The ubiquitous PC parent
I’m way past the child-rearing age, although I remember it well.
But it seems to me that political considerations are now huge for parents, at least parents on the liberal end of things, and I don’t remember this being true when I was a young mother raising a small child.
Over Thanksgiving I experienced a reminder, however, that issues I consider the provenance of fringe groups have become more and more mainstream, at least in liberal enclaves. In two separate incidents, two different women started telling me outraged stories about how the schools their children attended wanted those children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Quelle horreur!
In one case, the vociferous objection was to both the pledge itself and to the “under God” clause. In the other case, there was no differentiation—it was the Pledge in its entirety. In both cases (and again, remember that these people had not conferred with each other, and that these were separate conversations), the fact that the school had said their child did not have to actually recite the Pledge, but would be allowed to be silent, was not enough. Both mothers felt that this intimidated their child through psychological pressure which would be hard to resist. My impression was that in each case, the mother would have liked the Pledge to have been eliminated from the morning ritual to have spared their child the entire dilemma.
I made a few points in return, but on Thanksgiving it seemed the better part of valor not to start a fight, particularly with people whose politics are such that I know they are not going to be convinced of anything by me. Both, however, know (or once knew, and I assume still recall) my politics, so why did they say this to me, of all people? They didn’t say it in a combative way, either; they seemed to just be relating a story, as though they expected agreement and empathy. My guess is that because they live in an area which is just about 80% liberal, and they almost never encounter that other 20%, it’s easy for them to assume that their ideas are so common and so acceptable that they are non-controversial.
And that is perhaps the most disturbing thing of all—that this stuff has gone mainstream in liberal communities.
Enough with these holiday truces. Let ’em have it!
And remember, to paraphrase Al Capone, “you’ll get further with a kind word and a gun than with a kind word alone.”
Neo, I think you and I need to get out of New England. And in my case, I get a double dose just by going to work in academia. Both environments are proving bad for my mental health.
The feeling that you’re the only one with a different viewpoint is bad enough, but also knowing that expressing that viewpoint will only be greeted with disdain, anger, and vitriol, can wear one down. Trying to keep up the “good fight”, at least for me, has left me drained. I know there are other areas of the country more accommodating and when I retire that’s going to be one requirement.
Each person has to handle these things in their own way. I try to avoid fights but I would have said something. Most likely I would have asked the person why they objected to the pledge of allegiance and gone from there. I don’t know if I’ve made any enemies this way, but I have had some unpleasant reactions.
I usually agree with them; and then take it up a notch, make it a general principle, and invite them to agree. In other words I more or less deliver a spiel which comes pretty naturally to me after years of debating leftists. Something on the order of …
Seems to leave them speechless. Especially if you look them in the eye while saying it.
Physics guy I am in NE & we are not all tainted.
NH is more purple than blue & I Have never run across
anybody ever disparaging the saying of the pledge, in fact I think if they did they would roundly greeted with scorn.
So all is not lost here. NH voted out one of our lefty US reps
sending another REpub to the new total & our state legislature turned red again, yipee those tax & spenders
Thwarted again. We have no state income tax & we like it that way.
Neo: Re-The success of the New Thought Police: Last week at a very impressive traumatic brain injury place where I help the therapy folks 3-days per week, one of the staff(26-yrs of age)was conducting a cognitive/spelling game of Hangman with a group of patients. I sat in and couldn’t—Nor could the TBI patients—and couldn’t figure out the 2-word thingy having to do with “Thanksgiving”. Finally, the therapist ‘yoot revealed what it was: NATIVE AMERICANS…!!!!!
Think I was guilty of muttering the full WTF out loud. You remember, dont’cha Neo, when INDIANS attended the First Thanksgiving?? F***!!
Molly…yeah we have friends in NH (Lancaster) so I know the character of the state. Down here in the flatland of CT it’s deep blue through and through.
I love it when neighbors complain about the high taxes, yet continue to reelect the same Dems back to the state legislature. When I point it out to them, they say but “so and so is a good person”. I then ask about their voting records on taxes and get crickets chirping. You can’t fix stupid.
physicsguy:
This did not, however, occur in New England.
You should suggest home schooling and vouchers as an escape from the ideology of an oppressive state.
