I think it’s the most cowardly cop-out anyone can pull in politics to say that anyone who disagrees with you is just “closed-minded.” And that’s what I have been accused of. What makes my accuser all the more cowardly was her decision to insult me in front of a large group when I wasn’t even present to defend myself. The way she handled this situation has made me lose a great deal of respect for her, and I want to take this opportunity to set a few things straight.
My loyal insider at my old high school reported to me today that in the middle of a Social Studies class, both he and I were said to be “so closed-minded when it comes to politics” (now, I don’t want to be immature, so I’ll just say this was Some Anonymous Mouth. We’ll call her S.A.M. for short). While SAM has every right to disagree with me, I think it’s pretty lame to bring up my name post-graduation when I’m a) not in the room and b) not even in the building. My insider calmly said, under the piercing stares of everyone else in the room, that she was mistaken.
The truth is, we are both very open, accepting people. I think it’s detestable that SAM says, just because I have strong convictions and logical arguments that don’t line up with her own emotion-driven politics, that I’m cemented against everything else. If someone were to approach me with a solid reason as to why my beliefs were wrong, I would listen to it, digest it, and consider rethinking my stance. The thing is, no one has ever done this. In all this time that I’ve been writing this stuff and posting these rants, not a single intelligent person has ever shown me why I should consider a party switch. Two or three people have tried, and while I do hear their arguments out, I am always able to find further justification for my initial position that, in my head, trumps theirs.
Do not stoop so low as to ignore my arguments and those of half of your country in saying that we’re all just blind. It’s so incredibly patronizing and superior for you to rule out all contrary thought as ignorant and closed-minded, and it has no positive effect whatsoever on those you’re arguing against. Not to mention your enormous hypocrisy. If you'd like to regain any sort of decent standing in my book, I invite you to come to be with a thought-out, well-presented case that either defends your statement about my closed-mindedness or convinces me that you have any idea whatsoever that you know what you're talking about in this whole politics game.
Thanks for the low-blow. You’re a pal, SAM.
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7 comments:
You go, girl! I am glad to see you standing up for yourself. I was going to respond to "anonymous" who left a comment on a previous blog who also called you closed-minded. But I got pretty angry, you know what with being a grizzly mama bear and all, so I had to stop. But I also get upset when those who disagree with us call us closed-minded when I really think it is being strong-minded. Anyway--go!
HA. I'm sure this 'SAM' can't even vote... Which means... ONE MORE FOR OUR TEAM!
Kelly, I really enjoyed this blog. Because I can read between the lines, and am hip to Ponderosa people.
Love,
Brittany
She can't vote. And that makes me happy/want to kill her.
I have to say, I was rather refreshed when I began reading your newest blog about the Republican party and your loss to Obama. I thought it was a very classy way to handle it, so I kept reading some of your other blogs. However, when I got to this one, I lost all respect I held for you. This was quite an immature way to handle this situation. Talk to my face if you have something to say to me. You said you wanted the chance to defend yourself. Well, now here's mine. I would like to point out a few things about your skewed version of this story:
1) Dear Brittany and Wes: Just because I can't vote doesn't mean I can't or shouldn't have an opinion about politics.
1.5) Dear Brittany: Me not voting isn't one more for your team, it's actually one less for Obama. And that worked out well for you, huh?
2) Get your facts straight. I did not call you closed-minded "in front of a large group." There were two other people there besides myself and one of them wasn't even paying attention. There were no "piercing stares from everyone else in the room." Your "loyal insider" is very good at stretching the truth.
3) Do not assume that I called you closed-minded simply because I disagree with you. You have no idea why I said that. You didn't bother to ask. Furthermore, you know absolutely nothing about my political beliefs so do not stereotype them as "emotion-driven" when you have never asked me about them or heard my side of the story. As you pointed out in the message you sent me, "you and I have never discussed politics" although I have a better idea of what your views are because of your blogs and notes than you do of mine.
4) I'm assuming, based on your blog, that your loyal insider did not tell you the whole story. I did attempt to tell him why I disagreed with you and made a statement such as I did, however, he decided that he had more important things to do than listen to me. Apparently though, my statement was important enough to him and to you to post a blog about Some Anonymous Mouth (subtle, might I add) for all the world to see.
5) I never said that "you are all just blind" either. Do not put words into my mouth when you were not there and your source is biased.
6) I'm the hypocrite? From your note Study your shiz, Democrats: "Secondly, I think you have a much different idea of helpfulness than I do, or perhaps you're just unfamiliar with the way our economy and foreign affairs function. When you cite Obama's positive platform with his intentions to "lower taxes on struggling families, make college more affordable, pull out of Iraq, etc" I can't help but shake my head and mutter something about ignorance." <-- You just blatantly called Democrats ignorant. Also, in most of your notes, you lump all Democrats together in a pile and say that we're all the same and we all think the same things about Obama, McCain, or Palin. Well, that's just not true. I happened to agree with you on many things that you mentioned in your Obama blogs. Did you know that? Didn't think so.
