As could probably be predicted, there were a number of political debates roaming about the Facebook newsfeed today, with regard to the Supreme Court's healthcare ruling. I got involved in one such feed, because the initial status ticked me off a bit. Alright, so the guy thought the individual mandate was wrong. That's fine. He has a right to his own opinion. However, he then went into the "real"/"unreal" American bit, saying only "real" Americans rejected the mandate. I didn't even go after him on the mandate. I asked him to define "real" and "unreal" Americans and if, since I support the healthcare law, I'm not a "real" American and should be forced to leave the country or something. I then asked who ultimately decided what a "real" and "unreal" American is and if there's a handout which deciphers the two. He said there was - The Constitution, Declaration of Independence, etc. and kept going on and on about "real" Americans.
I then went philosophical and asked if he had met any of the Founding Fathers, if he had co-authored the Constitution, if he had a way to look inside the minds of Madison, Jefferson, Franklin and company while they were alive and writing/implementing such documentation, because how can one be 100% positive of an author's actual message and intent if we're not him/her? Honestly? I then said that every person is different and due to all our different experiences, we likely see the world differently and with that, have different ideas of an ideal America. Who am I to lay claim that one version of this ideal America is correct and all others are false? He then said, "It's not 'ideal' America. It's 'real' America." I almost laughed at that. Okay, that's what I meant... Ideal? Real? Give me a break...
I found it really humorous when he said that he didn't stoop to the levels of left vs. right politics and I chimed in by saying, "Yeah, you talk about 'real' vs. 'unreal' Americans, which is even worse, in my opinion." Yes, I think partisan politics are annoying, but most times, they're only claiming, "You're not one of us," meaning you're not a member of the Republican/Democratic Party. When a person goes the "real" vs. "unreal" American route, he/she is laying claim that a certain number of individuals in this country don't really belong here.
It all makes me laugh, because he and people who think similarly label themselves as Libertarian, meaning it's all about freedom - no regulations, no taxes, etc. Gay marriage rights? Sure, why not. Marijuana legalization? Sounds good to me. Yet, for people who may disagree with them with regard to taxes and regulations? Well, they're not real members of this society. Yeah, it certainly sounds like a "real" American to tell a group of people they're not "real" Americans because they hold different opinions than them, all the while claiming that the government should never impose upon our freedom. I'm not sure how that philosophy works exactly, but I'll think it over and try to make sense of it. Perhaps alcohol will aid me there or ganja or...okay, I don't even think that will work...
I then went philosophical and asked if he had met any of the Founding Fathers, if he had co-authored the Constitution, if he had a way to look inside the minds of Madison, Jefferson, Franklin and company while they were alive and writing/implementing such documentation, because how can one be 100% positive of an author's actual message and intent if we're not him/her? Honestly? I then said that every person is different and due to all our different experiences, we likely see the world differently and with that, have different ideas of an ideal America. Who am I to lay claim that one version of this ideal America is correct and all others are false? He then said, "It's not 'ideal' America. It's 'real' America." I almost laughed at that. Okay, that's what I meant... Ideal? Real? Give me a break...
I found it really humorous when he said that he didn't stoop to the levels of left vs. right politics and I chimed in by saying, "Yeah, you talk about 'real' vs. 'unreal' Americans, which is even worse, in my opinion." Yes, I think partisan politics are annoying, but most times, they're only claiming, "You're not one of us," meaning you're not a member of the Republican/Democratic Party. When a person goes the "real" vs. "unreal" American route, he/she is laying claim that a certain number of individuals in this country don't really belong here.
It all makes me laugh, because he and people who think similarly label themselves as Libertarian, meaning it's all about freedom - no regulations, no taxes, etc. Gay marriage rights? Sure, why not. Marijuana legalization? Sounds good to me. Yet, for people who may disagree with them with regard to taxes and regulations? Well, they're not real members of this society. Yeah, it certainly sounds like a "real" American to tell a group of people they're not "real" Americans because they hold different opinions than them, all the while claiming that the government should never impose upon our freedom. I'm not sure how that philosophy works exactly, but I'll think it over and try to make sense of it. Perhaps alcohol will aid me there or ganja or...okay, I don't even think that will work...
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