I understand the desire for quiet and peace, especially during Thanksgiving. Step back a moment Neo, and contemplate the dismay, the horror, the unfathomable mystery of someone not only disagreeing with them, but in the most absolute terms. High pitched voice, emotional overtones–you’re going for the Oscar here–outrage, a patriot heaping scorn on Patrick Henry. Loud even–dare we imagine–hysterically loud! YOU UNGRATEFUL EVIL COMMUNIST HAGS GD YOU TO HELL EVERLASTING etc.
I don’t know, Neo. I get hit with that a lot too. Both by strangers and by familiars. The familiars should know. I think I must have a liberal look on my face, because I am often considered a part of ‘the crew’. Now, I don’t mean to pick fights, but I do say things. I have seen people turn white, but rarely choose to do more. Some go away, and even hide from me. Others take a whole different approach, and we become fast friends. As for family and friends who test, I… they stay around. I don’t know if they are testing my will, checking, pushing, or playing. But we usually enjoy, for my part anyway, the banter.
Men and women approach things differently, though, I suspect. I just say, respond. Without anger or vitriol, despite how it might seem with my comments or personal posts. I was also one of the nicest brutes on the squad, but I am a brute. Or something like that. I vote for just spitting it out, then handling any ill nature from it. Or having that “friend” decide if politics is more important. Still, your choice.
neo-neocon writes,
“They didn’t say it in a combative way, either; they seemed to just be relating a story, as though they expected agreement and empathy. My guess is that because they live in an area which is just about 80% liberal, and they almost never encounter that other 20%, it’s easy for them to assume that their ideas are so common and so acceptable that they are non-controversial.”
neo, you remind me of a brief encounter I had with an across-the-street neighbor: a very lovely, good-hearted person, and very left-wing. (. . . as were most of my neighbors; the 80-20 split seems about correct for what was until recently my neighborhood.) She and I had more than once discussed our political differences — amiably, I will add. I felt this and she felt that, but we each had children of about the same age who had grown up together, and neighbor friends as well as neighborhood concerns in common, and as I pointed out, she is a lovely person (even if I’m not).
Anyway, it was early 2008, back when Candidate Hopenchange was just starting to catch on as the Messiah We Were All Waiting For. His Messiahship’s new book was just about to come out, and said neighbor spotted me, and excitedly told me, “Barack Obama’s new book is due out this week” [or weekend or whatever; can’t remember exactly now]. I could only nod in her direction, force a half-smile, and say, “uh-huh”.
She didn’t pursue it: she must have remembered then, that oh yes, I am one of the other. No sweat, it can happen to anyone, including lovely people. But neo puts it perfectly well: “it’s easy for them to assume that their ideas are so common and so acceptable that they are non-controversial.”
Doom:
Note that I said, “I made a few points in return.”
I actually did reply, but not especially combatively.
Liberals never grasp the part in which other people disagree with them. In liberal world their ideas are so obvious, so sensible so universally beloved it really never occurs to them that someone they know, and maybe even loves, completely disagrees with them. It is beyond their ability to comprehend the idea of other opinions.
It is because modern liberalism is fascism, pure and simple. They hate the pledge, but love big brother dictating to us every tiny little detail of our life. Strange but true.
Chuck: That is perfect!
I like Chuck’s idea, too – neat, non-confrontational and liable to shut up the average lefty-prog through sheer astonishment.
Neo,
Yes, yes, that was noted. I only dare to suggest that the points I might make and the points you might make are… worlds apart. *grins* Especially with those who know. Uncles, even, one might say.
BurkeanMama,
“It is because modern liberalism is fascism, pure and simple. They hate the pledge, but love big brother dictating to us every tiny little detail of our life. Strange but true.”
I don’t know about all of that. I think they hate the pledge as it is written now. Change a few words here, some there, mentions some “Workers”, a flag featuring some… Golden tools, well, they might be on board. And make the flag red…
Anyway, regarding The Pledge, I say it myself because I do believe in it, and do so of my own free will. And I don’t mind God being in it either. But I have always had an uneasy feeling about children saying it because they were made to without the maturity to know exactly what they are pledging, and the ramifications of it. Isn’t a pledge made by someone without their full understanding worthless anyway?
