Being polite also softens the blow of reality but also shocks people when reality bites.

@dd54 Actually, It started back in the early 1960's, I know, I was in trouble for my opinions most of my school years, and I got out in the mid 60's!!!
That is a long story!!!

@Serg97 Theodore Dalrymple (Spoilt Rotten) writes about how progressives stated their assault on the UK education system way back in the early 20th century with the Spens Report in 1931.

The impact is now deeply embedded, as Dalrymple says: “...the possession of an opinion on a subject, which is active, is deemed more important than having any information on that subject, which is passive; and that the vehemence (feeling) with which an opinion is held is more important than the facts (knowledge) upon which it is based.”

Progressives have been brainwashing kids for almost a century.

@GeeMac Don't forget we had FDR in the 30's, so we started way back there also!!!

@Serg97 well... started at least 1903 by Boas.... or earlier with Marx.

@Admin Try earlier yet with the Prussian education system. It was designed to stratify society to allow for loyalty to an idea or country blindly and layered control and labor groups. This has been used both by Marxist and by Mercantile groups since then as both hate an educated population. This is why the false narrative on education is still pushed in the US and Europe. They teach enough to keep folks ignorant and arrogant. It is how the SNP is pushing an extreme left wing agenda in Scotland and getting away with it.

@Admin Yes, I believe Marx was in the 1880's!!!

@dd54 Why not push for school choice and let the people decide wear they want to spend their money, not necessarily taxes only to the school district!!! THEY might be surprised !!!

@GeeMac Yes, it actually goes back to 1914 in the US, and before that, for the rest of western civilization.

Things feel very dangerous now even at brick throwing speed.

@Admin I like eating soup. These rioters are ruining perfectly good soup cans and it makes me sad.

@Towgunner77, no, "ultra tolerance" in regards to sex does not "lead to pedophilia". We are not seeing this now, homosexuality and pedophilia are not linked in any way. There are vast differences between sexual orientation and gender identity when it comes to any number of consenting adults who are free to live their lives and act as they please, and sexual corruption of a minor (or even animal) who has no ability to consent. There are groups within the far-right who are trying to masquerade as LGBTQ supporters advocating for pedophilia in order to disparage legitimate supporters. Using the never-ending slippery slope approach is never helpful, and people need to stop bringing up pedophilia or bestiality or "marrying your toaster" when it comes to gay / trans / whatever rights.

What if we turn this around to popular Conservative viewpoints, one of which I quite often hear is with absolute religious freedom - in support of discrimination for religious convictions. We can say that allowing this will always lead to Christians committing rampant pedophilia and excusing it as their religious right, much as the Catholic Church has done. We can say this will always lead to children dying because parents decided to pray-away deadly illnesses rather than get medical help. We can say Conservative values will always lead to a return to segregation, where "sundown" towns are re-established allowing Conservatives to run minorities out of their towns with threats of violence.

Now, I don't believe that at all. But that is using your logic with Progressive values.

I have to point out in the strongest terms that there is no link between homosexuality and paedophilia.

The peer-reviewed literature shows that the majority of paedophiles are heterosexual males, usually members of the victim’s family.

The two biggest pedo cases currently in the news — Jeffrey Epstein and the UK Muslim grooming gangs — support the vast body of established research. Both are 100% heterosexual.

@JacksonNought You don't think cancel culture, identity politics, etc, etc is not "running people out of towns" etc... do you know what a real Conservative is?

CONSERVATISM is: a political philosophy advocating the preservation of the best of the established order in society and opposing radical change, or simply change for its own sake.

There are bigots and extremists on both sides of politics...

@Lightman there is a difference between Cancel Culture, which I disagree with, and Accountability Culture, which I do agree with. I never said that each side didn't have their demons. You seem to be interpreting my posts as only attacking Conservatives.

But since you put it out there, do you know what a real Progressive is?

Progressivism is: generally any political movement that wants to change government for the better, favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters.

Progressivism is what brought on religious freedom, civil rights, same sex marriage, etc.

@JacksonNought Yes and no... I do know what Progressivism is and what it was. Unfortunately it now has almost no link to Progress... only change.
Many currently identify it as regressive.
No one in their right mind would seek change for the worse, unless they were an enemy.
Progressivism did not create most of those changes you mentioned. That is lie.
BTW SSM in the view of a great many is not Progressive in any way, just change, where the majority have caved into a very vocal minority and the useful idiots of the Progressive Left.

I'm not interpreting your posts as anything they are not. You choose the language, not me.

@dd54 I've been dealing with them for almost 50 years sonny...
Covid we re doing well thank you even in the 2 stupid Labor states
there will be no riots looting or murder here.

@Lightman how did Progressivism not bring about religious freedom, civil rights, or same sex marriage? By definition, Conservativism would want to keep the status quo "established order" and oppose "radical change". For a long time Christianity was the only accepted religion, and Conservatism would have been okay with that. Progressivism sees people being prevented from equality and tries to amend that.

