southern values
You know what I realized? My whole world is biased- most of the reason that I think the way I do is because I've learned it from someone else who thinks the same way.
Case in point- we were watching tv last night and a John Kerry commercial came on. Michelle, the lady who I'm staying with, makes a comment to the effect of "oh god I sure hope he doesn't get elected." I was shocked! Someone who wants Bush in office? I've never seen such a thing! So of course being the curious person I am, I asked her why. I mean, sure I know lots of anti-Bush reasoning, but I've never actually heard of someone who doesn't like Kerry (actually I've never heard many arguments for Kerry either, besides the fact that he's not Bush).
She gave some interesting reasons, at least I think so. Her husband drives a logging truck, and she said that Kerry's policies will drive them out of business, they already have a hard enough time making money as it is. This reason makes sense to me, although I think that it is near sighted.
She also told me something that I had never heard before, she said that Kerry is hypocritical and talks out of both sides of his mouth. For example, he's really big on keeping jobs inside the country, yet his wife is the heiress of Heinz, a company that does most of it's business overseas. She also said that he wants more healthcare, which is fine and good, but she said that he expected the middle class people to pay for it. She told me that she can barely pay for her own health care as it is.
I'm really happy to finally be introduced to the other side of the argument. I'm not saying that I've decided to become republican or conservative, I'm not saying that there aren't good arguments to counter the ones that she gave. What I am saying is that if anything like that were introduced at Lincoln it would be immediately shot down with angry or passionate counter-arguments. There is a lot less freedom of expression than you'd think.
I know that some of you will immediately be offended by this post or want to retaliate with some pro-Kerry arguments. Please try not to be, because that's exactly what I'm saying. If you can't open your mind and just listen to the other side, maybe even try to understand where it is coming from, then you are narrow minded yourself. That's all Im trying to do this summer. Open my mind.
Case in point- we were watching tv last night and a John Kerry commercial came on. Michelle, the lady who I'm staying with, makes a comment to the effect of "oh god I sure hope he doesn't get elected." I was shocked! Someone who wants Bush in office? I've never seen such a thing! So of course being the curious person I am, I asked her why. I mean, sure I know lots of anti-Bush reasoning, but I've never actually heard of someone who doesn't like Kerry (actually I've never heard many arguments for Kerry either, besides the fact that he's not Bush).
She gave some interesting reasons, at least I think so. Her husband drives a logging truck, and she said that Kerry's policies will drive them out of business, they already have a hard enough time making money as it is. This reason makes sense to me, although I think that it is near sighted.
She also told me something that I had never heard before, she said that Kerry is hypocritical and talks out of both sides of his mouth. For example, he's really big on keeping jobs inside the country, yet his wife is the heiress of Heinz, a company that does most of it's business overseas. She also said that he wants more healthcare, which is fine and good, but she said that he expected the middle class people to pay for it. She told me that she can barely pay for her own health care as it is.
I'm really happy to finally be introduced to the other side of the argument. I'm not saying that I've decided to become republican or conservative, I'm not saying that there aren't good arguments to counter the ones that she gave. What I am saying is that if anything like that were introduced at Lincoln it would be immediately shot down with angry or passionate counter-arguments. There is a lot less freedom of expression than you'd think.
I know that some of you will immediately be offended by this post or want to retaliate with some pro-Kerry arguments. Please try not to be, because that's exactly what I'm saying. If you can't open your mind and just listen to the other side, maybe even try to understand where it is coming from, then you are narrow minded yourself. That's all Im trying to do this summer. Open my mind.