I understand that some rules are there for the safety of all. If there were not rules and standards things would simply not work. But there are way to many places where organizations, ran by nosey people, overstep their bounds.

I guess what I hoped to accomplish was to frame the conversation a bit, to try to establish some guidelines or boundaries for how to share diverse opinions and perspectives while retaining and showing respect, even to people that you disagree with. If I got you to think a moment, then I feel the piece was a success, even if it wasn’t perfect.

Oh, and thank you for the complement in that last line. My ego needed that today.

I just found the somewhat paradoxical nature of that amusing; I do agree philosophically with the whole circle thing; there are definitely, in my opinion, things that we can hold ourselves responsible for and some things that we can’t. Good post, I enjoyed thinking about it a little, and thanks for taking the time to impart your thoughts on it. I can definitely tell when I’m reading the words of someone who identifies as a writer

What I was attempting to say what that there are times in which we move from stating opinions or sharing perspectives into the realm of coercion. That is what I do not like.

I talk about politics all the time. So do my friends. Sometimes we even argue quite strongly with one another. I see that as a positive thing.

What I see as a negative is when someone advocates or promotes a position to the exclusion of allowing others to have and voice a different position. This is moving beyond the free exchange of ideas into the realm of silencing those who oppose you. That is tyranny.

Thanks for the comment!

Among acquaintances I have encountered the predisposition to exclude political discourse from their respective circles.

However, citizens of a democracy are collectively the sovereign of their countries. In fact, “The People” of each nation are collectively their own sovereign, or so “The Declaratoin of Independence” declares to be self-evident.

I have admittedly but chanced upon your site by way of seeking to download and eventually to test and then perhaps to upgrade to Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. But your kindly remarks did nevertheless inspire me to share with you the above as being also imho universally true.

Forgive me, please, should I thus overstep my bounds. I hoped you to be a kindred spirit in this matter. Tragically, I find that xome of my acquaintances prefer to exclude political discourse from even their most personal circle, rather than just from their workday or social gatherings, seeking to avoid contention. These such acquaintances of mine I have tried to as politely as possible convince that we, as members of our respective sovereigns but ill avoid discussing what be for the present and future generations preferable and what undesirable.

Surely, to leave such considerations to “the powers that be” or to “politicians” or “elected or other officials” might prove expedient now and again, but to relegate political discourse per se to their circles to the exclusion of one’s own, with or without excepting participating in elections, could deprive other fellow citizens of potentially unique perspectives and thus hnider the due course of positve societal progress, don’t you agree?.