Acceptance...

I was Shocked!  Shocked, I tell you!  

(With apologies to the French commandant in 'The Maltese Falcon.')

I just learned that some friends, family and acquaintances do not share my personal brand of politics.  What a shock!  Others reading my well-reasoned commentary, full of the commonest of sense, and then choosing not to embrace my point of view!  I'd never considered that might happen!

In fact, I suspect some even voted for Kamala.  But whomever they might be, please keep it to yourself.  I'd rather not know...

Yep, one of those close to me opened up and told me he wasn't as hard edged as me.  Not as convinced of his positions.  Or as well educated and reasoned, perhaps.  But I chose not to tell him that.

It might be a surprise to some people to know there was a time when folks voted for a Democrat, and others voted Republican.  And nobody gave a sh*t.  We didn't view each other through a political lens.  And if the subject of politics did come up, it was more like, "Oh, you voted for Suchandsuch?  Really.  Let's go bowling..."  

That was back in the day when the national news started at 5:30 p.m. and ended at 6:00.  One Half Hour.  And since there was 8 minutes of ads, it was really just 22 minutes.  And they spoke slowly.

There were only 3 networks, ABC, NBC and CBS, so you got pretty much the same news on each.  They all knew you'd already gotten your local and regional news from their network affiliates, you know, the weather, the farm report, and such.  So all you needed to know is how many body bags were off-loaded at Andrews Air Force Base.  And how terrible the war in the 'Nam was going.  Even though it had never been officially declared a "war."  And even though we'd been kicking their butts.  

(Funny, you can win a war in the trenches, but lose it in the "Legacy Media."  It happened in Korea, in Viet Nam, and again in Afghanistan.  We never learn...)

We never knew whether the network news folks were Republican or Democrat.  And we didn't care.  They were broadcasting to the widest possible audience.  And competing with one another.  So they would never have declared their alliegiance to one Party or the Other.  Like you see when watching almost every news program today.  The 2-dimensional folks at MSNBC broke out in tears when the Election was called for Trump.  Like they just learned their dog had died.  I only found out CBS's Walter Cronkite was a Big Lib long after he'd retired and started sailing around the world.

Wouldn't that be better?  To not be able to discern whether a particular news reader was a flaming Leftie or a hard-bitten Conservative? 

BTW, Cronkite was from St. Joseph, MO, just up the road from my home town.  I actually met him once.  His breath from smoking that nasty pipe was palpible.

Anyway, I endeavor to puke forth my official Right-leaning opinions on the pages of this humble blog.  To my faithful Fellow Patriots.  And even those not as faithful.  Otherwise, I try and keep my political opinions to myself.  I choose not to talk politics with friends or family unless they bring it up.  And then, as you might surmise, I'm bountiful with my thoughts on the subject.  Without attempting to proseletyze.  You can buy my brand of politics, or not.  No biggie.  But just remember, by the time you get to be my age, you've likely made every mistake in the book.  And most folks only learn by touching that hot stove, and then learning not to touch it again.  

I've "touched that hot stove," on nearly every subject.  In short, I know the answers to nearly every single question, but nobody's asking.  And I'm pretty sure other folks my age feel the same way.  The smarmy upstart Yalies have been running things for the past few years.  And we have wars all over the planet, inflation high as a kite, gas prices through the roof, and rules, regulations, laws and ordinances piled so high they choke out ingenuity.  And entrepreneurism.  And risk-taking.  The very foundations of our capitalistic society.  

So I accept your failure to embrace my brand of politics, should that be the case.  I'ts okay.  We can still be friends.  You can read my spleen-purging here, yet not be burdened by my opinions when we get together.  

After all, isn't that the very basis of Free Speech?