"It really irks me that people like Don Firth presume that exercising our First Amendment freedom of assembly rights to protest the actions or inactions of our government, should be viewed so negatively."
What the hell is with you, GUEST? When did I ever say anything like that!?? Bloody NEVER! Amos is right. You seem to be projecting your own anger and negative attitude onto anyone who doesn't see things quite the same way you do—even if they DO agree with your basic position.
NOW HEAR THIS!!
I have been there! I have done that! And I'm perfectly willing to do it again! In the Sixties—and it the lead-up to the Iraq invasion, there were a number of demonstrations, marches, and protests in Seattle. I was there! I particularly remember a silent march from St. James Catholic cathedral in downtown Seattle up to St. Mark's Episcopal cathedral on Capitol Hill (a few blocks from where I live). It was eerie! 30,000 people marching silently. Believe me, that was much more powerful and impressive than all the yelling and chanting that some people seem to think is necessary. Demonstrations. Candlelight vigils. All of that. I was there. And I will be there again should they occur.
Don't preach to the choir, GUEST. And don't badmouth a choir member who was singing in the choir while you were probably still bawling in diapers!
And I don't vote straight party line, either. But I DO vote for the candidate whose position is nearest to my own who actually has a chance of winning.
There's a great deal to what Peace says, 20 Oct 06 - 04:11 PM. For one example out of the many possible, secular liberals and progressives often will have nothing to do with religious liberals and progressives even though they have common cause, because the secular progressives thoughtlessly lump all Christians with the fundies and evangelicals. If they ever got together, they'd be at least as powerful a force as the conservatives and the evangelicals have proven to be, and probably even moreso. This sort of nit-picky squabbling is self defeating.
Liberals and progressives have a great talent for shooting each other in the foot over negligible differences. The conservatives got a clue a few decades back, set aside their differences, and concentrated on their common goals. That's why Bush is in the White House now.