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Political issues often involve the most fundamental values of human society, and these values often are life and death issues. Those of us who understand intimately that these are life and death issues are not likely to turn these debates into pissing matches. They are too important for that.
I feel strongly about many things discussed here; I don't believe that it's generally a good idea to hide one's emotions on issues as important as these. As long as we respect each other, I see no reason not to let our feelings out.
I come from a politically active family in which some members have suffered tremendously as a result. A cousin of mine (a reporter in Paris) was murdered by the Yugoslav Secret Police back before the breakup while getting out of his car in the newspaper parking lot. He was shot 5 times in the head; nobody was caught. Previous to that he spent 5 years in prisons being tortured horifically, to prevent him from speaking out in the future. Many other friends and relatives have been tortured in prisons. My sister has been haunted by death threats for many years and has been shot at at close range; she is lucky to be alive today. She seems safe now, but there are times when the phone rings and a part of me is thinking, "is this it"?
For me, politics means doing your damndest to get it right. That's because lives are at stake. I know firsthand what happens to survivors when people don't get it right. Maybe it's a pipe dream, but I have no intentions of giving up.
It's easy to sit here in front of a computer in comfort and forget these kinds of things. Maybe it's a good idea to keep in mind that there are more important things in life than how far you can piss on an anonymous discussion board ? And I'd also like to thank Halx and the moderators for their patience here.
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