Pilloried Partisanship!
November 30, 2006
Thoughts about partisanship
perchance might have died an anonymous death save for this web blog!
Nevertheless, in case no one noticed, there has been what should have been
an observable paucity in partisan political prattle on most blog related
web sites that I visit (on an irregular basis), hence the title of today's
missive
Now armed with that little
tidbit you likely are curious as to my reasons for generally avoiding political
blogs in general and particularly those dealing with any partisan ideology.
As simply as I can state it - I ascertained that my friendships were of
a greater value as the sum of any of my opinions.
Some readers might chide
and castigate me and tell me that my taking that position demonstrates
a distinct lack of fortitude, and if that is how this is perceived then
that is the gamble I will just have to take.
Over this past year I
have noted that my comments added to someone's political piece rankled
the recipient and conversely, I painfully admit that some comment responses
to my offerings got my dander up and in one or two cases even made me ponder
the relative value of retaining the relationship.
Prior to my decision to
offer blogs devoid of political perspective I reviewed some of the pieces
I produced earlier. To my surprise I realized that not so much as
one of them still held any resonance for me. That confirmed for me
that risking friendship for an opinion was valueless. My views had
not changed, but my fervor for them had flagged!
Further, each person that
I have encountered during my peripatetic meanderings on the World Wide
Web has a persona that is quite well defined and the odds that my rant
would change an opinion were near nil. Likewise, I am probably just
as much of an obdurate, obstinate old fuddy-duddy to come down a pike and
changing my mind with regard to a political point of view is not happening
over here this week either.
In that light there is
no purpose in promoting my political posture other than to blow off a minuscule
measure of steam. Even on those occasions when I felt that my written
submission was nearly finer than frog hair, there was simply no chance
of influencing anyone's opinion. So in Tony Soprano's words "fahgedaboudit"!
Perhaps you recognized
the man pictured above. If you did not it was W. C. Fields, that
infamous vaudevillian that appeared in a number of silent and later talking
movies filmed from 1915 to 1945.
One of his well honed
characters was the owner/operator of a sleazy carnival named Larson E.
Whipsnade (Larceny!) One of his lines of dialogue he attributed to
his grandfather who uttered this advice just before they hung him.
He said, "Son, as I shuffle off this mortal coil I want to give you a few
words if advice; you can't cheat an honest man; never give a sucker an
even break and never try to smarten up a chump."
Never smarten up a chump
eh? I guess that could be interpreted to mean don't endeavor to alter
the viewpoint of someone whose mind is already made up!
Our political opinions
have value, but only in the currency we personally assign to them and perhaps
keeping mine to myself may preclude never feel diminished by enduring their
devaluation.
Please note: This blog first appeared
on another site.
Once this web location was created
this blog was imported to this location!
