Homestead mailing list

[bob ford <bobford79 AT yahoo.com>]

Bev, years ago a 22 y.o. girl from Georgia named Carson McCullers wrote a 
wonderful story about a deaf-mute who became a boarder in a family home in 
small town Georgia.  Everyone in the small town eventually became his friend 
because he would just sit and listen to him, he couldn't interrupt, being 
mute.  At the end of the story he ends himself with a bullet .  He had no-one 
to listen to him.

We all need to think someone listens to us.  Places like this list wouldn't 
exist otherwise.  Nor would family talks, political parties, or book clubs.

  Recognize that people do listen to you.  You are not going to instantly 
change any minds, on this list, not in macro-situational areas like politics. 
 

As a group, we are comprised largely of older individuals who are fairly well 
set in our ways of thinking.  Change comes much more gradual in those areas 
for people of our age group. You might actually have already planted a seed 
in someone's mind that could become something bigger , down the road. 

But that applies to people who think the opposite of you , also.  They are 
not changing minds any more than you. Largely, they are seeking 
re-inforcement of their own idealism, as we all do, whether we admit or not.  

My mind has been changed a bit , over the years, by some of the things I've 
heard on this list and other places.  But, the change was more about culture 
than politics.  We have a very diverse group, according to lifestyle.  We are 
largely white, educated, middle aged.  Otherwise, as a group, we have great 
differences.

 I think mostly what you are aggravated about is that the ideas of the left 
seem to be readily acceted on this list while ideas on the right always are 
often required to offer ten different methods of reasoning.  That is just a 
matter of numbers.

Most of us are from the 60s and 70s generations.  So most will identify with 
the ideals brought from university and otherwise from those generations.  
Some of us changed along the way.  Most did not. 

I tend to agree with people on the right more than the left and find the 
right more open to others ideas, but I have big dis-agreements on some issues 
with the right. 

 While I don't think such matters should be recognized by the state at all; 
as long as things like marriage and adoption are approved or dis-approved by 
the state, I strongly believe that homosexuals should have the exact same 
rights as others.  I think the same about polygamy (consenting 'adults') .  I 
believe 'all' drugs should be decriminalized or legalized and that about 70% 
of the people in jail or prison should be released 'tomorrow'.  

But, it really doesn't matter what any of us as individuals think.  This list 
has a freer exchange of ideas than most open forums you will find, and most 
of the time we are not even discussing the subject of this list -- 
homesteading.  That is also a matter of age.  Most, not all,  already are on 
their homesteads and have been for quite a while.  

You have many long term 'friends' on this list.  Talk politics, or whatever. 
State your opinion and stand by what you see as the truth. If someone is rude 
to you, defend yourself, let it go, or ignore them for a while until it is 
forgotten. I have a "***k-it attitude, but that is just me.  ...bobford

p.s. Your kids pay more attention to what you say than you realize



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--- On Thu, 11/6/08, EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:


> So that's as much of it as I have been able to figure
> out.
> I'm not leaving homestead just yet because it is my
> duty to be vigilant.

>   I doubt I will, but I promise that I will try to see
> things in a more
> positive light.