Whack Your Friends, Tony Would
by Mr. Wrestling IVI turned into Tony Soprano last year. I got so disgusted with a couple of my friends that I whacked them. Not literally, of course; they’re not sleeping with the fishes or anything. But in terms of being a daily part of my life, they’re gone.
Whacked.
I whacked a friend with whom I had worked a number of years ago, and who I enjoyed and respected as an actress. I said (during a recent email exchange in which she evangelized for my conversion to the Obama religion), that I could not vote for Obama because his background, his associations with Wright and Ayers, and his public pronouncements led me to believe that he adhered to a Marxist philosophy, which was explicitly revealed in his “Spread the wealth around” comments to Joe the Plumber. As a free-market conservative, I told her, I believe that government-enforced redistribution of wealth is anathema to the American way of life.
In one of the most baffling non sequiturs I have ever experienced, she immediately accused me of engaging in “hate speech,” and informed me that she could no longer be friends with me.
Now this same person had, in 2004, the morning after George W. Bush was reelected, loudly proclaimed at our table read that she had hung her head out the window on the way to work while President Bush’s acceptance speech played on her car radio and screamed, “WILL SOMEONE PLEASE ASSASSINATE THIS MAN?” Through clenched teeth, I noted that many people agreed with her, and most of those people were known, outside of Hollywood, as “terrorists.” While I found myself unable to speak to her again for a week after her contemptible outburst, I did have to continue working with her for the foreseeable future, and I did find a way to forgive (but not forget), and remain cordial and professional with her.
But my disagreeing with Obama on philosophical grounds based on his own comments was unforgivable hate speech?
I whacked her.
Another friend slowly transformed in front of my eyes during the last election season from a trusted friend, with whom I had had many agreeable discussions over the past eight years about issues like the threat of Islamic terrorism, excessive taxation, and the dangerous Bush Derangement Syndrome afflicting so many of our colleagues, into an unrecognizable Sarah Palin-hating Obamatron, unwilling to listen to any criticism of The One, and parroting mainstream media talking points that only months before we had both ridiculed.
The first red flag appeared to me when he spoke with contempt about Sarah Palin — which I will admit, I simply cannot bear. Sarah Palin reminds me of my mother, who came from nothing and earned everything she has. If you disagree with Palin’s policies or opinions substantively, I can handle that. But call her stupid, and I see red. It’s like saying “Yo Momma” to me. Mrs. Palin is exactly the kind of citizen politician our forefathers envisioned. She is a decent, normal, beautiful American woman from a small town who worked her way through college without the benefits of wealth, pedigree, or (ahem) Affirmative Action, who then climbed the political ladder, being rewarded by voters for her job performance, and became Governor of her state.
Sarah Palin has been a mother (of 5), a small business owner, a mayor, a governor, and the point guard on her high school state championship basketball team. That means she has run a family, a business, a town, a state, and an OFFENSE, for God’s sake. And she was running with McCain against Obama and Biden, three Senatorial blowhards, each of whom had only ever run one thing: his mouth.
The last straw was when he sent me one of those chain emails which listed all of Obama’s “accomplishments,” such as they were, and then concluded that the only possible reason anyone could not support Obama was racism. I told him that since I did not agree with Obama on any issue he could name, and judging by the conversations we’d had over the years that he didn’t either, then if either of us was voting based on race, it had to be him and not me.
Then after some fruitless back and forth, I realized he was gone. The friend I had known didn’t really exist anymore. He was ready to reward the party that had called our President a liar, a loser, and a terrorist, and called our brave soldiers killers, with control of every branch of government because he had succumbed to the Hope and Change cult. So I put him out of his (and my) misery.
I took him out behind my address book and whacked him.
Whacking your friends is a dirty business, but sometimes, for their own good and yours, it’s got to be done. And like Tony Soprano, I have some residual feelings about it that I might need to go talk to Lorraine Bracco about. But in the end, it’s much like my wife’s philosophy of creating space. If she has clothes she doesn’t wear, or a piece of furniture she can’t stand anymore, she gets rid of them before she has a replacement. By getting rid of the old crap you don’t enjoy anymore, she says, you create space in your life for something you do enjoy to appear. Then when you finally run across something you love, you’ve got room for it.
This has worked for me like a charm. I have many new friends now, for the first time in years. My dear old friends that haven’t lost their minds are still here with me. And I have room for more.
I highly recommend it. Create space in your life. Don’t be afraid. If you have friends that don’t fit in your life anymore, face up to it. Take care of business.
Whack ‘em. Tony would.
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458 Comments
I am constantly ridiculed by those that know me due to my own little mental "Boycot List" while it tends to be psycotic at times (winkwink) I still am able to manage it mentally without the need of pen and paper – so I got that going for me.
There are many people I do not associate with anymore because if they have the ability to blindly accept things without facts then what else are they twisted about? I blindly follow and believe one entity – and he doesn't reside in Washington.
"I highly recommend it. Create space in your life. Don’t be afraid. If you have friends that don’t fit in your life anymore, face up to it. Take care of business."
