Reply #167: I went up to my Republican counterpart at the State Fair in full Dem regalia,

[LittleClarkie]

t-shirt, buttons and all, and asked him how things were going in his neck of the woods. To my delight, he answered in the same friendly tone "Oh, not bad. Mostly positive." I mentioned I'd gotten one or two driveby comments. Someone called me a communist the other day. "No one's called me a fascist yet" he answered. It was just the sort of exchange I look for and rarely get.

I try to be civil to the opposition unless they aren't willing themselves. Then I can get quite peeved.

Around here, when I offer a criticism on an issue or the activities of a person, I sometimes get called a hater, which is about as bad as someone asking why we hate George Bush, as if we had no legitimate beef or reason and just purely hated him for being himself. One should be able to offer civil criticism and have a civil discussion without being called a hater or a basher.

Yes I get tired of the hate. So I try not to. I sometimes fail. But I try not to.