Do I disapprove of it? No. But it was never explained or elaborated on in my school. (Maybe some people’s schools were different than mine. Maybe I was intellectually less mature and developed than many here) It was automatic. It was something you did and not Pledging just wasn’t done (unless you were a Jehovah’s Witness, and then they made you sit and feel ostracized for a decision your parents made). And I understand that in Neo’s tale, the children could opt out. I wish teachers spent more time explaining the nature of these things. But then again, who knows what the Progressives would attempt to teach if given that opportunity…
Like I said, I’m not anti-Pledge, but I am uneasy about forcing someone to say it.
For a funny take on that tendency, watch this:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=276_1417128972
(er, rough language)
The attitude of these folks is so insufferably self-righteous. It drives me right straight up the wall. It’s also infuriating that they expect Us to be polite to Them, while they say the rudest damn things to Us and expect to get away with it. Arrrgghh. I have no patience with it, or them. Don’t know how long I can stick it out in New York. . . .
I’m sure these parents would never demand anyone publicly agree to their beliefs.
One of my jobs is covering local municipal government for a newspaper here in my small midwestern hometown. Every municipal meeting is opened with the pledge and everybody always stands to say it, complete with “under God.” I’m fine with it, in fact I think it’s a good way to start the meetings — theoretically at least, reminding people of their greater duty to the nation and the community before the start of the meeting.
I hear Jim Sullivan’s ambivalence about having kids say it, especially before they understand what it means. It was never explained or elaborated on for us either. But if I ever have kids I’m not going to raise a fuss about them saying it, either.
Late to the discussion, I purposely took some time off at Thanksgiving to avoid all things political and cultural.
Though I do not agree, I can understand someone objecting to the reference to God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Rejecting it entirely however is an indication of disloyalty, that the objector does not consider themselves to have a reciprocal obligation to the society within which they live and whose benefits they enjoy.
“According to a new Pew Research Center study, only 40 percent of consistently liberal Americans say they often feel proud to be Americans.”
Which means of course that 60% of “consistently liberal Americans” either rarely or, do not ever… feel proud to be Americans. Such as they are TWANLOC (Those Who Are No Longer Our Countrymen).
This is NOT new. Consider Samuel Adams words;
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom – go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.”
Most “well-bred” liberals took in E. M. Forster’s “If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend I hope I should have the guts to betray my country” with their mother’s milk. The very idea of a pledge of allegiance is, if nothing else, déclassé.
One of the interesting things about this story, at least to me, is that I heard two objections of this nature within 24 hours and the stories were completely separate. And yet I had never heard anyone talk about this issue before. I’ve read about it, but no one in my acquaintance had ever voiced it. And yet here it is, twice.
Which suggests to me that the thought is becoming more common and more mainstream, which does not surprise me.
Appreciated this read.
Reminds me of why it was I grew weary and intolerant of the area of Los Angeles I lived in for 15 years. So many stories which speak to this Liberal mindset; so destructive, so pervasive, so insular. Never were my reasoned and rational arguments able to penetrate the emotive-riddled pabulum and nonsense spewed by these individuals. So sad.
I moved away. Out of California. Good thing.
Yesterday, I watched “Gentleman’s Agreement” (1947) on TCM. Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Celeste Holm, John Garfield.
JEW-HATRED. Carefully and creatively addressed. So many pearls of wisdom in this story. Relevant today. In every aspect of bigotry (racism included).
Why is it worth noting in this thread?
What struck me was that in 1947, written into the script was the blatant admission that the otherwise Liberal magazine that Gregory Peck worked for was guilty of bigotry. Perhaps the worst kind. It was revealed by Gregory Peck’s secretary, Elaine Wales (June Havoc).
Poignant indeed.
Yep—-Liberals unaware of the bigotry and elitism which they exhibit with loathsome ignorance.
Even the town of Darien, Conn in the film is portrayed as a Liberal bastion inhabited by arrogant bigots. And the scene where Gregory Peck’s character travels to the hotel where his wedding is to take place. It is “restricted” (Jews not allowed). Wow.
Liberals exhibit myriad traits of hate all the while professing to be “tolerant”.
Progressives/Liberals generally hate America and what it stands for. Evidence is overwhelming.
About 10 or 12 years ago, there was a brief story in the news. A heroic Palastinian freedom fighter machine gunned a pregant Jewish woman and her two daughters. NPR (I used to plan my life around Morning Edition and All Things Considered) made an editorial comment to the effect that it was really too bad, but you have to understand….. Sorry, but I DON’T understand, any more than I understand the Klan bombing of the Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama and the murder of four little black girls.