If you find out someone has politics opposite yours, cut them out of your life. Self-imposed intellectual isolation – it's fun for all
Well Bob – for Conservatives, trying to talk to blind Liberals is about as fun and useful as arguing with our selves……but nice try at sarcasim.
And I'm sure there very reasonable Liberals out there who…….oh nevermind, they're now Conservatives. (how do youlike my sarcasim?) LOL!
Hope and Change (verp)
Well Bob – for Conservatives, trying to talk to blind Liberals is about as fun and useful as arguing with our selves……but nice try at sarcasim. Kinda sounds like you're against the Fairness Doctrine – is that true?
And I'm sure there very reasonable Liberals out there who…….oh nevermind, they're now Conservatives. (how do youlike my sarcasim?) LOL!
Hope and Change (verp)
Well Bob – for Conservatives, trying to talk to blind Liberals is about as fun and useful as arguing with our selves……but nice try at sarcasim. Kinda sounds like you're against the Fairness Doctrine – is that true?
And I'm sure there are very reasonable Liberals out there who…….oh nevermind, they're now Conservatives. (how do youlike my sarcasim?) LOL!
Hope and Change (verp)
I've run into the same type of problem. Where once I could have had spirited discussions with some friends on politics when we didn't agree, but not any more. I've lost a couple life long friends because of it. They truly do view Obama as some type of savior, anyone who isn't on board is evil. The mind set of the left now was best described by Howard Dean a couple years back when speaking to a group of democrats.
"There's good and there's evil and you're the good."
It just makes me wonder how long it will take people on the right to believe that they really do think we're evil.
Oh MovieBob, spoken kind of like a closed minded person. Didn't you read the post?? Our hero stayed friendly with the woman even after she (psychotically) screamed out for someone to kill President Bush, whom our hero supported. It was she, like you, who became unbalanced when our hero disagreed with her candidate's positions. (It doesn't appear that he called for any violence against her candidate of choice?)
You may want to re-read the post for clarity, since your preconceived notions seemed to have blocked information on your original reading. It is clear to me that our hero is reluctant to lose these friends.
Great post, Mr Wrestling. I too have been in the "whacking" mood lately. Life is too short to deal with "friends" who believe they are intellectually superior, yet believe GWB truly is a Nazi. Not to mention their Obama worship…
My parents and my sister whacked me over my political views. My parents eventually overcame my conservatism, but my sister is, and ever shall be, eating daisies by the roots.
Bob, I really, really, really try to walk the middle road here, but why is it that your team always lobs the smug, arrogant response (bad enough) that totally ignores what the author wrote. Regardless of my lack of interest in any of the politicians listed in the article, did you not gather at all the the author's friends who got 'whacked' did so for their own intolerance and unwillingness to treat the author's opinions as reasoned? Or did I read a different article?
What if you do if those friends are family? And not just family but close family. Family you love deeply but simply cannot stand for the very reasons you talked about. Sure, Tony would whack them, but it's harder in real life.
That said, you simply cannot have a reasonable intellectual conversation with most liberals and certainly not with any Obama supporter. Even the ones who have known you for years . . . who trusted and indeed valued your opinion and judgment . . . will turn on you like your cherished family mutt infected with rabies.
It would be funny if it were not so frightening.
Have you tried cult deprogramming. Take them to a hotel, put on an Obama mask and start smacking them with a copy of the stimulus plan. They'll come around.
I like the phrase "fishing with Fredo" a little better:)
Same thing happened to me, only it was much more farcical. On facebook, of all places, I was links to articles about Obama's policies, background…pretty much all the same info you listed off. I was friends, up until this point, with the woman running the Obama campaign for an entire state (not my own). One day, out of the clear blue with no previous discussion on our differences of opinion, she told me she was "whacking" me because I was a racist spewing hate speech that was inciting people to violence. It was sad, because I grew up with her and still have a good relationship with the rest of her family (red-staters, like myself.) But oh well. It was her decision.
I don't know who you are under that mask, my friend, but you are a wise and patient man. Luca libres!
I am reminded of a statement I once read several years ago:
"Some people are best loved at a distance".
Add to that the grotesque violation of healthy relationship boundaries commonly committed in the name of "family", and suddenly whacking becomes easier. Not easy, true, but less difficult.
As a white heterosexual libertarian growing up on the southside of Chicago I've been called rascist for not agreeing with Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan, condeming Rev. Wright and Michael Pfleger, not giving spare change to the hordes of living dead homeless, and not voting for the Hawaii carpetbagging black jesus Hopbama. If I split an Oreo in half and have too much creme filling on one side I'm accused of being a racist. The word is meaningless to me as it should to others as well.
My husband and I have this problem with family members, and we don't want to whack them (we have had to whack a few friends). We also try very hard to steer the conversation to safe topics. Believe me, it was VERY difficult to do, particularly throughout this very long campaign season. It is amazing, though, how many people, particularly family, want to get in your face!
