Antifa

I've been staying away from the news a lot these days, because I think there are better, more fulfilling, more positive uses of my time.

That said, these Berkeley Protests, Antifa etc.  It just makes me sad.  I see people on both sides who are consumed by a great deal of hate.  Hatred consumes and fuels them.  They project it out of themselves and outward toward the evil "other."  In fact, I think most "Social Justice Warrioring" boils down to this behavior.  Well, this and professional victimhood.

I have pretty much no respect for a great deal of political viewpoints, particularly of the "progressive" bent.  But that doesn't mean everyone who doesn't think like me is stupid or evil or dangerous.  I see conservative and libertarians who are proud of the fact that they've basically "purged" their lives (and facebook/social media) of leftists.  I think that's sad and intolerant.  What would it say about me if I couldn't be friends with someone just because they voted for Hillary, or Obama, or Trump, or held different views on political issues?  I dare say it'd reflect far more poorly on myself than on them.

I lived with a hardcore leftist roommate for ~6 years.  I considered him a friend and still do.  What I'm seeing in America is a lot less of an ability to do this.

I also recognize that the hatred is NOT as widespread as it is among the Berkeley crowds and that the mainstream media, social media and social justice / race agitators want people to be at each others throats. They want us to think things are worse than they really are.  I have spent a decade working in the city of Wilmington.  Parking in and walking to and from a very bad area of the East Side.  I am distinctly an "other" in that area.  I keep my guard up, there are those who don't like me, and I've had my share of overtly racist "white boy / cracker" type comments.  Even there, the majority of folks are not bad people, not out to get me nor I them, not criminals, etc.

I thought the hatred, the hysteria, the fake news and othering was bad during the Obama days, and yet now it has all intensified.  I was a bit of a politics / news junkie and even I've gone "yeah, no" and tuned out much of the noise.