7) Do not accuse me of "talking about me at Ponderosa and criticizing my politics" (from your message) when I made one comment that I never even got the chance to explain.
8) You pointed out in your message to me that "I think it's pretty low and cowardly to badmouth me when I'm 60 miles away". Well, HELLO, that is exactly what you were doing with this blog. You posted that last Friday and did not even address me about it until today. Plus, you did not mention the blog in the hurtful message you sent to me.
8) I said you were closed-minded. That's it. In this blog and your message, I have been called: cowardly, lame, mistaken, detestable, emotion-driven, patronizing, superior, hypocritical, low, rude, and basically completely clueless about "this whole politics game."
But you know, you're right. What you did was way more mature than what I did. My GOD, what was I thinking???? Making a statement like that!!! It's absolutely disgraceful. I, of course, was not listening to most of my country, that wanted McCain... oh wait...
Thank you for teaching me such a valuable lesson Kelly. I owe ya one.
-SAM
Firstly, when I used the words "cowardly, lame, mistaken, detestable, emotion-driven, patronizing, superior, hypocritical, low, rude," I was always, ALWAYS talking about your actions, not you on a personal level. I would not insult you as a person.
2, I didn't "just blatantly call Democrats ignorant," because that blog was ONLY about one person I was involved in a debate with. I found this ONE person to be ignorant, not all Democrats. As I have explained to many a person before (actually I think I might mention it in Study Your Shiz), whenever I generalize about Democrats or liberals, I am refering to the party as a whole, the spokespeople and representatives and politicians of the party. It's not on an individual level, but I'm also not going to preface every single blog with a disclaimer.
I already explained to you that I didn't think anyone (except Weston) who knew you would read this. Yes, I wanted to make a public statement because I was offended and this forum has become one of my favorites for venting all my frustrations. I have already apologized to you for being petty. You have not returned the apology.
I'm also sorry the story got miscontrued, but maybe that's why you shouldn't bring someone up who's not there to hear you out firsthand.
This might come across as a "she started it" kind of argument, but the bottom line is that whatever assumption I made here about your political beliefs came out of your offensive assumptions of me and mine. I think we BOTH need to acknowledge immaturity here. I have done so. The way you're clinging to your innocence and telling me that I don't deserve an apology makes me lose just as much respect for you as you say you have for me. But I guess if it's mutual we can both just live bitterly with it. Whatever.
Also: It just occurred to me that if this is the very first time you've ever read my stuff, your statement about my closed-mindedness was completely unfounded in the first place. Thanks.
Ok... I have a lot of crap to attend to in this so I'm aware that I'll miss stuff but here it goes:
"There were two other people in there besides myself". Sam. We were in the computer lab. EVERYONE from our class was there... How is that only 2 people? And if you're trying to say you only ADDRESSED, two people... that's true. But you're voice was so friggin loud everyone turned and looked. So Kelly's wonderful informant was exactly correct.
You act like we're criminals for getting pissed that you called us close-minded. Firstly, that's a huge insult. Nobody wants to be told they're close-minded. And you can't say that because I have NEVER. EVER. spoken to you about politics. Not once. So how can you say I'm close-minded. I realize you were trying to make friends and "be cool" in front of Ms. Webb, but that's a low way to do it.
"I did attempt to tell him why I disagreed with you and made a statement such as I did, however, he decided that he had more important things to do than listen to me." When, pray tell, did you try and tell me why I am close-minded? I seem to remember you repeating (verbatim) the same phrase over and over... and over again. (Which, by the way, you do a lot... and it's frustrating.) You never attempted to explain. And on Monday when we went to the lab, you didn't attempt to either. You just repeated yourself. So... that's a lie.
And what Kelly did is MUCH different than what you did. She simply responded to what you did, and her response was justified.
FACEBOOK RESPONSES:
"i'm only mad now because weston is making such a big deal about it and broadcasting my mistake (yes, i acknowledge that i shouldn't have said that) to the world." Don't you think blurting out in front of 30 people is a BIT more "broadcasting to the whole world" than Kelly's blog? Yeah. I do too.
"oh good. he showed the green room. that makes me feel so much better. that's still broadcasting it!"
Hypocrite much? MY loyal informant told me that today after school you repeated your close-minded accusation once again, in the green room. I heard that quite a few people were there. This was another just uncalled for thing. I wasn't there (yet again) to defend myself. I realize that you are doing your best to seem "cool" to them by slandering us, once again. You seem to think that if you appeal to their party affiliation by saying crap about us, they'll say, "Gee. That Sam Tropper is one cool gal." The point of this is that you made a completely unjust accusation about 2 people that you have no idea about.
Naturally we'd respond, and Kelly did so just as she should have.
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