Arizona Congresswoman Shot

[lwien]

I feel that John Stewart has a good opinion that it should be heard.....

Yup. After hearing commentators on the left rail against the right stating that this was all their fault, and then hearing commentators on the right state that those on the left are doing nothing more than politicizing a tragedy, it was really a breath of fresh air to hear someone commentate on this without any agenda what so ever.

 

[TanzRemix]

What's also true though is that there are also people on the left that would never watch Beck, Hannity or O'Rielly. I find it really odd that one would only want to watch news programs that coincide with their own viewpoints without ever wanting to watch something with an opposing slant, thereby challenging themselves on their current viewpoints or possibly reinforce their current viewpoints. To only expose yourself to one way of looking at things is REALLY self limiting.

I very much agree with you. Here in San Francisco we seem to have a lot of people so out-of-touch with reality it hurts. Middle ground and compromise have always been the hallmarks of intellect, reason, and success, and I believe you and other posters are right to point out how polarizing the media (for example) has become, and how it seems like multiple points of view are unwelcome in such an environment.

What i am trying to say with that comment. Is this. I have a bunch of friends who are on the right who will not listen to anyone on the left. I know for a fact they hate john stewart and have had me turn off his show when I have had it playing during their visits...

There are stupid people on the left... on the right, and in the middle. I made my comment about specific people, why? because I know these people, I wasn't talking about the Right in general, but rather this Bunch of people. My comment was in reference to how some people are not open to discussion if they feel the views are radically different than theirs.... left or right.

...I wasnt making no snipe at any specific group. But rather commenting on how I specifically know someone, amongst a group of like minded friends, who would not watch this video because he has different political views than John Stewart so he wont give it the time of day. And to me, that mindset is stupid. I've seen that kind of mindset throughout the entire political spectrum.

Fair enough, and you make a good point. Though I will admit, during the W days I couldn't stand Stewart (I think he totally lost it for the four years following the reelection), I think he is a valuable source of satire. And frankly, the news programs and channels he skewers are so deserving of more than a little criticism, more than a little tongue-in-cheek from a comedian on Comedy Central, because they not only fail to serve a purpose, they are also detracting from the very society they're supposed to be a part of. By eliminating rational thought, by eliminating the careful weighing of the consequences of the spread of misinformation and by the refusal to accept responsibility for the messaged they are sending millions of Americans, they probably deserve a lot worse.

 

[DevoTheStrange]

I also think Satire is important because it has a tendency to make all the BS stand out like sore thumbs. got alot of BS to sort through if you want a full view of the political world. One sides opinion is just as important as the other side. It's just all the additional padding that is added that tends to keep either side from considering the opposing view.
And it is all this extra padding that causes crap. It could be fear mongering, or just plain misinformation.
Unfortunately sometimes all this misinformation and fear mongering will sometimes fall into the wrong hands. . . or it will feed the wrong kind of personality. Find it's way to someone who cannot decipher the BS from the facts.

 

[thedeserttortoise]

First off. I don't trust government anymore. It's become far to lucrative for me to have faith in it's participants. As for the media, I feel the same. I don't believe in the two party politics's we've adopted. To even entertain the concept of national primaries to determine which individual from each party is going to be presented to the voting public for consideration as president is ludicrous. If I'm registered as a republican and I really like the person who came in third in the democratic primaries I should still have a right to vote for him/her! The ballot shouldn't be an orchestrated instrument that hands us two or three choice's. I do like gun's. I don't like killer's or a system that coddles the condemned. I don't like crazies and wacko's.. But I also don't like a system that has begun ignoring these sick fuckers until something like this happens. This guy (if even some of the information on him is true) should have been at the very least receiving some kind of mental health care. I could go on forever... I am a little bit left of center as well as a little bit right of center....depends on my mood...(and yes, emotion does govern at times) as well as looking into as broad a base of information as may be available to make my decisions. But...in reading this thread, the biggest point I want to make right now is this...

I've been a member of numerous forums over the years. What I find most interesting about FC is the diversity of thought and ideas presented here. This is what I wish our country could find. I think that we all deserve a big pat on the back for being able to disseminate and critique each others viewpoints in such a reasonable manner. Who would think that a site, whose main focus is herb could set such a shining example of true democracy in action.

If just half of those fuckers out there would just kick back, smoke some herb, and see how really unimportant all this rhetoric really is we would have it made. And I'm talking about the hate, the greed, the underhanded politics, and ignorance in general. Our society has become a society of fingers. Everyone is pointing at everyone else trying to validate their issues and cause's. And worst, when we do get a righteous person before us (Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and even Jesus) some frigging nut case or a group of nut case's kills them.

In closing, I just want to remind all of you how exemplary you really are. The only common ground we all really have is our interest in a clean high, yet we all find the time and energy to participate in some really great discussions. Even in disagreement we join hands in respect of each other. I really believe that pot has a spiritual quality that helps all that use it see things in a more unique manner. As a police officer friend of mine always say's, "I'd much rather deal with an individual that is stoned, than one that is drunk". Peace... Tortoise

 

[lwien]

Unfortunately sometimes all this misinformation and fear mongering will sometimes fall into the wrong hands. . . or it will feed the wrong kind of personality. Find it's way to someone who cannot decipher the BS from the facts.

As Jon Stewart so eloquently said, "You don't know what a troubled mind can get caught on. Crazy always finds a way."

 

[ccroller]

What makes this any different from the dozens of shootings that happen on daily basis in America? Its a tragedy indeed but why all the special attention for the Congresswoman? What makes a politician in America better than all the normal citizens that make this country what it is? Children will die tonight in America in all kinds of horrific ways(abuse, drugs, violence, accidents, and illnesses), but you wont hear about any of them on the news other than a small note in the paper. This is just going to continue to divide the country by drawing more lines and creating more boundaries that seperate the nation. Doesnt anybody remember "United We Stand Divided We Fall". Now there are special penalties for attacking Government employees. Why? Arent "All Men/Women Created Equal"? What makes a politicians life any more important than mine or yours? Millions will now be spent on the safety of these politicians. How much will be spent on your safety? A 5 min response time from your local PD. Have fun with that. It drives me crazy to see how we Americans squander our power! Im not talking about military might or anything I mean the power of the people! We have given it away. Could you imagine what would happen if all Americans middleclass(whats left of it) and below said enough is enough and just stopped doing what they do for say a week? The politicians would crap themselves and then start giving the people excactly what they want. This country doesnt work with out us the People. It works fine without 10,000 politicians all thinking they know whats best for you.