My Good Friend, Mark Rizzo
Some of the Rushmore Section will be taking Tommy a meeting later today.
I stop to shop at Von's on way home from meeting. Home and check e-mail and news sites with girls and pretzels. Talk to Beth. Work for awhile at computer before diving into an e-mail response to a letter to the editor. Here is the letter and my response:
THE LETTER
Whatever happened to courteous debate?
September 3, 2009
On the one hand, it is good that people still feel passionately about issues and feel they can have an effect upon outcomes. But on the other hand, whatever happened to courteous, even thoughtful, discourse?
Instead, we have people shouting down others, using gross hyperbole, distorting and twisting things, not in the interests of the common good, but just in getting their own way.
I submit that 10 percent of the populace is radical left, 10 percent is radical right and the rest of us are tired of their strident, immature bickering. A moderate liberal or moderate conservative is crucified by the extremists (who are always the loudest) of their own party and thus nothing meaningful ever gets done.
We need government, but we need good government, moderate government and government more responsive to the middle 80 percent.
Doug Graham
MY RESPONSE:
It appears to me that Doug Graham of Indio (Whatever happened to courteous debate? – Sept. 3) has never heard the old expression, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” During our present political (health care) crisis, debate seems to have been wiped from the table. Obama has already told us that the bill will pass. The bill will pass is what the president has decreed and no discussion, discourse, or debate, courteous or not, will stop it from passing. At least both “radical” sides – the 10-percent right and the 10-percent left – are standing up for what they believe in: the left stands behind their president unblinking; while the right does all it can to save our wonderful country from disaster. It’s just too bad the rest – the moderate 80-percent – won’t take any stand at all. Perhaps if they did, they’d realize just what’s going on in America.
Stephen Lodge
To Chipolte's to meet Mark for lunch. Mark helped me with And Action! book. Nice talk and good friendship. Home and dessert. Down for my nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Feed girls; and open mail. Talk to Tommy Snow - the meeting went so well they'll have one every Friday - same time; same station. Bring in trash bin. Write here for a minute. On my way to clean up side yard then sweep floors. Beth by to pick up several checks then she to bank. She home for good - unload her car and we sit and talk for a few minutes. Dinner is a burrito for her and half a burrito for me from Chipolte's. After dinner we watch recording of today's Glenn Beck Show. Later ~
Some of the Rushmore Section will be taking Tommy a meeting later today.
I stop to shop at Von's on way home from meeting. Home and check e-mail and news sites with girls and pretzels. Talk to Beth. Work for awhile at computer before diving into an e-mail response to a letter to the editor. Here is the letter and my response:
THE LETTER
Whatever happened to courteous debate?
September 3, 2009
On the one hand, it is good that people still feel passionately about issues and feel they can have an effect upon outcomes. But on the other hand, whatever happened to courteous, even thoughtful, discourse?
Instead, we have people shouting down others, using gross hyperbole, distorting and twisting things, not in the interests of the common good, but just in getting their own way.
I submit that 10 percent of the populace is radical left, 10 percent is radical right and the rest of us are tired of their strident, immature bickering. A moderate liberal or moderate conservative is crucified by the extremists (who are always the loudest) of their own party and thus nothing meaningful ever gets done.
We need government, but we need good government, moderate government and government more responsive to the middle 80 percent.
Doug Graham
MY RESPONSE:
It appears to me that Doug Graham of Indio (Whatever happened to courteous debate? – Sept. 3) has never heard the old expression, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” During our present political (health care) crisis, debate seems to have been wiped from the table. Obama has already told us that the bill will pass. The bill will pass is what the president has decreed and no discussion, discourse, or debate, courteous or not, will stop it from passing. At least both “radical” sides – the 10-percent right and the 10-percent left – are standing up for what they believe in: the left stands behind their president unblinking; while the right does all it can to save our wonderful country from disaster. It’s just too bad the rest – the moderate 80-percent – won’t take any stand at all. Perhaps if they did, they’d realize just what’s going on in America.
Stephen Lodge
To Chipolte's to meet Mark for lunch. Mark helped me with And Action! book. Nice talk and good friendship. Home and dessert. Down for my nap with girls. Up and bring in mail. Feed girls; and open mail. Talk to Tommy Snow - the meeting went so well they'll have one every Friday - same time; same station. Bring in trash bin. Write here for a minute. On my way to clean up side yard then sweep floors. Beth by to pick up several checks then she to bank. She home for good - unload her car and we sit and talk for a few minutes. Dinner is a burrito for her and half a burrito for me from Chipolte's. After dinner we watch recording of today's Glenn Beck Show. Later ~
posted by Steve | 3:33 PM
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