Reply #30: don't hide your ideas; convey them more effectively

[welshTerrier2]

I wouldn't feel comfortable denying my leftist views, just to appear more soothing & acceptable to mainstream Americans

nor would I !!!

at no point would i suggest that you do anything but clearly present your views to other americans ... it seems to me the point of discussing your views with them would be to educate them and convince them to act on those views ...

my intent was not to suggest a "camouflaging" of your ideas but rather to not label them in a way that might make you less effective ... for too long, the powers that be have been able to paint the left as unpatriotic ... for too long, it is the warhawks who "care about the troops" and the left who disdains them ...

that's not the way it really is at all ... frankly, i think the left shows far more compassion for the troops ... many of us want to bring them home now ... many of us know that injured troops are waiting 6 months or more for necessary surgery ... many of us watch as the right guts (and cuts) veteran programs ...

my point was that we should not let the right claim the high ground of patriotism ... better yet, we should label what they are doing as un-American ... we are the true Americans ... those of us who see the Constitution being trampled on by the Patriot Act ... they even label it the "Patriot Act" so that anyone who opposes it is unpatriotic by definition ... nice PR !!

my emphasis is not on deception but rather on keeping the focus on how what we endorse is in keeping with traditional American values and it is the right that violates the soul of America ... i was suggesting that perhaps our ideas would be "given a better listen" if we highlighted that we are concerned about the loss of traditional American values without labelling them as "leftist" views ...

it's not about changing your views ... it's about being more effective in having people open their minds to those views ... standing on the foundations of this country is more likely to get you a good listen than labelling yourself as a lefty ... and it's not just about packaging either ... it's tying your ideas back to ideas that many in the country already support ...