I understand where you're coming from, and I too have been bothered by the same type of cult-like and condescending people ever since Obama came to fame. But to me, having these people around isn't necessarily a bad thing; rather it provides a great source of entertainment. Plus, cutting out everyone in your life who you don't agree with makes you just as close minded as the people whom you find fault in. Hearing other opinions can only make you smarter on the subject and will better define and shape your own outlook.
If I didn't assosciate with people who support Obama, I'd have four friends and never get laid.
Man! This is so weird. After the election, I did this exact thing.
I couldn't believe, first of all, how many of my liberal "friends" thought it'd be okay to GLOAT about Obama winning. I didn't gloat in 2004. I could have. I even wanted to. But I didn't. I was just happy my guy won and that was it.
But not enlightened liberals. They gloated.
But I didn't take the gloating graciously. I fired back. Aggressively. Told them: Obama was going to be this and that, you'll see.
Which of course, ANGERED them. How dare I not just take their gloating quietly?!
Anyway, I realized that if you seriously thought Obama was qualified to be president and then voted for him, that there is something utterly and deeply mentally wrong with you (I said this before Garafolo said it about us).
So I said to my wife, I need to stop hanging with these people… with liberals. I need to cut them (or whack them as you said) from life.
Hanging with them at work or at a work-function, is one thing. We're in the lion's den here in L.A.. We have to remain quiet at work about our beliefs (sadly so) and "work" with these idiots, but in my PERSONAL life. I don't have to associate or hang out with any liberals. I just can't. Because they're out of their minds. So why was I? They thought I was a joke for believing what I believed, yet I was tolerant of them and their moronic beliefs. (Ironic, huh?)
Seeing people that I was once able to tolerate and even enjoy their company, now go absolutely out of their minds is sad. They didn't JUST go nuts by the way. They've ALWAYS been nuts, its just Obama's victory freed them up and emboldened them to be NUTS in the open.
But I realized this election cycle that I don't need them. So why did I spend ANY personal time with them?
I realized that I wasn't able to articulate why I hung out with people that I so fundamentally disagreed with.
Maybe because I've known them a long time or we liked the same movies, I don't know.
Bottom line: They couldn't be more opposite and contemptuous of me. So Irecently. cleaned house.
And I ended up cutting 98 percent of my "friends". No kidding.
Yes, that seems drastic, but I realized 98% of the people in my life are on polar opposite extremes in terms of what we believe in.
Surely, they don't enjoy hanging out with someone like me either.
So I'm doing us both a favor.
Sure, I may have to work with these Liberals again and in that sense, I will remain "cordial" and even "friendly" simply so we can enjoy working together. But there's a difference between being friendly and being friends.
And no liberal can EVER truly be my friend.
So what I'm left with is a nice core of level-headed, rational, FRIENDS.
I plan to choose new friends more wisely, as I don't want to repeat this process ever again.
This has been truly a bittersweet time in my life.
I'm thankful that I didn't have to "whack" anyone over the recent elections. I think it's because I have a good feel for who I can and can't discuss politics with. But I totally agree with you on the Palin Derangement Syndrome. I had never heard of her until her candidacy was announced. That day I went and checked her Wikipedia entry (before the vandals got to it) and was thrilled and impressed with everything I read about her. She gave me reason to be excited about McCain's candidacy, when up to that point I was less than impressed. To this day I am still appalled at how the media pulled together to totally crush her in every way they could, lies and distortions included. Like you, anyone who presents themselves to me as Palin hater is not worth engaging with because all they'll be doing is parroting the media (and SNL) distortions. I'd love her to run again, but I just don't know if I can stomach the feeding frenzy on her all over again (like the last one has even ended, right?).
I'd say that the prospect of not having to listen to the kind of smug snotnosed sarcasm that MovieBob throws out regularly is a good reason in itself to take the article's advice.
Have you *seen* the stimulus plan??? You'd probably end up on murder charges, or at least manslaughter!
While it's easier to whack a friend, what can you do about family? I received one of those christmas letters from a relative. First, the obligatory announcements of annual acheivements, touting success and accolades, which is all well and good. But it ended with downright glee at the annointment of "the one", followed by another snipe at the ineptitude of GW. Disgusted, I tossed it in the can. No surprise there, but, if given the choice, would you really invite the people who are foisted to gather on the various holidays, or would you like to toss them in the can too? You can choose your friends, but what to do about a spastic uncle?
Unfortunately, I'm a crackpot. If I "whacked" all my friends whose opinions run frustratingly contrary to mine, I would be one very lonely if handsome young man.
You don't read very carefully, do you, MovieBob?
I was at Harvard for a two week conference in Nov. 2004. I am from Nebraska. It was just swell to be in Boston at that time. Everyone who found out I was from "one of the big square states in the middle of the country" thought that they had the right to criticize me for backing Bush. I wacked the whole city after that. Too extreme? Perhaps. Justified? Most certainly.
