thoughts on discourse

I've thought all this before, and said it before.    Naturally, I'll say it again.

When my patriotism motivates me to do something, I should have good reason for it as well.    And when your faith motivates you to *not* do that thing, you should have good reason for it as well.    Too often, instead of comparing reasons, and seeing which of us may have a stronger vessel that the other could board, or where our flaws in thinking may be, or who may have a point worth considering, we go to the motivations.    I accuse you of being unpatriotic;  you accuse me of faithlessness.    And when patriotism is decency, and faith is decency, then how could someone be expected to even have a civil conversation with someone with no decency?

Our current political stalemate can be summed up this way:  the left and the right have differing idols, and accuse each other of opposite blasphemies.

In general, the left and the right agree that power corrupts.

The right sees clearly that group power corrupts, and has a positive view of how individual rein can protect against it.

The left sees clearly that individual power corrupts, and has a positive view of how group rein can protect against it.

We need *both*, and we need to stop slandering each other and start listening.