Calling All Angels May 20, 2008
Posted by littlebangtheory in Love and Death, Politics and Society.Tags: winning the hearts and minds of The Right
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Because I need your help.
I’ve engaged a small troop of guys who see things very differently from you and me, and I think it’s because they’re operating in a different paradigm. They know, or at least believe, something different from what you and I know and believe.
And to some degree, I think they’re lacking information. Because you know, they seemed like decent people, deeply concerned about the future of their families and our Country.
So I’m digging deeply to find informative, progressive, non-inflammatory sources of The Truth ( as I see it) which I can share with these guys, to maybe help them see things more nearly as I do, as you do, as we believe it to be.
So who can you point us to, sources of progressive thinking, hyperbole free, insult free, without snark, without condescension, something an other-minded individual can read and digest without choking on it?
Because these guys are patriots, Americans, and our neighbors. And they’re trying to do right by their families, their neighbors, them selves.
Can we help them to see what we understand?
Link me to any Truth you can think of which doesn’t disrespect these people’s reality, so I’ll have something more to share with them this Saturday than my own biased understanding of How It Is.
I know it won’t be easy; I’ve eliminated most of my favorite links because, I’m sorry to say, they fail the “neutrality test.” My blog-o-hood is pretty fired up, and not necessarily receptive or kind to differing viewpoints.
Do we need to rethink this approach in order to reach others who aren’t yet seeing it our way?
I know, it’s complicated and difficult. That’s why I can’t do it alone.
So link me to your best Velvet Shots and wish me luck. I’m SO not a natural born diplomat, being most commonly a snarling little prick, but this seems important enough to warrant trying to get beyond that.
I’m hereby officially calling all my blog-friends to make an effort on behalf of this project:
Little Bang Theory 
Here are my website recommendations:
rand.org
factcheck.org
ontheissues.org
govtrack.us
snopes.com
One my “other minded” colleagues likes politico.com and thinks it’s neutral.
One I usually find pretty on the mark http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/
Are these links you’re going to give them or for your own info?
Tschuss!
Both, thanks for asking, and thanks for the link.
I’m personally amused by snark, but I don’t think it’s productive when talking to people with greatly disparate views.
I feel like I don’t have any good sites to offer, beyond what is here. That said, I will ponder and come back if something comes to mind.
As an aside, I am a huge, huge, HUGE Jane Siberry fan and this is one of my most favorite songs ever ever ever.
“Link me to any Truth you can think of which doesn’t disrespect these people’s reality…”
Sadly, I have very little to offer here, other than a hearty “good luck” [a sincere one, at that]. My very being alive and myself is more than enough to “disrespect their reality” as they perceive it. Otherwise I’d link to a whole bunch of stuff about family values and how I should be allowed to have them too… but I suppose my understanding of “patriotism” differs from theirs drastically.
If I think of something I’ll let you know, though. This is definitely an exercise on my part: somewhat because I am not really into being “neutral” in the least, and I generally expect other people to deal with certain aspects of myself and my life that I am not comfortable censoring; somewhat because I think that truly unbiased sources of information are virtually non-existent, and I personally find that I learn far more about any issue by reading a vast array of highly biased materials on both sides along with the more “moderate” stuff that sometimes settles in the middle, but that I would not call unbiased.
Fran, Jane S kicks my ass as well – ain’t she Da Bomb???
And as far as snarkless links, we on The Left are embarrassingly lacking. But come back if you think of something.
And EP, I grok you. It’s hard as hell to break bread with people who wish you dead and/or gone, and work 24/7 to pass laws which illigitimize you. I’m so sorry that you have to deal with that. But please know that I’m On It and never pass up a chance to stand tall for your rights, even at the expense of smoothing the road for other advancements.
And you’re not at all obliged to be “neutral” about issues which directly affect you. Loose the apologies and get on with your mission.
Love and Boundless Respect,
Dad.
I would point them towards DemocracyNow. You will never hear snark from Amy Goodman.
There is a Western Mass. Chapter in Greenfield of Veterans for Peace. These older veterans are excellent speakers against war: they’ve been there, they know what it’s all about and they are zero bullshit. The new group coming out of VFP is Iraq Vets Against the War: IVAW.org. Bring someone from IVAW with you and defy anyone to show disrespect for someone who actually served in this occupation we’re calling a war. By using personal contact, and real face time with these folks, you’re doing it exactly the right way. IVAW has a new project called Winter Soldier, in which returning Vets discuss what they saw and did in our names over there. Check out the link on their website. It’s disturbing, it’s real, and it’s compelling. No one else can say it like they do. War is not a game.
On the VFP website you can link to the booklet by Maj. General Smedley Butler “War is a Racket”. He makes the case that war is a racket where the few profit and the many pay. A career military officer from the Great War, he became uber critical of the American military-industrial complex. He makes some excellent talking points.
Hope that’s helpful. You’re doing God’s work. Thanks.
Here’s an idea: invite these guys to sit down with IVAW Western MA for a video taped panel discussion of the war for the local community access television station. It’s not a competition, no one has to win or lose, just talk out the points, one by one, agreeing to disagree when necessary.
On another note: Pat Scanlon (Vietnam Vet) and I will be playing at the UU Church in Middlebury VT on Sunday afternoon. It’s free and all are welcome. It’s a full concert of Pat’s songs against war and for people. We’ll be passing a big hat for IVAW. Hope you all can join us.
thanks
i wish you well. it would be a good thing to have each side at least attempting to understand each other, especially without the snark.
I like Thom Hartmann.
I’m with Miz Lu(mena) — there’s nothing like those Veterans for Peace guys (most are guys, though there are some women now) for credibility. They have a website (maybe more than one – there were several organizations involved in the recent Winter Soldiers conference — am in a rush, sorry, but you can google) and I also have seen them a lot at demonstrations.
My dad who is a peace-lovin’ WWII Purple Heart vet is not a member of Vets for Peace (he’s getting old and has other things to tend to) but after we went into Afghanistan he went to the local high school to give a “war is hell” speech and let me tell you, they listened.
Blessings to you. A noble cause. Glad you are working at it.
Thanks to all of you for taking the time to respond; I hope to have a list of on-line information sources to hand out to any of the Anti-Anti Folks who might want to broaden their knowledge base just a bit.
Again, they seemed mostly like nice guys, but are woefully uninformed. And as far as I can tell, only the FFR (that’s the Filthy Fucking Rich) can be well informed and still vote Republican.
I wish I had anything to offer. All of my reader spots are heavy on snark.
Mine as well, Christina. But what entertains me isn’t necessarilt the material of which bridges are built.
I’m more than a little embarrassed by the tenor of most “leftie” blogs – it’s like we’ve totally bought into the politics of division, and if that’s so, than the Fortunate Five Hundred have truly won.
This perception is taking a huge toll on me. I’m loathe to say that I’m losing hope for the future of my daughters, but it would be dishonest to deny it.
Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one even trying to build these bridges.
[…] 3) Get back down to Greenfield to make nice with the Anti-Antis again. I got my printer working, so I’ll have a handout of some “educational resources” for The Men (thanks for your many fine suggestions, My Angels!) […]