tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post113099141189301315..comments2024-03-28T18:57:15.124-06:00Comments on Wash Park Prophet: Scared RepublicansAndrew Oh-Willekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537151821869153861noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post-74868624860764494822013-08-15T14:29:40.595-06:002013-08-15T14:29:40.595-06:00Certainly, as Kyle notes, and as I affirm, Democra...Certainly, as Kyle notes, and as I affirm, Democrats are absolutely driven by fears, just different ones. Fears of being sick or injured and having no means of receiving medical care. Fears of losing loved ones in foreign wars. Fears of persecution for being non-Christian. Fears of harsh criminal justice system treatment related to being black or Hispanic. Fears of deportation. Fears related to abuses of private power by big corporations. The list goes on.<br /><br />I am not trying to lump Republicans together so much as I am trying to empathize with them and understand where they are coming from in hope of finding a path to more fruitful dialog that acknowledges their motives instead of being baffled by why Republicans want things that seem outright evil to me and most Democrats.<br /><br />Rather than being afraid of Republicans, although the policy regime they aspire to is one that I don't welcome, or trying to control Republican thought processes, I'm trying to engage and understand. If this motive involves fear, it also involves courage to overcome that fear and face it.<br /><br />My belief is that the only way to be successful in politics at a movement level is to understand people's concerns and to then find ways to address them that also address your concerns. Until you understand the "why" of your opponent's position, you can't do that.andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08172964121659914379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post-14331274465394511622013-06-07T18:46:18.912-06:002013-06-07T18:46:18.912-06:00I find your lumping all Republicans together as a ... I find your lumping all Republicans together as a fear of accepting that a lot of us are just like you, but with different standards. AS in what makes our right and peaceful.<br /><br /> This post reeks of fear, you fear republicans because you cannot control their thought processes.<br /><br /> This is projection. You cast a very wide net and try to bring every republican into your version of what a republican is and what they fear.<br /><br /> If this post wasn't so funny, it would be sad. Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14162253.post-1131121173417788462005-11-04T09:19:00.000-07:002005-11-04T09:19:00.000-07:00Democrats certain do have politics driven by fear,...Democrats certain do have politics driven by fear, but can't understand Republicans in part because they don't understand what Republicans are afraid of.Andrew Oh-Willekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02537151821869153861noreply@blogger.com