I was forced to whack someone I had been friends with for 35 years for essentially the same issues. I, mean I put up with the BDS for all those years but when he proudly proclaimed his unconditional support for the affirmative action candidate it put me over the top. Buh-Bye! As for family, what can you do but stick with sports and kids; oh and to make sure everyone knows that I am not going to listen to their garbage for even one second.
It does suck though!
Nice post Mr.W4. Next time instead of "whacking" your friends, try a good old fashioned piledriver. Or better yet, a brain-claw. However your victim would have to have a brain…
The thing I find hard to believe is that you actually knew someone in Hollywood (other than those on this site) with whom you could discuss the follies of Bush Derangement Syndrome. That such a rare person succumbed to the Obama Kool-Aid is nothing short of tragic.
That's not what he's saying. I'm pretty sure he doesn't mind differing political opinions, but when that opinion wends its way into madness where it is impossible for them to carry on a coherent conversation on the subject, then yes, it IS time to say farewell. It's sad.
I did the same thing the day after the election. Its no biggie. I actually think going through this garbage with people you think are your friends is a good thing. My atttude is I'd rather hang with people I genuinally like and can talk to than tiptoe around a gigantic pink elephant in the room called Obama. Sorry but if that guy becomes more important in friend's lives than your friendship its time to move away from that friendship.
It's looking way too much like there has been some mass hypnosis going on. I've seen too many otherwise sane, coherent, even politically neutral people suddenly turn into obamatrons. It ain't right.
The folks I'm acquainted with who have made this transformation tend to get their information from the broadcast views programs.
Not accusing anyone, I'm just saying….
"Adheres to a Marxist philosophy"? No wonder he wears a mask. If only to hide the stupid.
I had to whack a friend awhile back, but it wasn't so much BDS as it was the "enlightened" behavior that went with her derangement. Multiple abortions and affairs with married men were okay but somehow Bush was her ethical inferior… I couldn't stand it. Bizarrely she didn't see the hypocrisy.
It’s freaky, isn’t it? I don’t understand it. Were people like this when Clinton was first elected? I don’t remember this level of mass hysteria and contempt for dissent, but I was only a teenager at the time.
I don't disuss politics with some of my friends anymore because of their blindness…..
After the 2004 elections, I got an email from one of my "bosses" actually advocating the assassination of a sitting president. Knowing his obvious political leanings, I replied that I knew many Republican and I had never heard any of them wish Kerry dead. He replied that they sure did wish Clinton dead. I said Nope, In jail or just out of office, but never dead. It stopped him in his tracks. My friends and co-workers have learned not to say stupid things within ear shot of me because I will gently challenge them.
I kept most of the emails I have been sent slamming Bush and Cheney, and have decided that I am going to substitute in Obama's name and send it back to see what happens. It ought to be really funny!
"The first red flag appeared to me when he spoke with contempt about Sarah Palin — which I will admit, I simply cannot bear."
I assume from your subsequent description of Ms. Palin that it is CONTEMPT OF her that you cannot bear, not the person herself? The wording is a bit ambiguous. I too have trouble reconciling the Dems' and the media's (birm) reviling of her with their supposed commitment to gender equality. I can only conclude that they feel that only women of their political pursuasion are worthy of "equality"… and I wonder if their "principles" on racial equality are similarly asterisked. Just kidding – I know damn well they are!
And to all those who are appalled at "whacking": a) it's called "wry humor", and b) have you listened to any mature, mainstream Democrats for the last 8 years? They do a pretty good imitation of Tony Soprano, using the media, not Glocks – see Ms. Palin's case referenced above.
I've been whacking people too. You can be a lib and be my friend/associate. All I ask is that you treat my point of view with respect and can have an intelligent, principled discussion. If however, you're drinking the Kool-Aid, see a Messiah in the White House, have to shout down those you can't debate, etc, you're gonna get rubbed out of my address book.
Life's too short to waste a single minute on ignorant people.
And yet you proudly display yours….
Thanks Mr. Wrestling for the piece. I have a large group of liberal friends that I see only on rare occasions. After more than one of these occasions, I had to relax and forget about all their head in the sand tactics. The arguing was non stop, and the debate broke down to where it was pointless. I guess I just need to whack them. If we stay away from politics, I actually enjoy their company, but too many times the topic is brought up.
Ahhh, typical liberal that sets up a strawman in order to try and bash the truth. No where did Mr. Wrestling IV say you should get rid of people you disagree with. What he did say was to get rid of people that aren't willing to rationally disagree with you, but rather call you hateful and racist. I know in your little mind there is no difference, but in reality there is a huge difference.
Good article. I just can't respect someone who doesn't think for themselves and only lobs hateful insults, such as Bob. A "liberal" co-worker and I were discussing Pres. Bush one day, and she went on and on about his laugh. I tried to turn the conversation to policy, ideology, etc. But she couldn't debate those; she just wanted to talk about how he looked so silly when he moved his shoulders when he laughed. I told her I'd enjoy debating the issues, but had no interest in talking about his physical looks and mannerisms which he inherited. Mentally, I whacked her. I never tried to discuss politics with her again. I just lost all respect for her. The funny thing is she really thinks she's such an intellectual and so deep. It's not wonder these people blindly follow.
