Is this blog a good idea? I don't know. Is there still interest in civil discourse across the chasm of very different political views? Can a physics grad student and an old MBA capitalist, with our gap widened by 40 years of age and quite different scio-economic experiences, constructively discuss world and life perspectives of such diverse beliefs? Can we be passionate, but not angry? Can we have some sarcasm at times without vitriol? Can we disagree, but not disrespect (with snide condescension)?
We struggle to find this in the sage pundits of the media. And (we both agree) our political leaders are (largely) more embarrassing than inspiring, as their sole objective seems to be to win for their side rather than to craft any solution.
I represent almost everything the boy's fellow travellers view as causes of all problems...almost abhorrent. I am, as my sign off indicates, an old man (the first two bad marks). Further, I lead a manufacturing business, and have a reprehensible title. To make matters worse, I am a practicing, go to church, christian (a common sinner, to be sure, but a believer); and I have a currently politically unfavorable complexion.
How can one send a believing, protestant son to a catholic high school, and have him graduate as an atheist? How can a father encourage (and pay for) a good, scientific college degree and then have the boy campaign for Obama? I mean, I understand the touchy-feely liberal arts majors' ebullience for Obama, and the tears of the theatre majors. But physics, although not as factual as the old man's engineering major, still requires some rational thinking.
I hope, this blog is a good idea, and that contact with some real people out there will help redirect the boy's thinking, before his Phd physics studies and academia have him irretrievably drift off into "theorydom".
Of course it's a good idea! It's an antidote to the quotidian query: "What's worse, ignorance or apathy? A: I don't know and I don't care!"
ReplyDeleteI'll try to be neutral, but given I've known the 'old man' longer than the kid, and given that we both witnessed society's nadir Woodstock, 1969 - personally, we have more firsthand experience on how wrong-headed liberalism can be. Nonetheless, have at it!
If we can't eventually change the kid's mind, then perhaps the kid might want to consider changing majors to something less mentally taxing, like, say, Sociologogy.
- JB
Ha! Well said JB.
ReplyDelete-The Kid