And this is not just my experience.

Naturally, this doesn’t phase me because they’re just stupid names, and it takes much more than THAT to offend me. I have a pretty thick skin.

Once again, it is a shame that people have to discriminate and intimidate due to one having another opinion whether you’re a conservative or liberal.

Your blog is living proof that healthy debates and differences of opinions can happen peacefully. I’m sure you get a couple that flex their muscles and like to stir the pot, though.

If the above is a lie, please forgive me.

By the way, my saying that one got fired over support for Kerry was not in response to Bookworm, but in response to Deana.

Texas, huh? I haven’t been to that country in a while . . . (hee-hee!)

First, I want to say that I truly appreciate the obvious thoughtfulness in your response. I don’t for a minute think that conservatives or Republicans have all the answers but for the past 15 years or so, I have found it nearly impossible to have a constructive discussion with anyone who calls him/herself a liberal because the moment I admit to being a conservative, the liberal person starts to experience varying degrees of apoplexy. (One co-worker once asked me if my favorite book was Mein Kampf.) The absolute most I have come to expect from liberals is some sort of expression of concern about my intelligence / analytical capability / and/or familiarity with history and current events. So it is nice to be able to have a rational discussion about experiences and viewpoints and know that the other person isn’t automatically assuming that I and others like me are ignorant unsophisticates whose rights and opportunities would perish but for the concern and interventions by the liberals.

Second – perhaps I was too hasty in my assumption that conservatives (in general) tend to be more reticent about their beliefs while liberals, who seem to assume that everyone believes as they do, are more willing to publicize their thoughts. I came to expect this simply because since 1994, I’ve lived in 3 states, worked in multiple jobs across three different industries and have attended classes at several universities/colleges and regardless of where I was, I discovered that liberals dominated almost everywhere. I do realize, though, that there may be areas of the country where the reverse is true. Perhaps I should move to Texas??? At any rate, I do hope that most of the time, the conservatives you encounter are like the majority of the ones I know: considerate and open to polite and respectful discussion. If they aren’t, well, that doesn’t speak too well for conservatives or Republicans, now does it?

Finally – with regard to your friends who lost their jobs due to their support of Senator Kerry, that is a very serious allegation. Did these individuals file lawsuits?

Take care,

Deana

If you can’t provide the details to make a reasoned comparison with Neo-Neocon and Bookworm’s testimonies, they are nothing but hearsay.

They aren’t evidence of anything at this point.

The Left actually had to wait a while to attack Bush. Waiting does not equal mass hatred, for waiting requires patience, calculation, and political preparation.

Sarah Palin has given the Democrats a chance to respond, and they responded with passion, not calculation, hate, not love.

Actually, it is only unfair if those extremists aren’t your party’s leadership. When those extremists are your party’s leadership, there is no moral or functional equivalence you can make with the Republican party, who aren’t led by extremists.