I Don't Know

I don't know anything anymore; liberal, conservative, all sides are on the attack.

Regardless of the article I write, I can be guaranteed of two things, I will be accused of 'hate' and/or 'terrorist sympathizer' and it will come from both the left and the right. Both spectrums of humanity and political leanings are behaving in this attacking, hyperbolic and irrational manner when they disagree with even one point of an article.

The reader can agree with everything I've said, except one aspect of my opinion or facts and because I am not completely, totally and without exception supporting their world view, then I am a 'neo-Nazi' or I hate democracy.

I recently wrote an article about misogyny among gay men and after many years of witnessing many gay men behave deplorably towards women, I could no longer in good conscience support their political causes; I listed about half a dozen examples of hostility, attacks and disrespect by gay men towards women and no one addressed sympathy or compassion with the women being victimized. All but one of the commentators either attacked me personally or accused me of 'hate', not one mentioned empathy with the women who were suffering.

Never mind I recently wrote an article in support of gay causes, never mind that I explicitly state at the end of my article that my opinion doesn't apply a blanket generalization of all gay men but simply that based on many, many years of witnessing women being reduced by gay men, I have decided not to actively support the political empowerment of gay men because my priority in life is the raising up of women and children; they are the only truly vulnerable group in our world, not grown men. In order to have read that part, the article had to have been consumed in its entirety instead of just the title or the first few sentences. Also, I have about a dozen gay friends, my best friend of twelve years is gay and I introduced him to his partner of eight years.

However, because I don't agree with every single sentence, coma and demand of the gay community then I must hate them; there is no room for me to have my own opinions after analyzing the situation and zero right to disagree with parts of the gay cause based on my own experiences.

I am either with them or against them; there is no middle ground and there is no room for me to think for myself and make my own conclusions.

Liberals are as intolerant and attacking as Conservatives can be; or I should say "SOME Liberals are as intolerant and attacking as SOME Conservatives can be"!

Am I the only one who thinks this 'with us or against us' mentality is getting to be ridiculous?

When I say American colonialist foreign policy has consequences does that mean I hate America? When I write about religious fanaticism in the United States does that mean I hate Jews? When the facts point to imperialism, oil and Israeli regional dominance as the real motivation of the war in Iraq and soon Iran, am I a terrorist sympathizer, as SOME Conservatives accuse me?

I recently wrote an article called 'The Rage against America' with the most honest intentions; I truly believed many Americans wanted to know and understand the answer to their question post 9/11, "Why do they hate us so much?"

I was wrong.

It was shocking the venom some people spat at me, I was genuinely surprised because I believed you when you asked 'why' and I sincerely believed I was helping you understand which is why I was so stunned by the vitriol and attack. I could not fathom how misunderstood I was.

My intention was to help but, I learned most do not want to know why, most do not care and are only interested in vengeance, murder and more cycles of war and violence that will show up on America's doorstep and the question will be insanely repeated "Why do they hate us so much?"

If I see the corruption of the American government, both Democrat and Republican, does that mean I hate America and coddle dictators?

Even if in that same article I discuss my deep affection for my American friends and an appreciation for Americas generous spirit, am I still worthy of your contempt simply because I see more than the one dimensional platitudes of false patriotism and manufactured moral grounding?

I don't know anymore; this deadlock of intolerance and attack that we are stuck in will wield nothing but, the status quo and stasis. That much I do know.

Am I the only one who feels this way?