The dangers of conversation

You don't think conversation is dangerous?

Well let me specify by saying *online* conversation is dangerous.

As many of you know, I am right of center in my beliefs and convictions. I believe (and believe history bears me out) that we move forward as a culture and a nation and a world when we act conservatively with a little push of progressivism to keep us on our toes.

But that's not what I'm wanting to talk about.

The fact is I have friends all across the political spectrum, from waaaaay farther right than me, over by the little mustache mirror and the guns around the train timetable (a dollar to whomever figures out those references, especially the second), to waaaaaay over there on the left, somewhere around the moon or possibly the outer planets (same offer as above).

They are my friends and I value both their friendship and their knowledge. We don't have to agree on everything to be friends. Some of them, even most of them, believe the same and act that way towards me and other friends.

But some seem to take offense whenever I say something "conservative". I get lumped into various nasty namecalling epithets and while I have broad shoulders, it does kind of irk me that I will do them the kindness of listening and trying to understand where they are coming from without saying rude things about them, but they won't do the same for me.

Before we go further, I must admit that this happens with people on either side of me, sitting as I am pretty much in the middle of the road. On the other hand, it seems (and I admit it may be just my faulty perception) to be more virulent and spiteful and just downright mean from over to my left. To my right they can be haughty and cruel, but there's  something special (and I don't mean in a good way) from off to my left.

And that's why I say online conversation is dangerous. Because these things always seem to come from online conversations and not from face to face.

I'm gonna name a name--two actually--so be warned.

Two dear friends are Jim and Kirsten Dewey. We are definitely not on the same page politically. Jim and I can get heated discussing some things but we NEVER resport to name calling and we DO listen to each other. But it's always in person. Well, mostly--Kirsten and I interacdt a lot on Facebook but even there, I guess we're all good enough friends that we may grumble at each other but we manage to hold onto the common ground we share (cats! :) ) and not throw things.

Alas, that does not hold true for all my friends, and I don't know how to change it. Or fix it. Maybe it can't be fixed.

In any event, I find myself treading lightly online, most of the time, and I'm not sure whether I'm being honest or not in doing so. My friends certainly have a right to know where I stand on issues of the day if they want to know, but I don't want to give offense and I'm afraid of doing so if I come on too strong. Plus I *hate* arguing because it makes me mad and when I get mad I get loud and obstreperous. And I don't have enough friends that I can  afford to lose even one because I shot of my mouth.

A problem without a solution, I am afraid. Oh I suppose I could just not go online, but we know that's not going to happen.

I suppose I shall simply have to pray about it, and try to express my points with the kind of gentleness I would want shown to myself, and without an assumption of error on the part of my friends.

A quiet night and a peaceful morning to you all, left, right, center, up and down. If you're off at a diagnoal, yeah, you too. :)