I doubt we agree on much politically, and I'm certain that I personally am anti-your-beliefs, but I say without a doubt and without hesitation that I am pro-you.

This is one of the reasons we love Sean.

I probably DID say that, so I'll apologize, but I also hope you're not expecting me to go back over years of stuff and insert "except for Shari" retroactively or anything. Because I'm not going to do that to please someone I've talked to twice. But I hope we could move on from here. Sean, yeah, I get where you're going with that, but I also think our political decisions come from deeply-held opinions about human nature, war and peace, so much as I want to agree that individual voting behavior may not be the way to pick our friends, political life is not, like, a fashion statement or Cilantro, Pro or Con. Sometimes I wish it could be. But it's not. But I'm also celery-eating draft dodging peace freak.

I really need to get my hair cut. It just took me for-freaking-ever to comb it out, and there are still a few knots that I just didn't have the patience to deal with.

While I am for diversity in thought and action, in general, I do believe I am in large part, defined by and made up of my ideas, beliefs, imagination, etc. Otherwise, I'm just flesh no different than any of youse.

While I am for diversity in thought and action, in general, I do believe I am in large part, defined by and made up of my ideas, beliefs, and imagination, etc. Otherwise, I'm just flesh no different than any of youse.

Let me put it another way - especially where politics and religion are concerned, I think the burden of offense is primarily on the offended. The world would benefit greatly from people maybe just not taking so much offense when other people think differently from them, and say so. Obviously it's a little more complex than that, especially when you bring things like bigotry and prejudice into the picture, but even then.... I prefer my bigots easily identified.

Or put yet another way - while you make a good and compelling point, javachik, if we are defined by and made up of our ideas and beliefs, to the point of taking offense when those things are disagreed with or disparaged, how then are any of us ever supposed to say anything to anyone? Every word uttered or written becomes offensive to someone else somewhere, for surely there is at least one other person on the planet who holds some diametrically opposed belief or idea.

IT DOES NOT TAKE SIXTY VOTES TO GET SOMETHING PASSED IN THE SENATE. It takes fifty one. We have fifty one. I'm getting irritated at the massive, widespread perpetuation of the myth that we need a supermajority to get things done.

AMEN. I am getting SOOOO annoyed by this plan.

Or put yet another way - while you make a good and compelling point, javachik, if we are defined by and made up of our ideas and beliefs, to the point of taking offense when those things are disagreed with or disparaged, how then are any of us ever supposed to say anything to anyone? Every word uttered or written becomes offensive to someone else somewhere, for surely there is at least one other person on the planet who holds some diametrically opposed belief or idea.

I gotta say, Sean, I disagree completely with this, and I'm pretty offended you could even say such a thing.

Oh no, Sean, I'm totes with you on most of what you say. I am stuck typing on iPhone so can't write an essay. But I do not correlate the notion of beliefs defining who we are with the idea that we must take offense at everything. In fact, it's pretty hard to offend me, especially on teh internets. Also, getting feelings hurt is not the same thing as being offended. I've gotten my feelings hurt a couple of times on this board, but I can't remember ever being offended.

Oh no, Sean, I'm totes with you on most of what you say.

Still, your point is good and compelling.

I am stuck typing on iPhone so can't write an essay.

I know your pain.

The only thing better would be a kitchen tool that chops things, lights them afire, then shoots them across the room. I would so pay for that.

SOMEONE MAKE THIS AND GIVE IT TO ME. NOW.