I was called a Libertarian.. That's cute

johnnie

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Tue Oct-17-06 09:17 AM
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I was called a Libertarian.. That's cute

Cool! What the hell is that? (half-joking).

What's funny is that I like to base my opinions on my own thoughts rather than follow a party line. Truth be told, I barely call myself a Democrat, but it seems to be the closest to my standard way of thinking.

I'll be honest here, I started following politics when the whole Watergate thing hit (although I do remember some things before that), and when Ford was put into his position as President. I remember reading about it in the little scholastic whatever you call it that we got in grade school The Scholastic Reader? I was in 4th grade at the time.

I started to become more vocal about my "political views" around the age of 13 when I started listening to more of John Lennon's solo records. Before that I listened to The Beatles a lot, but I didn't pay attention to the politics. I listened to Lennon's first album a lot and songs like "Working Class Hero" intrigued me, so it sent me off into the search of a direction. This was also about the time I started trying to write songs and I really didn't want to write "I love you, you love me, let's go kiss under the apple tree" crap.

Once again, to be honest. I never really studied the different political parties, and I don't really study them now. I look at the issues, research the facts (the best I can) and develop an opinion. I will admit that I have changed my stance on many issues through the years based on wisdom, experiences, facts and an open mind.

I'm 42 years old. I can guarantee you that I will change some of my views in the future and looking back, I have a lot of different ways of thinking about things than I did in my 20s. No offense to the people here in their 20s but...God love ya and all, but I can tell ya that reality doesn't really start to sink in until your later 20s and early 30s.

I came to DU when I found it on the net after searching for a place to go and find people who were also against georgie's upcoming attacks on Iraq. Many people in my real life were still bamboozled by 9/11 and I needed to get myself grounded and find some other people who were on the same wavelength as I was concerning the war. I think I typed in something like "bush is an asshole" or something like that and found this place.

I hung out here for a while without signing up. I eventually signed up, but it still took me a while to speak up. It wasn't that I had nothing to say, but I have learned that you can learn more by shutting up once and a while and listening. Eventually I noticed that there were some people here who I was finding myself looking for, to see what they were saying about certain things. There were and are many intelligent and thought provoking people at DU.

I will also admit that I don't come to DU to have pissing contests. I will share a view here and there, but I don't get too riled if people aren't thinking the way I think. I will, of course defend myself or counter-attack when someone attempts to insult my intelligence with some double-speak mumbo jumbo bullshit.

I don't come to DU to try to prove that I am more of a Democrat than anyone else, that I am king liberal, that I have more friends here than you, that I am more knowledgeable about the way the world turns, that I have more life experience than anyone, that I know how to raise your children, know what you should be doing in your bedroom or what you should eat and drink. I also don't come here to be part of a certain crowd, or attack other "crowds" because they won't talk to me.

I come to DU because I have made some friends, I like to learn and once in a while I like to make people laugh, lend support or just hang out. I like this place, but if people think I am a libertarian or whatever the fuck, and they think this place would be 100% better if I shut the hell up, then it is no skin off my nose. I just thought I would yap a bit here because I thought that comment about me being a libertarian was funny as hell. I do not base my opinions on party lines, and I never will. I am a free thinker, a person who likes to learn more and honest about who I am.

I'm just Johnnie Eckert, a dude who comes to DU because it is my choice. I don't have to prove shit to anyone nor will I take shit from anyone. As I like to say "Fuck it, give me a beer".

Now off to see if I can find some music shit to make fun of. :)