I had a friend who rarely discussed politics, yet he "knew" Bush was stupid because that's what the MSM (and his liberal friends) told him. This was a guy who was never registered to vote, and who never voted in his life. Although I didn't call him out on it, I should have. Why should I bother to take your political opinions seriously if you don't even bother to participate in the process?
Unless the person is just so totally consumed with BDS and Obama cultism that I can't carry on any conversation without them immediately descending into illogical rage, I haven't "whacked" anybody over political disagreements. Though to be fair, I am keeping a few around so that, 8-10 months from now, I can ask the Obama fanatics why the rainbows and unicorns haven't shown up yet, even if it does mean listening to another round of BDS from them. Even with that, it will be fun to see how long they're willing to use that crutch before they admit defeat and just go with the "Obama's failing, but it's the evil corporate types/neo-cons/Fox News/other that's destroying his presidency, and Bush was worse, and Palin/Huckabee/Romney/Jindal/other would be 10 times worse in 2012."
So what you're saying, really, is that you're dropping as friends people who have no understanding of logic and reality, and that's just having a disproportionate impact on the number of friends you have who are liberal. That's understandable. I've found myself more intolerant of the modern intolerance of reason too. I don't hate liberals. I hate the disdain for rationality that so many people who happen to be liberal have. That's one reason why I look harder for liberals who aren't insane. But it seems that the ones who aren't lunatics are ignorant and have no desire to change their ignorance. Oh, well.
I've never whacked any friends, since I'm good at steering conversations away from politics. You have to here in Barcelona because 85% of the people are completely insane. Two English guys whacked me, though, for being a Bush-loving warmonger. No loss at all. I also got whacked by an American guy I used to be in a punk band with. He's always been very simple-minded.
No, the wording works. If he had been referring to Palin herself, the word would have been “whom,” not “which.”
As to the rest of your comment – amen!
I agree, but I am troubled by the people who say run her any ways, MSM be d*mned. The fact is that she's suffered an effective political hit job, like many others before her. Like everyone else who's been hit by one of these, she needs to do some corrective work before she can be a viable candidate for national office again. If she doesn't, she'll always be dismissed by a large majority of the population as a lightweight. I would recommend something intellectual (like becoming a professor, maybe publishing a book or two) or something ("more worldly") like serving in the Senate.
I come from a large family, with me being the youngest of 8 children. Over the years, I have had to whack off a couple of them. Oh well. One of the beauties of being in a large family is the important lesson that if any of them treats you badly, you can whack em. It's their loss, not mine. And with the recent election, yup, I lost two more. Too bad.
Same thing with intelligence. People I know who never went to college and wouldn't have the sense to get in out of the rain think they have the right to call Bush stupid. Amazing.
When I was in college, I used to argue with a professor of mine who was a confirmed socialist/communist. it was fascinating. We discovered that we had many of the same goals and saw many of the same problems in society, but we disagreed on how to reach those goals — we also disagreed on many fundamental issues and our views of human nature were completely opposite. Still, we discussed these rationally and I found the experience truly enlightening.
I get none of that these days. When I hear libs/dems argue today, its all ad hominem, unprincipled, illogical garbage. They don't listen, they shout down opposing views and demonize people who have them. They have become the very caricature of the religious fundamentalists that they used to lampoon.
I am more than willing to be friends with any liberal or conservative, or anyone else. But I will not remain friends with anyone who tries to shout me down or demonize me, nor will I respect their views.
[...] Big Hollywood wrote an interesting post today on Whack Your Friends, Tony WouldHere’s a quick excerptI turned into Tony Soprano last year. I got so disgusted with a couple of my friends that I whacked them. Not literally, of course; they’re not sleeping with the fishes or anything. But in terms of being a daily part of my life, they’re gone. Whacked. I whacked a friend with whom I had worked a number of years ago, and who I enjoyed and respected as an actress. I said (during a recent email exchange in which she evangelized for my conversion to the Obama religion), that I could [...]
What I have a hard time not being extremely frustrated with is the fact my boss and several coworkers flaunt their political affiliations and Obama-love in my face, but if I try to respond rationally, I get told flat out that I'm wrong, or that I'm too young and don't have enough experience in life to merit a response.
But I trust in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it makes all the difference in the world! The apostle Paul went through far worse (jail and torture for his religious beliefs), and he never complained; Christ willingly was tortured and sacrificed Himself in a very public and humiliating way without complaint, so why should I complain?
I simply pray that God uses me to glorify His name and advance His Kingdom, and those who don't share my beliefs, well at least the seed is planted
Liberation theology is a Marxist philosophy. Remember Reverend Wright? He preached to Obama for 20 years. Oh yeah, he never heard it……my bad. That's like my lifetime as a Catholic has left me oblivious to the Church's stance on abortion.