It was in that moment that I realized that I really do despise liberals. If you get tired of living with that, come to Texas. We would welcome you. We can shoot guns, drink beer, eat BBQ and go to a good bible-thumping Baptist Church service. It may surprise you.
Texas is so liberal that not only blacks and Jews, but also lesbians can own a belt fed machine gun. Unlike San Francisco where lesbians are opressed.
Think on it.
The simple pleasures of social unity are displeasing to the liberal palate. Of course, the cause is a nation that tolerates their libertine religion. Perhaps we only have ourselves to blame.
Anyway, with DRAT (Displace, Replace, Abort, and Tax) policy, and unrelenting progressive dysfunction, libertines will enjoy relief from Judeo-Christian morality, and the nation founded on its principles will become a footnote in history. But, before then, we will enjoy a progressive loss of liberty, and lower quality of life, that necessarily accompanies degraded morality.
One problem in these conversations is that — as Jonathan Haidt learned from his research, and others have learned from experience — is that liberals (I generally call them leftists) don’t understand conservatives, though conservatives do understand liberals.
When I have been in these discussions, I have found that I can usually state the other person’s positions pretty accurately — but that the reverse is not true.
For instance, one of the reasons I left the Democratic Party (or it left me) is that I came to believe that its policies were often bad for the poor and minorities they said they wanted to help. But I very much doubt that one liberal in twenty would understand how many conservatives share that view.
Jon Jewett, that and similar incidents re liberal “understanding” have also impressed me over the years.
“I’m way past the child-rearing age, although I remember it well”
Cat see your face , but your eyes look a lot younger than that.
Texas?
Could never live in Texas…too many Texans. (Dallas Cowboys fans too)
Born and raised in New York. It’s why I left there. Too many New Yorkers (well, Liberals).
Got my guns though. And I would take a bullet for Texas. Yep.
A lot of true ‘mericans in Texas. When the revolution starts, I’ll be right by their side. With earplugs, of course.
Not sure why but most of the people objecting to their children saying the Pledge of Allegiance, are lost (IMHO) godless people.
I know that God exists because I know that I have angels “out there” who are looking out for me. So if there are angels well then there is God too.
God Bless America and God Bless you too NEO! Thanks for all that you do.
Being originally from the upper Midwest, and having returned there, I did spend some years in Texas in my 20’s.
Until that point, I never had the slightest feelings of patriotism, or what you might call socially generalized feelings of affinity for the people among whom I lived. They were just part of the environment one had to deal with: the politics poisonous, the social world nearly toxic. The communists therefore, could have rained a cloud of nerve gas on Flint Michigan for all I would have cared. I would have seen it merely as a matter of them destroying their own flailing, shrieking, embryos.
In Texas however, I daily ran into people who were less like calculating vipers, than almost any folks I had ever met outside of family and friends. Honor and plain dealing seemed to still have some broad currency there, and the manner of the people, if not the precise accents, were rather like my Father’s upper south parents.
I don’t know how it came to be that the US became so heavily populated by neurotic a-moralists jostling for positions of either dominance or victim-hood. But I can say that such people are not really worth the price of association, when there are persons of real moral value available as allies and companions and fellow citizens.
Texas, was, and probably still is, filled with such admirable people.
Yesterday I had the amazing experience of sitting in the audience of The Geffen Playhouse watching, with the 80% liberal Los Angeles crowd, a one-man show on Irving Berlin. By the time the show was half over, I think everyone would agree the actor and the songwriter’s souls had merged into one. Berlin celebrated his love for this country–and the songs rang out from that stage. Never before have I felt an audience — not as “the audience” but as individual souls — been so raised up in love of individual freedom and expression. It was a glorious experience. This show, this actor, http://geffenplayhouse.com/more_info.php?show_id=201 has much healing power.
My mind loves the brilliant sarcasm of DNW above – that’s the Dennis Miller approach, and I love him too – but nothing is so powerful as the power of forgiveness and the expression of the love of freedom
Its part of a long term walk to eradicate the moves of anticommunists over the past 50 years (plus)
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931).
so why the beef? the beef comes from the specific changes that were made years later..
In 1923, the words, “the Flag of the United States of America” were added.
interesting, but as they say “wheres the beef?”
(between Wendy’s buns?)
In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words “under God,” creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Bellamy’s daughter objected to this alteration.
