2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: DU is making me sad. [View all]artislife
(9,497 posts)Don't be hasty to throw out dissent and debate. It requires one to really think hard why they hold certain beliefs. It has the power to educate, to jostle and create an atmosphere of truly dissecting a subject. Some people jump from one side of an issue to the other through the power of really digesting a powerful post of the opposition.
Way back, I though civil unions were enough. I didn't "get" the need for marriage equality. It was by being blasted by the people who fervently disagreed with me, that I began to ask myself questions about my beliefs. First one was the idea that since one could hide one's gayness, they weren't truly innocent in their victimization from this country. This was hard to see my own prejudice in this instance. I truly began to see this as a civil rights movement. I went from not really caring with a pinch of "oh come on" to being firmly for LGBT rights in this and so much more. I believe the scorched earth and shock and awe on my ass helped me be a better person.