You know, it wasn't like this at all when Clinton was first elected. People who supported him were happy but didn't gloat. People who didn't support him were disappointed but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think the BDS is what has totally unhinged so many people. After immersing themselves in hate for so many years, they've had to transfer all that emotion into hope and hysteria for Obama. And so many people just have no ability to discuss politics rationally anymore.
I feel ya. In the end I can love them without being around them!
Reminds me of the church my wife has been going to… the pastor made a comment along the lines of "cheer like you did when Obama was elected president". (fortunately, I wasn't there at the time… I would have gotten up and walked out most likely). The gentlemen continues to try to call me to invite me out for a "guy-to-guy" get togheter.. I'm afraid of what I'd say if I were to get into a political discussion with him… (cause when conversations turn to politics I tend to … well, not know when to stop a debate)… So I "pre-whacked" (does that count as a term?) from my communication list
"That means she has run a family, a business, a town, a state, and an OFFENSE, for God’s sake."
—————————————————-
Man you obviously never much basketball; I wouldn't trust any of my old point guards to take out the trash let alone run the country
I agree. I've had to whack many recently, mostly because of their moral standards. I'm not saying I'm a saint but these people just don't care about much. Of course, most are libs, but that's beside the point. If you even try to have a shred of morality, even if you are not pushing anything on them, they take it as "you think you're better than me?" I don't need that and they are really not much of a loss. My girlfriend is a much better drinking buddy anyway
Couplel things, Beth. First, I'm going to assume that Obama does not necessarily agree with everything Wright said over those twenty years. I know that they're both black. But they also have separate and distinct views on the world around them. Second, as a lifetime Catholic, you should better understand that Liberation Theology was founded within the faith around the time of the Second Vatican Council, and while it is sometimes controversial, dismissing it out of hand as 'Marxist philosophy' suggests only a passing acquaintance with it. (And perhaps Catholicism.)
Some people have always been like this, but it hasn't hit critical mass like this since the Vietnam War.
The reason we have the mass hysteria right now is the media. The media beats the drum that we are in a constant state of crisis, which undermines people's ability to remain rational. At the same time, you're surrounded by a constant pounding of the message that only people with liberal values are "good" people. This is the message you get from the papers, the television news, movies, tv shows, books, magazines, etc. And anyone who disagrees (like Rush, for example) is demonized as a "hate monger" — the new codeword for "evil." This is the same type of propoganda employed by totalitarian regimes to enforce conformity of thought — only here it's done by a groupthink media rather than by government fiat.
In these circumstances, it's not hard to see why so many think it's ok to say such vile things or why they would think everyone agrees with them, and that those who don't are evil.
Hank, as do we all. My complaint is pretty specific. I understand disagreeing with Obama's world view and everything in it. Fair enuf. But suggesting he adheres to Marxist philosophy suggests two things. The author knows little about Marxism and less about Obama.
You have just made one more new friend. Grand work, amigo!
Yes, I have had to cut out quite a few so-called "friends" from my life. Liberals, tolerant? Huh? I've been attacked for my faith (Christian, of course), ostracized by the in-laws (who conveniently wear the racist chip on their shoulders, being an ethnic "minority", whilst ignoring the fact that my WIFE, one of them, is also a minority), belittled for my conservative beliefs…well, we know the story all too well here, don't we? Not a SINGLE liberal who I knew from the Clinton years has shown the slightest tolerance for my beliefs or values. I've been called a Nazi, challenged at the POLLING PLACE by a liberal poll worker (against the law, by the way) for being Republican, and subjected to all kinds of vitriole, just because I hold a different view.
I've tried inviting Democrat neighbors to dinner, making small talk to find common ground, and still I get the Bush Derangement Syndrome thrown in my face. If I was just as candid with these foaming lunatics about my feelings, I'm sure a fistfight would result. Obamatrons and Bush-haters all, I'm surrounded by these people and have taken to sequestering myself in my house as much as possible to avoid contact with these "good" and "high-minded" folks.
To echo one comment, I did challenge my niece, who knows everything about everything because she just graduated from a prestigious university, to meet me in eight years to review the state of the Union and see if indeed her candidate's policies worked. Based on the hate and "get-even" attitude I have had to tolerate from her and her ilk, eight years might be too soon. Then again, it might be four, who knows?
I've had to distance myself from my liberal friends which is healthier than being angry at them for undermining my country, my children's future and everything I hold dear. However, I have disinherited my step-daughter who voted for Obama–I cannot in good conscience bequeath property to someone who obviously has no regard for private property, demonstrated by voting for a marxist/socialist. Socialists are thieves pure and simple.
"And she was running with McCain against Obama and Biden, three Senatorial blowhards, each of whom had only ever run one thing: his mouth. "
Nice. I agree about the Palin-bashing. At least Bush had done things that upset them, but the venom that was unleashed at Palin was completely over the top. Still, I can't say it surprises me. The left always talks about racism, sexism, etc., but it's really all about politics. The treatment of Palin (and even Hillary during the primaries) is evidence that the left uses the -isms as a smoke screen.
