(no subject)

[deckardcanine]

I wish to apologize for the gaucheness of my last LJ entry. While I knew it would be controversial, I honestly meant no offense to anyone (and apparently guessed wrongly which side was more likely to take offense). I might take it down, but I'll leave it up for now with this post as a warning.

These thoughts had been stewing in my head for quite a while, itching for a good place to come forth. I chose LJ because it's relatively sparse these days yet still fairly diverse in opinions. In retrospect, if I had to say it at all, I should've waited for a time that I was less tired. Or perhaps I should've done it earlier, when the subject was more timely.

What gave me the temerity to dispense advice to a big group with whom I had no appreciable connection? Well, it comes from hanging around both left- and right-wing circles, seemingly more than anyone else I know. It makes me want to be a liaison, facilitating communication between people on such different wavelengths that they're often too hostile to start. And unlike some, I don't believe in giving up on reaching certain people. Now, I don't kid myself that the people whom I appear to address will ever read my LJ in large numbers. I intended to plant the seed of the idea and let the word get around, little by little. If nothing else, I figured I'd be providing food for thought.

Unfortunately, I've always been a bit tone deaf with regard to social skills, so of course I'm no pro liaison. In my sleepy haste to get it all down, I painted in overly broad strokes and left some distinctions unclear, thereby paving the way for easy perception of wrongful insinuations about certain groups in general. It made me look bigoted as well as arrogant.

On top of that, it goes against my long-time personal policy against getting political on LJ. (The Martin-Zimmerman post doesn't really count.) I assure you all that I will not make that mistake again. My efforts to sound reasonable all around are too shaky.

Comments

[richardf8]

You may have noticed that I post very little these days. I don't want to silence you, but I DO want you to look past dichotomies toward third ways and and middle grounds. And please recognize that a negative comment is not necessarily a demand for retraction as it is an invitation to refinement.

[thatcatgirl.livejournal.com]

To be fair, your commenters are a *very* small sample. I think we're both friendly debaters. Hopefully noone is actually offended.

I don't think you should worry too much about it, unless you become sufficiently well-know to make it likely to have people looking for things you said to take out of context.

[thatcatgirl.livejournal.com]

Also, I think it a bit sad that you're put off from posting anything political, I would expect such talks on your blog to be much more reasonable than most places i might see them on the internet. >.>

[nefaria.livejournal.com]

I've given up debating with those on the opposite end of the political spectrum. Even when I feel my opinions are reasonable, logical, and well-presented, I get nothing but vitriol in return.

I've abandoned the goal of enlightenment for mere tolerance instead.