[Vision2020] creating tolerance

[Carl Westberg]

While David Brooks of the New York Times is not exactly my cup of tea as a 
pundit, I think he said something the other day that left, right, and middle 
in Moscow could think about.  To paraphrase Mr. Brooks, some of us hang only 
with those who dislike President Bush, others listen only to radio talk show 
hosts who hate Bill Clinton.  He continues, this way "you get to choose your 
own realilty.  You get to believe what makes you feel good"...and "if you 
can give your foes a collective name - liberals, fundamentalists or neocons 
- you can rob them of their individual humanity.  All inhibitions are 
removed.  You can say anything about them.  You get to feed off their 
villainy and luxuriate in your own contrasting virtue."  Mr. Brooks words, 
not mine.  I disagree with him 99.9% of the time, he being a conservative, 
and me an unrepentant liberal reprobate, but he makes a point, I think.  
Both ends of the spectrum in our small-town drama need to stop demonizing 
one another.  The public school system isn't going to go away.  Private 
schools are here to stay.  Christ Church is here to stay.  Those of us who 
don't believe as Christ Church does are here to stay.  I don't know what my 
point is, but I'm sure I have one.                                           
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
      Carl Westberg Jr.


>From: "Dan Carscallen" <predator75@moscow.com>
>To: "'Vision2020'" <vision2020@moscow.com>
>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] creating tolerance
>Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 09:47:14 -0800
>
>Why does the city have to openly support any view?  As soon as you pick
>a group to "support" or a group to not discriminate against,  you seem
>to "condemn" or discriminate against other groups.  Do those who don't
>agree with the views of Christ Church, or whoever, really feel that
>threatened?  From what I can tell just walking around town, we're a
>pretty liberal community.  Granted, not quite as politically liberal as
>some would like, but I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any Aryan Nation
>parades through downtown Moscow in the last 35 years.
>
>There are aspects of my lifestyle and some of my activities that are
>quite unpopular with many in this town because they might not be
>politically correct.  Do I feel threatened?  Yeah, maybe a little.
>While I can appreciate their stance, I'm going to keep on doing what I
>do because that is my lifestyle and I enjoy it.  I just wish others
>would appreciate other types of "diversity" that maybe aren't as
>politically correct as the diversity we are supposed to be tolerating.
>
>It sure is tough being intolerant to intolerance . . .  I don't think I
>can tolerate any more of it.
>
>DC
>
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