Two out of the last three threads I've started have been "non-music" ones. Forgive me, but I just read something in another thread that really intrigued me. It's a sensitive issue so I won't elaborate, but it's closely connected to something that I experience occasionally.

Most (certainly not all) of my friends and acquaintances are of very liberal nature (no surprise there) and often (to me) seem to "think as a block" when it comes to social and political issues. I LIKE their company, I WANT their friendship, and I want them to feel the same about me.

Sometimes it's a bit of a strain on some of them that I smoke, eat meat, and can be a bit too "quick with a quip". No real problem, 'cause they know my heart's in the right place, but when I read that a prostitute with AIDS is free to continue spreading the disease, "because she has rights", I'm apalled at how "my side" defend these "rights".

When a Toronto female serial torturer and killer (she even participated in the filming and murder of her younger sister) is widely defended as "an abused spouse" by Women's groups, I'm ready to be sick....No I'm not. I simply lose all respect for those groups...As I did when their American equivalents refused to even criticize the President for his abominable behaviour.....simply because "he was better for women than the alternative".

There is no way I could ever support a conservative agenda, for dozens of reasons, but on these two issues my position is clearly on that "side". I simply cannot believe that thinking people with any degree of objectivity left would support someone's "rights" when that person has abused them so callously. But many do. If they didn't, they'd be in trouble with their "group"...and I truly believe we NEED our "group".

I don't have a solution, or even a suggestion. For my part, I keep my mouth shut around the folks I care about, when it's plain we disagree strongly, but it's not a comfortable fit sometimes.

Rick