If you meant what you said, than too bad for anyone who is offended. Pointless name-calling is, well, pointless, but sometimes people can deserve a little smack-down.

I think there is a big difference in citing facts that offend vs. just being provocative. The truth is offensive in its own right without the need to have an offensive personality.

Hi Barb,

The way I see it, it's a catharsis for me so that I don't end up just seething with anger.

I might as well provide a little context as to what this is about. I was reading the Coalition of Fog blog and they linked a piece regarding the anti-Patriotism of certain Catholics. (And this can apply to other Christian denominations too, just to make it clear that I'm not picking on Catholics.) What angered me is the idea that people shouldn't pray for our troops and honor their sacrifices, and that America deserves to be destroyed. I am not a mindless jingoist and I don't agree with everything the Bush Administration has done, but I do love my country. It angers me that our troops are in harms way and someone who calls himself a Christian would refuse to pray for them and -- in essence -- spit on them. I also get angry at people who continuously say things to demoralize them while claiming to support them.

I realize America has its problems and is not perfect. But I don't think my country deserves to be destroyed because it's not perfect. (I mean, what country is perfect in this fallen world? America is a damn sight better than a lot of other countries.) And I believe this country has a right to defend itself. I think pacifism is a deeply immoral philosophy. It basically says, "Well, it's better for a bunch of people to be oppressed and killed than for me to sully my wonderful, righteous self by using force to put a stop to it." As far as I'm concerned, that is not loving your neighbor.

So anyway, I get mad at these people and call them names like "jerkwad". :-)

Sorry for the big, long rant. I just wanted to clarify what got me so riled up. :-)

Hi Dan,

You posted your comment while I was writing mine. I see what you're saying. I'm not saying it's right for me to shoot from the hip. I know that I probably should be sorry. I'm just not. Maybe I will be when the storm of emotion is over.

But you are right in saying that perhaps it is more productive to answer things with facts. But then again, you can argue with facts all day long and some people will just ignore you and dismiss you. It's like beating your head against a brick wall. And that just adds to the frustration.

The whole "I wished I lived somewhere else" slam is weak. It is the ultimate admission of weakness--in your own freedom, you are restricting yourself from moving and making yourself happier.

Misery is empowering -- it finds external reasons (often wrong) why one doesn't succeed. It supports complacency. It is a drug. Your depressed liberal is an addict--and that's more damning then calling them a jerkwad. ;)

Dan,

That's an excellent point. I've known people (who are liberals, of course) who blame Bush or the Republicans because they don't have money and can't get a job. In actuality, it was their own stupid choices that put them in the situation they're in. They decided they would rather party or smoke pot than work. But I guess it's easier for them to blame the President than it is to blame the person looking back at them in the mirror.

You always seem to have thought out what you talk about, so if you ever call anyone anything, I'm sure you've at least put reasoning behind it! :) I hate it when people want to destroy this country, too. It's always easier to destroy than work at what we have and build up something better, though.

Well, the Catho-Anarchist guy thinks really highly of himself from what I've read from him. He's a self-confessed "singer/songwriter", doncha know. So if you call him a name and knock him down a bit, maybe he'll, you know, "come out even" on balance.

Just my late night thoughts. Even so, I've been called worse than "jerkwad".

Hi Barb,

It's always easier to destroy than work at what we have and build up something better, though.

That's exactly the problem I have with some people. I mean, although my sister has completely different political views from mine, she cares about this country and she wants to make things better. So even though she's to the left of me on a lot of issues, I would call her a patriot. She loves this country just like I do...we just disagree on how to make this country better.

But people who just have a completely anarchistic and nihilistic view of things...that's the attitude I despise.

Hee-hee. "Jerkwad" :-)

I like that word. It's much stronger than just "jerk", but yet isn't profane. :-D

Hi Pauli,

First, my apologies about your comment not getting published. It went into my junk folder for some reason. I'm glad I checked it this evening. Usually the Spamlookup thing is pretty reliable, but just as sometimes it lets spam slip through, it sometimes thinks a legitimate comment is spam.

Yeah, that guy does seem to be quite smug. He's just another pacifistic "liberation theology" type.