Posted by
Hollywood Pilgrim on Thursday, August 17, 2006 9:02:49 PM
Just a personal observation today...
I was on a date last Spring -- walking Fryman Canyon in Studio City with a nice-enough young lady (a singer, songwriter). We seemed to be getting along fairly well...until politics popped up its ugly, one-sided Hollywood face.
Now, I know...On a date, don't talk politics or religion. (And, for the record, don't swear, talk about sports, or bring up past relationships unless she does first, but I digress...) But, it wasn't me. It was HER, the Stepford/brainwashed/lock-step/crazy/leftist/conspiracy-minded Hollywood liberal who got the ball rolling uncontrollably down the grassy knoll.
Three things struck me early on in the conversation...She was full of hate. Absolute, resolute and neverending hate. Hatred of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, the Armed Forces, Republicans, Conservative and even moderate Democrats. She didn't just disagree with them. She hated them. Her anger was without limit, and her eagerness to assault these people without end.
Second, she was absolutely convinced she was right. There was no room for discussion, consideration or compromise in her point of view. Those people she despised were evil. End of her story. When I suggested that it was possible for someone to disagree with her while holding similar human values...Thar blows the anger and hatred again. I stressed that those on the other side of aisle also thought they were doing the right thing, but it wasn't necessary to believe either side was evil. I might as well have been trying to tie a knot in jello.
Finally, I was astounded by her astonishment. It was inconceivable that any rational person -- especially a person living in LA -- could possibly think differently. To her, everyone thought the way she did. There was no choice -- no possibility for rebelion or exclusion. Two options -- agree or accept the tags of "evil," idiot," "fascist," etc.
Mind you, I wasn't bombarding her with my own conservative rhetoric. I was listening and questioning. Believe me -- the simple fact that I questioned her seemed to be more than enough to send her head spinning and the venom flowing. When I finally got around to the fact that I voted for Bush, the date and the relationship were essentially over. When I explained that John Kerry was a poor candidate because of his constant flip-flops on issues and his record of inactivity in the Senate, all she could offer was, "But, Bush is evil." How do reply with a rational response to that?
I left her with one final observation before I ran screaming...Sorry...Before I politely departed...I paraphrase:
"I vote for Republicans primarily because, when your guys are in charge, people who want to murder me get a free pass. They want me dead, and they want you in charge so they can manage that because they know you'll do nothing to stop them."
That was perhaps an overly simplistic explanation of voting choices and the War on Terror, but it left her momentarily speechless. I think I got one more "Bush is evil..." before I headed out to get a Jamba Juice.
Just a (not so) brief example of the kind of people I have to deal with every single day...