America is founded on protecting the minority from the "tyranny of the majority". So a vocal minority of black slaves wanted freedom and the majority caved, which was change for change sake and not progress, is that your take? It's the same with SSM - a group of people were treated differently under the law and progress was made to grant equality. You may have not liked it, or think it was regressive. People thought that giving women the right to vote was regressive, or outlawing anti-miscegenation.

You are 100% interpreting my posts to fit your narrative. My language was very clear at the beginning, criticizing both Progressives and Conservatives for being too quick to dismiss the other side, demonize them, and build up strawmen of what they think without actually asking or listening. You saw that and responded with basically "how dare you insult Conservatives!"

@JacksonNought Oh dear.... I had much more respect for you before you asked.

1. Progress and Progressivism are 2 different things.
2. The Progressive Era started in the late 1800s and ended around 1920. Which excludes it from your claims.
3. Today's Progressives are nothing like those in the Progressive Era.
   Do you need more information?
   I suggest you look up...
   The Enlightenment. It is not Progressivism in fact in many ways they are opposites.
   Humanists and The Renaissance. Also not Progressives..
   The Reformation and Martin Luther. Also not related to what we know as Progressivism.
   The Industrial Revolution. Brought about many changes in society.

Postmodernism is what today's Progressives base their beliefs on. Change is change for good or bad, the Earth is dynamic not static planet. All true Conservatives understand this. Conservatives are not anti-progress in fact many embrace and initiate it. Progressives that say otherwise are liars. those tht believe them re fools, useful idiots to be used in their hunger for political and social power.

It is a Progressive lie that Conservatives seek to live in the past and seek to block all change.
You can "insult" (your word) Conservatives all you like... just be factul when you do.
BTW I already proved your biased languge use ok. I'm not going to reproduce all of it for you there is no need to. Look to yourself, not me.

@Lightman

"Conservatives are not anti-progress in fact many embrace and initiate it. Progressives that say otherwise are liars."

Yet here you are telling me, a progressive, what I think.

My language is clear. You can lie all you want and tell me I'm saying something I'm not, doesn't make it true.

@JacksonNought Nope. Just posting a fact
As for you lying.... You just can't face the truth of your bias... get over it. I am.
People can read you know.

@JacksonNought except that leftists were the segregationists and the slave holders and the members of the KKK in the vast majority.

@curvycom not true. If that was the case, then why are all the "leftists" trying to remove Confederate monuments and ban the Confederate flag, and the "rightists" trying to stop them and clinging to their "heritage"?

It is well known that there was a party realignment. First, if we are using terms like "leftists" and using the current-day definitions, then no they were not the majority slave holders and KKK members. If you said Democrats, then yes, but not "leftists". Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the "leftists" were the Republicans, with Democrats opposing desegregation and civil rights. Once the Democratic Party started endorsing more civil rights and discussing black issues, there was a massive shift where southern Democrat racists left the party and joined the Republicans. Today's Democrats where the Republicans of Lincoln.

[history.house.gov]

[usatoday.com]

@JacksonNought They are basically the same, I feel. The people, that hate without reason. Modern day leftists are essentially the same. They simply have a new thing to hate, but they are the same then and now as the subset of the population that are easily led to hate.

@JacksonNought honestly though, dude, it was a snarky comment on my part, not an argument. Just a joke, dude. Still... like most humor -- maybe a grain of truth there whether you like it or not.

What has Trump done that you like?

@BlurtReynolds Before or after the "KUNG-FLU"!!!
playing games right???
You are where I am from!!!

@Towgunner77 I rarely agree with @JacksonNought but he is correct - there is no significant link between homosexuality and paedophilia.

Admittedly, the gay community fed the myth by welcoming paedophile groups into Pride Parades up until the late 70’s or early 80’s. The criminal molesters were trying to piggyback on the gay rights movement to gain acceptance. Gay activists, to their credit, finally rejected them.

There’s plenty of peer reviewed data (and I get that you don’t accept it).

The most widely cited study is by Jenny, Roesler & Poyer (1994), American Academy of Pediatrics:
82% of victims were molested by the heterosexual partner of a close relative of the child

I know I said I was out, and I was just going to ignore any further comments from you, but I had to pop back in just to laugh at you. Thank you, you gave me quite the chuckle. So you can be presented with mountains of evidence and you just won't believe it. You say the left all lie, that gay people all lie, etc. Despite evidence of the contrary, you feel in your heart of hearts that you are right. So much for facts don't care about your feelings, eh?

You might be the biggest fool I think I've come across on this site, and I've dealt with rabid anti-semites. No wonder you can't figure how to do a simple reply.

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is the poster boy for this topic. You want to understand how to speak to a progressive and try to make them understand your side, this is exhibit A of what not to do. A lot of people commenting here want to claim progressives think based on feelings while conservatives think based on logic... well here we have a conservative flat out say they are basing their worldview on their feelings and spitting in the face of factual evidence.

