O'Reilly and Fox News...or Hitler and the Nazis....

The good thing is we're passionate about our views and that we respect each other for having views different from our own. The funny thing is as crazy conservative as I am, I married a very liberal man (but I'm working on that and opposites attract) and my very closest friends are also very liberal. I'm glad though because while my friends and I know how we all stand on things (we don't discuss politics), I like that we see that those "on the other side" are wonderful, loving, caring people. The worse thing, I think, is to think you're the only one who's right and everyone else is wrong or "bad". I think we're all in it together, you know?

I agree with that, tiredandpoor... to be open to the other side and not to think of oneself as "right" on an issue. There are so many variables, many of which we do not know about... Thanks for the comments.

[Rapunzel]

I agree that it is wrong to demonize those that disagree with you. But, there's a difference between that and believing your stance on an issue is the correct one. At some point we all have value decisions to make and we make those decisions based upon contributing factors that lead us to believe we are making the "right" decisions. Otherwise no one would be labeling themselves as "left-wing" or "conservative" and no one would HAVE an opinion to argue in the first place. So, if you have an opinion you obviously feel you have come to the "correct" conclusion. And, if this opinion is an opinion about how the US or another nation or organization should function or what they should or should not do then you are not just deciding what is best for "you" - you are making a value judgement on another group of people (be they a nation, an organization, or a leader or two).

Now, as a person dedicated to learning, I find it very beneficial to LISTEN to what others think (ie other perspectives) in order to decide how that fits into my own value decisions and whether those perspectives will alter them. I'm passionate about my views - but only as long as I can support them with integrity.