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I dunno, I feel similarly. Like, I have strongly-held beliefs that span "both sides." But (as an example) I'm much more comfortable talking with a conservative

I dunno, I feel similarly. Like, I have strongly-held beliefs that span "both sides." But (as an example) I'm much more comfortable talking with a conservative about why I think the death penalty is wrong than I am with a liberal about why I think abortion is wrong. From my perspective, many younger (or newer, basically under-30) conservatives have been moderating* some of their views, particularly social views like reforming the justice system, race relations, etc. (I mean, just the other night my SO and I were talking about how a significant number of the College Republican state chairs were openly gay. That wouldn't have happened 10 years ago!) And with this exploration comes the welcoming of different viewpoints. Unfortunately, I see the reverse with liberals of the same age group. And, sure, generalizations suck because everybody will say, "That doesn't apply to my group of friends!" But, I do want to put up a W in the "openness" column for liberals. It's just difficult to do when talking about certain subjects feels like dancing across a minefield. *: Yes, the alt-right has been steadily moving in the opposite direction, but they're a very vocal minority that have been steadily fading.

deleted 9y ago
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danso 9y ago
> I'm much more comfortable talking with a conservative about why I think the death penalty is wrong than I am with a liberal about why I think abortion is wrong. I don't think that's a good comparison for weighing the relative intolerance of a political group. Support of the death penalty is not as uniform among conservatives as abortion is for liberals. Nor does it have as strong of legal support -- states can outright ban the death penalty, they can't ban abortions and have difficulty not having restrictions overturned by the Supreme Court. Most importantly, the death penalty is an administrative action, whereas abortions are seen as personal health decisions. If you argue to someone that abortion is wrong, that person is likely to see that an attack on abortion as a personal right. Whose personal right do you threaten when you argue against the death penalty?
- barsonme 9y ago
  They’re just what popped on my head. I could replace them with about a dozen other things. Regardless, taking it as a personal attack is a huge part of the issue. We should be able to discuss the efficacy (&c.) of ideas without waking on eggshells.

deleted 9y ago

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danso 9y ago

> I'm much more comfortable talking with a conservative about why I think the death penalty is wrong than I am with a liberal about why I think abortion is wrong. I don't think that's a good comparison for weighing the relative intolerance of a political group. Support of the death penalty is not as uniform among conservatives as abortion is for liberals. Nor does it have as strong of legal support -- states can outright ban the death penalty, they can't ban abortions and have difficulty not having restrictions overturned by the Supreme Court. Most importantly, the death penalty is an administrative action, whereas abortions are seen as personal health decisions. If you argue to someone that abortion is wrong, that person is likely to see that an attack on abortion as a personal right. Whose personal right do you threaten when you argue against the death penalty?

barsonme 9y ago
They’re just what popped on my head. I could replace them with about a dozen other things. Regardless, taking it as a personal attack is a huge part of the issue. We should be able to discuss the efficacy (&c.) of ideas without waking on eggshells.