Once more Tow, I am sitting here laughing my ass off at what a fool you've made out of yourself.

I don't have a comment on your argument with jackstein. Could you please use the reply button indicated in the attached photo? You're really jacking up the flow of the thread. Thank you

You are just flat out lying now. It's sad how indoctrinated you really are. There is no need to "deny" anything, I am just speaking factual truth with mountains of evidence to support. You are the one making up falsehoods. Who the hell is saying "well that's just how it is in this community, how else are they supposed too..."? I sure didn't.

For the last time, it isn't a PR move, it isn't to protect community, it isn't being swept under the rug - THERE IS NO LINK BETWEEN HOMOSEXUALITY AND PEDOPHILIA. Maybe you need to get out of your bubble and stop listening to "alternative facts". Interesting how you keep blaming gay people but seem to think religion is innocent? It is well documented that homosexuality, trans identity, etc do no lead to, nor do they endorse, pedophilia. It is also well documented how the Catholic Church abused thousands of children, covered it up, and refused to allow investigations.

I guess you are saying being abused by a priest is all part of the Catholic community, how else are people supposed to... No? Well then stop being so obtuse when it comes to gay people.

I have no need to continually waste my time with your homophobic rants and misinformation. I'm out.

Of course you never provided evidence of your "11 year old boy" story.

You are so far off the reservation it isn't even funny.

First, no one said that LGBTQ people can't be pedophiles. They simply said that it is just as likely for pedophiles to be heterosexual. Being gay or trans has no correlation with being a pedophile. There is rampant pedophilia in the Catholic Church, does that mean being Catholic causes pedophilia?

What drag queens are convicted pedophiles? Which ones who have done story hour? I would like examples please. I didn't hear this much outrage when Bugs Bunny dressed as a woman to trick Elmer Fudd. I don't hear this much outrage over Powder Puff Football. I always remember men dressing as women and women dressing as men being played off as funny for kids and adults alike, why is there all of this outrage and accusations of trying to endorse pedophilia now?

The notion that all LGBTQ people were abused or molested as children is an outright lie. The notion that LGBTQ people are all pedophiles is an outright lie.

You are also so far from the truth when it comes to the California bill you are trying to use as a rallying cry. As I explained on a separate post, when it comes to California Bill SB 145 people just see the click-bait headlines and media talking points and form opinions and outrage without ever looking deeper into it. There is already a law which automatically labels oral or anal as rape and requires sex offender registry, but lets vaginal sex be excused away by a judge. The law was already in existence to let a judge excuse away a statutory rape of a minor and someone 10 years older when vaginal sex was involved, the new bill does nothing to change that criteria, it just endorses equal application of the law for LGBTQ people, allowing discretion for sexual acts that aren't strictly heterosexual.

You are basically using this bill to try and call gay people pedophiles, while not using the current law to call heterosexual people pedophiles. Why not be outraged at the fact that there was already an uncontested law for years that let 24 year-olds rape 14 year-olds and get away with it?

What about child brides? Did you know that 13 states in the USA have no age limit for marriage, meaning a family can marry off their 8 year old daughter to a 40 year old man? And typically, especially in religious scenarios, rape / pedophilia is ignored when it is between married couples. Before Tennessee set an age limit of 17 in 2018, girls as young as 10 were married in 2001. Just last year there was a bill in Idaho to end child marriage and make the minimum age 16 - the bill died, with a Republican lawmaker saying it "went too far" and another saying they were concerned about "sanctity of family".

Where is your outrage with devoutly religious people and pedophilia? Why are you so focused on LGBTQ people? Where is your outrage with the Catholic Church? You think "ultra tolerance" of LGBTQ rights will lead to pedophilia. Why aren't you concerned that "ultra tolerance" of religion can lead to pedophilia? If we allow religious organizations to circumvent the law due to their religious convictions, such as with the birth control mandate of the ACA, then we will eventually allow Catholics to engage in pedophilia with no consequence because it is part of their religious freedom. Doesn't that sound ridiculous? That is where this kind slippery slope can get you.

You just seem like an ultra prude who thinks anything other than missionary sex purely for procreation within a man-woman only marriage is off the rails in depravity and an end to civilized society. Perhaps you should actually educate yourself and not cling to debunked stone-age bigoted talking points.

Guilt is powerful... what do you think they’re afraid of? “Racist” Trump supporters?

@Admin The guilt comes from knowing within themselves that they are wrong, can’t admit it, and so double down on their position. I’m not defending it; just saying what I see.

@Admin, @dd54, Alexis deToqueville predicted the eventual conversion of any Democracy (which for this point includes our representative republic) to socialism, because the unintelligent masses, unaware of the founding principles and how their rights are protected by them, happily abandon their liberty because they believe they can vote themselves the goodies - as if the government is actually the source of money, not productivity and raw materials.

So some believe that all democracies will fall, and seldom peacefully.