Thanks for this well-written, reassuring piece. I like your attitude, whoever you are!
An even-handed response and I'm sure we could be friends, but the folks I'm dealing with are simply rabid; they are of the mind that anyone who is a Republican or conservative Independent is insane or a Nazi. There is no way I can talk with these people; the cords in their necks begin to pop out and they get angry and aggressive. Their viewpoints are very well-known to me, so hanging around them is not educational. The older you get, the less you like to be pushed around. Younger people have lots of reasons to ignore political differences, such as social life, sex, and so on. Older folks usually have that sorted out.
Actually, the Clinton-dead thing is an interesting point. Remember when Clinton had heart trouble? I remember tons of conservatives who wished him well (including myself). A few said they hoped he died, and they were quickly shouted down by other conservatives. Yeah, I didn't like the guy's politics, but he was the President and I respect that. We had already lost Reagan that year. Didn't need to lose another President.
Well, let's give McCain credit for getting into the hot seat. All those years in the Navy amount to something.
Harley, the President was given EVERY chance to renounce a LOT of things that Rev. wright said… or even to disagree with them. Did he? Nope, other than the barest of lip service over the race argument.
As for the Liberation argument… I ain't catholic, so I wouldn' tknow about that.. but Harley, a LOT of President Obama's statements, policies and comments come STRAIGHT out of the Marxism playbook.
"Another friend slowly transformed in front of my eyes during the last election season from a trusted friend, with whom I had had many agreeable discussions over the past eight years about issues like the threat of Islamic terrorism, excessive taxation, and the dangerous Bush Derangement Syndrome afflicting so many of our colleagues, into an unrecognizable Sarah Palin-hating Obamatron, unwilling to listen to any criticism of The One, and parroting mainstream media talking points that only months before we had both ridiculed."
This exact same thing happened to a friend of mine. I miss him.
Sort of.
I hear what you're saying. I am only twenty years old so I'm sure I have a much higher tolerance for stupidity than someone a bit older than me. I also know have come across the people who immediately label me as an idiotic, war-hungry Nazi. But for me, seeing these people go crazy and get angry simply because I have a different view point than them is extremely satisfying because it perfectly illustrates the flaws in their political mindset and opinion. I've always been a very relaxed person because I learned early in life that anger is the most destructive of all emotional responses. For me, sitting back and watching these people self destruct before my eyes is the best kind of victory.
Maybe this pleasure will fade in the future, but if it means I have to sort out my sex life and social life, I don't see it happening anytime soon.
Yeah, but she can also take down and field dress a moose! I would have loved to see her field dress Senator Reid.
The Pope would disgaree with you, but whatever.
My parents didn't re-accept me until I moved from North Carolina to Wisconsin.
Then there's reverse racism. Taking the definitions of Reverse and Racism, when you put them together you should get Affirmative Action. Instead, you get a free pass for minorities to abuse WASPs.
I haven't "Whacked" anyone yet, but I have been whacked by many a liberal former friend. Seems they are always the least tolerant of those that disagree with them.
I have started using Sarah Palin as a litmus test for people … I have yet to meet any liberal that simply disagrees with her on policy, every single one of them attacks her personally with ad hominem and BS, so I have developed the attitude that I will have nothing to do with anyone that bashes madame governor. Period.
It's happened to me, man. It's too bad but life goes on.
Harley is the first person to post on Gary's thread here. Gary I think you found a fan!
Harls first stop talking about liberation theology like you know what it is. You don't. Liberation theology is a Marxist ideology wrapped in the Church. It is in fact a rather racist view of things as well..now you can preach (heh) all you want but you'd be wrong. I find this theology to be completely wrong and unCatholic and priests, and people preaching it should be excommunicated for not adering to Catholic doctrine. But I also think Catholics who support abortion should not be allowed communion…so…
I regularly get forwarded emails from family members making fun of conservatives and showing liberals to be annointed saviours of mankind. I take the email, fact-check, correct it, and resend it. If it's humorously bashing a conservative, I flip it around. I remember one that showed a flowchart of Palin's responses to interview questions, the gyst of which was "smile at the camera and look cute." I did one for Obama for when he's asked about his known associates. "That's not the *known associate* that I know.*-If it is the person you know->"Let's stay on the issues, folks. This doesn't help my kids." I get noticeably less of these emails from my spastic uncle.
Yes, Lola. I have no doubt that you are as expert on the subject as you are on every other.
Palin vs Pelosi-Pistols at 30 paces. Put it on DirecTV pay per view, and tax from the proceeds would completely pay for the stimulus.
When Clinton was elected there was a very profound reaction against him by the Christian Right (for lack of a better term). I remember telling people that God was sovereign and if Clinton was elected then that *was* the will of God, because I heard so many people question that. The consequence of his election was actually a huge surge in political activism by Christians who had previously counted on Reagan or Bush to hold the line. Clinton's election ended that apathy.
