Homestead mailing list

[Marie McHarry <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On Sun, Apr 25, 2010 at 9:16 PM, EarthNSky <erthnsky AT gmail.com> wrote:
>
James, I think, typed:
>> No.  It is neither my place nor disposition to educate someone about the
>> prevailing culture.  Nor is it possible.  These are extremely chauvinistic
>> people who think their "progressive" bias and manner of conduct is the 
>> antidote
>> to the local people whom they disparage.
> The probably think of you as chauvinistic, too, either that or as a
> stupid redneck hick or something equally rude.

And Bev replied:
> I hate it though, when 'progressive' people impose their values on
> others.  They THINK they have the high road, but often that path is one
> born of naivety.

While, like most of you who have voiced an opinion on this issue, when
I give my word, I will follow through with whatever I gave my word to
do, I don't think that has a whole lot to do with whether a person has
political values that are progressive. As those of you who read my
emails may have possibly sensed, I'm politically liberal/progressive
with a strong libertarian streak in there. I also have some clear
lines that I will never cross and remain who I believe I am.

I've observed people who I think are probably like those that have
been described in this thread. Some of them are my acquaintances, but
none of them are my friends. If you want to deal with these kinds of
people, you have to remember that they are your social acquaintances,
but definitely not your friends; you can't count on them unless you
enjoy being seriously disappointed. Anyone who has lived for 40 or 50
or 60 years ought to be able to understand what a person's ethical
approach to life is. If you figure that out, most of your real friends
won't disappoint you.

I've been through some tough times lately (and, alas, they aren't
over), but I was happy to find that I had identified the people who
are my good friends and those who are friends but don't have the
strength of character to always take the high-bottom approach.

My point is that pasting on a progressive label doesn't really tell
you anything about a person. This recent craze of labeling people
merely obscures what each individual really believes.

Marie, who may have just blurred the whole issue being discussed