Responses to "Relief"

Check out these two excerpts from readers commenting on my earlier post titled "Relief." Read them back to back, and tell me you don't see that there's a massive and fundamental understanding gap going on in this country between Bush and Kerry supporters-- I dare you.

Kerry supporter:

The thing that I can't get over is how many people voted for George W. Bush. I
mean I stop and ask why and how those people could have done that? And sooo many
of them! And after all that has happened! And that saddens me so deeply because
of what it says about this country. Either they are greedy, they live in fear,
they are judgmental and closed-minded, they are uneducated, they are ignorant,
they are self-righteous, or some combination of these sorts of things. I know
that there may be the occasional case in which for example a Jew feels so
strongly about Israel that they vote solely on the basis of Bush's stance on
Israel, but for the most part I am afraid that this is just the conclusion I
have to come to on people's stances.I mean, how can a person say he is voting
for Bush because he is a "fiscal conservative" and leave it at that? Basically
what that means is that this voter places his fiscal values above civil rights,
above the basic integrity and competence of our leadership, etc. etc. etc. That
is a sad, sad state!How can a person vote on the basis of not wanting to allow
for legal same sex marriage? Keeping loving people from having basic rights is
more important than having a leader who will help ensure that the sick have
health care? Or better yet, not allowing for abortion is more important than
providing health care, making assault weapons illegal, and preventing the
execution of those on death row who were wrongly accused? And is money more
important than all of these??

Bush supporter:

You know Mook, as much as I care about you, I can't help but think the
obvious resentment and anger you hold towards "the right" is feeding the very
big problem we have in this country of being most undecidedly UN-united. Your
tone disappoints me very much. We are not evil because our views are different.
As a matter off act, you might find some of us have the same views, but think
the resolutions are different. I have a right to think differently. And for the
record, I did not hate Kerry. I actually had second thoughts about my vote at
one point. He was an OK guy, I just disagreed with some of his views. I don't
hate him or people that voted for him-- I just disagreed with him on a few
issues that were a priority for me.

I am no Jesus freak, but I do
go to mass and participate in the church. Since when did seeking out
spirituality through traditional ways become a bad thing? (I'm referring to the
"jesusland comment". I know you aren't saying YOU believe that, but I'm still
commenting on it). Seems anything that is not in direct line an absolute secular
society is deemed evil these days. Isn't that one of our rights? To practice our
religions as we see fit? So, just for an example, don't I have a right to vote
against a party that supports what I might believe is plain old murder
(abortion) if that's what I believe?

I did not think we should go
into Iraq, but now that we are there I think we should stick it out and not
leave until things are as stable as we can get them (even if that takes years).
I am FOR moderate gun control. I want a resolution to the social security issue,
I believe in gay rights. I am not evil, or worng, or out to restrict
anyone's freedom because I consider myself a bit more conservative.