Ever since then the socialist pledge has been hated, because it adds something communists find abhorrent, the idea of a higher authority than man, and a higher moral sense that comes from believing, or at least imagining what a higher being would find moral – which kind of makes a whole lot of things liberals would sign on for, amoral at best, evil at worst.
however, this liberal state only exists so long as they believe that what is done does not come knocking on their front door. that is “murder Jews?”, thats ok, i am not a Jew… and so on as in Niemollers poem, of which they cant contemplate the final part of it.
their attitude is: do what you like as long as you do it to other people, then we will support anything, regardless of how extreme or bizarre, etc
This is why the power electorate is so careful to make all the changes they can without affecting people directly as much as possible. like the essay printed here a long time ago, as to how to catch a hog.
FERAL HOGS, PIGS, PINEY WOODS ROOTERS, RUSSIAN BOAR (all the same) won’t just waltz in a trap to die! YOU WILL be dealing with an INTELLIGENT animal that knows all about traps! AGAIN, they see them in every pasture on every property. You must OUTSMART THEM, OUT-THINK THEM, and be willing to out-WAIT them, as well as spend a lot money on getting them in a trap.
ultimately, eventually the electorate runs out of moves that wont affect their base, and thats the end of the game as far as things. but by that time, they have consolodated so much power, and made so many laws that were left unenforced (so as to remain below perception), that the people that sided with it, are completely surprised at the apple being shoved in their mouths as they are pushed into an oven.
the funny thing is that these people who dont like the pledge cant explain WHY they dont like it. oh, they can give REASONS which amount to canned parrot responses, to which the custom would be to nod in agreement… but they cant explain why, as they usually dont know the hisory, the changes, and the original thing.
At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the flag the military salute – right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it. Standing thus, all repeat together, slowly, “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.” At the words, “to my Flag,” the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, toward the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side.
In World War II, the salute too much resembled the Nazi salute, so it was changed to keep the right hand over the heart throughout.
but there is something else neo is either ignoring, or leaving out to see what people say… and thats how women in the western world like the US and UK, commiserate over hatred
that more than men, women find that mutual hatred is a way to get together and be closer. so they will sit and bitch about men, they will bitch about work (they fought to be able to have and now hate), bitch against pledges, bitch against prices, bitch that they wear high heal shoes, bitch about makeup, bitch about having periods, bitch about how men can stand and pee and they cant (see recent inventions to allow women to pee standing, and laws to force men to sit down!), bitch about how women should have more bathrooms, bitch that every one bitches…
ie. its a bitchfest in which the victim class feels closer to each other and shares solidarity by hating everything around them not anointed, and so… they tend to share such with each other to get closer together.
what i think neo experienced is not so much the idea that the pledge is bad, or that they had a cogent argument, but its the bitch du jour of the local social group. ie. that their lives are so small and empty that this is the thing that is on their minds to bitch about…
I’d like to think that you are right.
here is what i found on the item…
At DF meetings, women commiserated over the chauvinism of men and the … although they did include a complaint about the lack of women leaders in the…. – Women’s Rights in Democratizing States: Just Debate and Gender Justice in the Public Sphere
the reason women do this more is that women tend to be narcissistic and passive aggressive… (the new movement to marry yourself is almost wholly female). now there is no behavior that is really unique, but there are some behaviors that are more favored by each sex. since a man is willing to clock another man in the face over things, and respects standing up to holding a belief or opinion, they resort less to passive aggressive tactics that would preserve their social position or rather their idea of others liking them as a narcissist would want. so griping, bitch-fests, and so on, are a women’s constant (see reams of jokes, cartoons, comedy skits etc. to the point that if men do it they ask the other if he has his period etc).
a woman can do this, and in passive aggressive form, back out of it while preserving the narcissistic belief that they are liked. this is why women back feminism, but wont say they are feminists any more… or they will pick something to gripe about, and then use that to either back out and say “im kidding,” or not really… or finding similar attitude, get closer to the other person. in fact, getting closer through this form of commiseration through common hatred is so legendary whole chick flicks are based on it!!!!!!
its all closely related on a theme: griping, whinging, bitching, nagging…
its what the scolds bridal was invented for!!! 🙂
Whinge:
(a) I say something bad is happening to me.
(b) I feel something bad because of this.
(c) I can’t do anything because of this.
