Democrats and Republicans

Since the last 20 years of the previous century, I have seen these two groups change.

Since the early to mid 1980s through the end of the 1900s, Republicans could be defined as lemmings, and Democrats as a herd of cats.  I mean this in the worst possible manner.

The Republicans have had a core set of beliefs that you either completely agreed with, or you were "no true Republican."  They swallowed the purple-Kool-Aid.  It was always cut spending, lower taxes, help those in need through tax cuts, capitalism, gun rights, Christian-centric, Pro-Life, anti-Roe-v-Wade, pro-war, free speech (as long as it didn't run counter to the Republican beliefs), and a few others.  Very few, if any, Republicans were Pro-Choice because it was against the Christian-centric view.  Republicans won more states, more counties, and the office of President due to the core set of values in which they believed.  They drank the purple Kool-Aid and followed like lemmings.  They followed one set of "Biblical" verses that were handed down from a small group of Republicans.

The Democrats were the complete opposite.  There seemed to be no fixed guiding set of beliefs.  Mostly, the few guiding beliefs were the freedom of speech and the press, Pro-Choice, pro Roe-V-Wade, raise taxes, cut spending, and help those in need through government programs.  Some Democrats were for gun rights, some were Pro-Life, some were Christian-centric.  Democrats didn't win as many seats in government due to the lack of a singular set of beliefs.  It was like herding cats; there was no single direction, and everyone thought they knew best.

That was then; now it seems, a little worse.  Even with the guiding beliefs that ran counter to each other, both sides seemed to know when to lend a helping hand to the other side in the last 20 years of 1900s.

The Republicans now have a splintered identification (the TEA party is the ultra-conservative, Christian-centric, non-Christian hate group).  I don't remember the Republican party being as hateful of others as they are today.  Finger pointing at different groups (see my Labels and Hate entry) to blame for anything they don't like.  Like the Democrats, I the current Republican party is more like a schoolyard bully tossing taunts, name calling, ridiculing, and just plain mean spirited.

The Democrats also have a splintered identification (they don't have a catchy name yet, but this group hates anything that they don't like or identify with.  They have taken a similar stance to the 1990s Republicans which states "free speech, as long as it didn't run counter to my beliefs").  I am so disappointed in the "free speech" party (see my Labels and Hate entry).  I thought the Democrats were the "smart" party, but now parts of it seems more like a schoolyard bully tossing taunts, name calling, ridiculing, and just plain mean spirited.

I am not making a huge impact on what has already been said by others, nor am I trying to change minds.  What I would like is for common decency to come back.  That includes regaining the ability for both sides to listen to the other side without trying to stop the other person from talking.  However; the person talking must remain respectful to all other parties while the discussion is happening.  Anyone who has been talked down to, talked at, attacked personally, or belittled by the speaker, knows that the conversation has stopped and all genuine discussion and constructive thinking has been destroyed.