I enjoy parody as much as the next person so when I began reading “Law and Order?” in the Dec. 29 PDN, I was very entertained.
The writer contrasted “thoughtful” progressives with conservatives who he described as closed-minded, irrational, knuckle-dragging, profit-before-people, sectarians who delight in imposing a “skull cracking, fascist-type of law and order” on everyone who is not rich or white.
When I finished reading I realized that the writer was being dead serious.
Fair enough.
So while we’re in the realm of caricature let me join in the fun.
“Progressives are self-satisfied, excruciatingly politically correct, condescending elitists who feel rather than think, take any position that will get them acknowledged as ‘compassionate’ even if it hurts the people they are ostensibly trying to help, and label conservative views ‘hate speech’ that must be eradicated through censorship in the media and violence in the streets.”
Coming back to the real world I ask, are there people who fit these descriptions of conservative and progressive?
Unfortunately, there are.
Are there people in both camps who do not?
Thankfully, yes.
The latter are people who start with the premise that their opponents might have something valuable to say.
They are also willing to consider the possibility that some of their own beliefs might be wrong.
These are the problem-solvers.
The true contrast is with people who insist on thinking in self-righteous stereotypes.
They are doing nothing but making things worse.
Cheryl Nielson
Port Angeles