The question isn't so much, were a large number of people really upset about Clinton's election, as did they stop being civil to people over it. Did they consider anyone who voted for him a minion of Satan and tell them that to their faces?
I would hope that we can all co-exist with people who disagree with us about politics or religion. I sort of wish we'd go back to a time when neither thing, either direction, was considered a topic for polite conversation. But if one of my "friends" called me a racist? Yeah, ex-friend. Wacked on the spot.
Playing for a championship state bball team is respectable. That may be the least of her accomplishments, but one that she can take some pride in. It was only a stepping stone for her to move on to bigger successes.
The problem, Harley, and many of us stated this at the time, is that Obama SAID HE NEVER HEARD IT. That isn't us making stuff up. Of course he would disagree with his pastor on any number of things. Anyone who goes to church disagrees with their pastor. The difference is, if you asked me about something my pastor said, I could tell you where I agree and where I disagree. I could probably tell you about when I actually told my pastor that I disagreed with some thing or another. Obama refused to touch that. He told us that he missed church that day or never heard what his pastor said. And then when it got too bad, he threw the Rev. under the bus.
Friends in the true sense are a difficult thing in the best of circumstances. If you get to be a certain age, and have 2 or 3 real friends you’ve done well. The others are disposable, “whack’ em!” I’m with you on Sarah Palin a remarkable person of real achievement, and I believe had she been at the top of the ticket the Immaculate One would be home sucking his thumb. It does my heart well to see real Americans beginning to rise up, to qualify the ones that pay the load, and create the jobs. Soon all of the good for nothings will have left is their anger, and push to hard and we will push back harder. Remember, Carter gave us Reagan!
My wife is an Obama-lover. She’s also a diehard Democrat. When Bush ran one time, she threatened to divorce me if I voted for him. This was after I criticized Kerry to one of her friends. It sounds like a joke but she was serious. Then she cautioned me never to talk politics with her friends or she’d be ostracized. This time around, I had to listen to nonstop Obama propaganda from her hot off the tube and NPR. That’s where she gets her opinions, or from her lefty friends. It’s impossible to have a reasoned argument with her about politics because she never reads anything and gets offended when I ask her for evidence and rational argument to support some idiotic talking point. All that time I’ve spent with Sowell, Hayek, von Mises and the rest is wasted on her.
The fact is, though, I can’t whack her from my life. I’ve got a young kid. I can’t bear the thought of some other guy bringing him up and seeing him only on the weekends. It’s hard sometimes, but the alternative seems worse.
What I have found interesting is liberals I know that complained about Bush spending and deficits celebrate Obama driving our deficits into the stratosphere. The sheer worship of all things Obama is disturbing in that this is exactly how the most heinous leaders on our planet gain power and that is the cult of personality. It is "cool" and "enlightened" to follow Obama among these liberals and anyone who disagrees is summarily attacked in a brown shirt fashion. No, Obama is NOT a Nazi and I don't mean to imply that but the bullying tactics of his supporters can remind one of the bullying tactics of the brown shirts. However, it is the cult of personality that gave rise to heinous leaders of our past that is giving rise to Obama of our present. A dangerous thing indeed.
Okay–that exchange is just plain funny! Thanks for the laugh; with the passing of the "stimulus" package, we need it.
As you point out, he said he didn't hear the statement that became Wright's Greatest Youtube hit. I'm happy to believe him. But I also don't find it hard to believe that he heard the offending statement, and given the context, didn't give it much thought. Hey. Everybody's mind wanders in church. Did he stretch and strain to make this point? Sure. But, and I'm amazed how people refuse to recognize this, the dude is a politician. Not a saint.
As for throwing Wright under the bus, I find it odd that the folks who found that connection most damning also manage to condemn Obama for breaking it. Given Wright's insatiable desire for publicity, I think it was the right thing to do.
Great link Karl. Thanks.
Great piece, I couldn't agree with you more. The "whacking" of longtime friends started before the election of the Dalibama for me. The BDS did me in on about 4 of my old friends. They just could not have a sane thought in regard to the man. So it was time to create same "space" in my life.
For the really tough nuts to crack, there's the unofficial practice of "tire gauging".
I'd rather that he defended his association with the church… he gained nothing by breaking it. Removing himself from association from Rev. Wright in no way at all solved the problem that he went to the church for 20 years. Nothing can. So who was he trying to please? At first he did say that he could no more deny his spiritual mentor, the Rev. Wright, than he could his white grandmother. But then he did. This isn't something to admire.
"The last straw was when he sent me one of those chain emails which listed all of Obama’s “accomplishments,” such as they were, and then concluded that the only possible reason anyone could not support Obama was racism. "
My wife and I got this one from a friend as well. My wife calls her and reminds her that we don't support Obama.
" Does that make us racist?"
Friend says, " Oh no, not YOU guys."
Really? Apparently everyone who didn't support "The One" is racist except for my wife and me.
Pretty cool……..not.
She's whacked.
I've been known to whack myself. But not for supporting Obama.
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