So Tired….

Tired of trying to have fruitful debates with tea partiers, webforum libertarians, spiritual warfare christians, zealots of all stripes… and it seems the GOP has been overrun by these folks, I know they exist on the left too, but geez–it anguishes me, actually, I don’t want to give up, I don’t want to stop trying to have discussion with these folks, but it’s hard to have a discussion with someone for whom listening, really listening and considering what the other person is saying, even if it doesn’t fit your belief system, is considered a weakness. Typical conversations go like this: me: that’s interesting, here is another way to look at that; them: platitude/talking point that changes that subject. me: ok, well, that’s interesting, here is another way to look at that; them: platitude/talking point that changes that subject. And on and on and on, until I get frustrated and quit, or they start calling me names (this happens a lot, as anyone who tries to have these conversations can attest). What do I do? I don’t want to give up, I believe in talking and sharing ideas and learning new things, and in the power of dialogue to enrich our lives, but I am just about fed up with trying. What am I missing? If I adopt their debate pattern, it leads nowhere. Oh well. I’m just tired. I’ll keep trying.

I really enjoyed both box sets I listened to: Fats Waller:  If You Got to Ask You Ain’t Got It, and Bob Wills: Encore. They even mixed well together in the CD tray.