(d) I want someone to know this.
(e) I want someone to do something because of this.
(f) I think no one wants to do anything because of this.
(g) I want to say this many times because of this.
today, women are not defined by beauty, love, children, family, but who has the power to bitch the most and be confirmed by others.
the whole of feminism and leftist politics is to bitch about everything, to be interminably and forever never sanctified. no such thing as a satisfied women, you can go down a litany of things as i did in the last post. they are now legendary… their power comes from never being satisfied and so giving others a breather.
all these ladies wanted was to be Neos friend, and so they seek rapport in a common enemy – life itself!!!! and in it comes power, commiseration, rapport, connection, and the big prize SYMPATHY on tap…
While direct complaint, as defined by Brown and Levinson (1987), is a face-threatening act, it has been claimed that griping carries no face threat. Furthermore, unlike direct complaint, which is used to call for negotiation, griping is used as a means to invoke commiseration (Edmondson, 1981).
from university of Minnesota
http://www.carla.umn.edu/speechacts/complaints/tt.html
Gender Differences
Women tend to commiserate about twice as much as men do, while men are more likely to give advice, especially in response to complaints by female speakers. Males are likely to think logically and want to solve problems, whereas females tend to provide emotional support (Boxer, 1996).
in fact… when men want to pick up women and be with them, they are advised to put a halt on their desire to fix a problem!!!! that is, bite your tongue, and commiserate and give sympathy and connect by mutual hated…
its a way of saying us vs them… and feeling out if neo was an us or a them… if they wanted to be friends, the gripe would be negated by minimalization, if not the gripe would be asserted over a disagreement… if neo joined in, the result would be a false connection of sympathy, believe and concordance…
its what socialism promises… which is what is dreamed of.
that we would get along socially… but the truth is that the reward structure, and the systems need for spying on people to bring them in line, the actual result is the opposite of whats promised.
this is why the left has its minute of hate as a means of connecting. their hate is justified and commiserative, others hate is bad and separating…
see (if you want to spend the $40)
Complaining and commiserating: Exploring gender issues
DIANA BOXER
boxer is ok,, but i find deborah tannen much better…
http://faculty.georgetown.edu/tannend/
She has a great book, “You Just Don’t Understand:
Women and Men in Conversation”
Here are some choice quotes by Florence Nightingale:
Now if I were to write a book out of my experience, I should begin Women have no sympathy. Yours is the tradition. Mine is the conviction of experience.
Women crave for being loved, not for loving. They scream out at you for sympathy all day long, they are incapable of giving any in return, for they cannot remember your affairs long enough to do so…They cannot state a fact accurately to another, nor can that other attend to it accurately enough for it to become information. Now is not all this the result of want of sympathy?
Now just look at the degree in which women have sympathy – as far as my experience is concerned. And my experience of women is almost as large as Europe. And it is so intimate too. I have lived and slept in the same bed with English Countesses and Prussian Bauerinnen. No [other woman] has ever had charge of women of the different creeds that I have had. No woman has excited “passions” among women more than I have. Yet I leave no school behind me. My doctrines have taken no hold among women…and I attribute this to a want of sympathy.
The Life of Florence Nightingale: 1862-1910
http://books.google.com/books?id=totpAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=They+scream+out+at+you+for+sympathy+all+day+long&hl=en#v=onepage&q=iota&f=false
Clarityseeker
Texas? Could never live in Texas…too many Texans. (Dallas Cowboys fans too)
I have had no problems living in TX as a Pats fan, a reflection of spending the first half of my life in NE. OTOH, I am discreet about it. I don’t go around saying, “I hate the Dallas Cowboys,” though that is what I think. I see no need to antagonize people I otherwise like.
🙂
Here are some choice quotes by Florence Nightingale:
She talks mostly of people in subordinate roles, enforced by society.
For example, a certain someone that complains of various issues on this blog, does so independent of their gender.
Any class, group, sub category, sub culture, gender, or political faction that mainstream society looks down on, tends to behave in certain ways. This is attributed mostly to women because women have often taken the support and subordinate role in human history, after the advent of farming at least.
The Texans from cities are like Atlanta people. Not quite the same as the rest in the state.
Artful Dodger,
Your two comments are the best among a bevy of excellent comments on this thread.
FWIW, I like to commiserate with fellow conservatives to bitch about what the Libs are doing. Ha!