Aside from my general belief that the availability of blogging, exercise, and workplace competition (and, let's be honest, beer) in our gloriously free economy provide the diversions needed to keep the Schiavo disagreements from turning into violence, I think there's another hint of goodness that may emerge from this otherwise sad episode. There have been all sorts of unlikely partnerships and divisions that have arisen as people on different sides of the politico-theological divide assume their positions.
Thomas Sowell might be mostly right in his reduction of the vast array of contentions between the red fish and blue fish into a very few reflections of divergent philosophical axioms. But he's not completely right. Every now and then, someone will surprise themselves by discovering a deeply held belief at odds with the party platform. More blessedly, every now and then, we'll find ourselves in agreement with some fellow with whom we disagree vehemently on just about everything.
This isn't foolproof, of course, but there's just the chance then that we begin to recognize that our political opponents are motivated by something other than the basest of evils. If we're absolutely fortunate, we might even see them as people. One never knows.
- Moishe Potemkin
Posted by MoisheP at March 31, 2005 09:28 PM