I understand your position, and it's a "nice" position to have.
But, IMO, it's too late for that. The extremes are determining actual government policy and action. This isn't hypothetical anymore. The left wants to, and is beginning to, severely restrict freedom of speech, the right of self defense, freedom of association, the right to ch…
I understand your position, and it's a "nice" position to have.
But, IMO, it's too late for that. The extremes are determining actual government policy and action. This isn't hypothetical anymore. The left wants to, and is beginning to, severely restrict freedom of speech, the right of self defense, freedom of association, the right to chose what you put in your body, they want to monitor everything you say and/or write (they are already monitoring everything that you post - including this), they want to decide how you will raise your kids, they are criminalizing political opposition,...
While the liberal friends and family you have may disparage the extreme left, they continue to vote into power people who implement extreme policies. That's not going to change peacefully, I believe. I've read enough history to conclude that we have crossed the Rubicon.
My position isn't based off of wanting to be "nice." It's about doing what is moral. It's not about standing aside and letting bad guys do bad things. It's about standing one's ground but with principals. Otherwise the alternative one is trying to present is a lateral move at best.
I agree that real harm has been done by extremists, but doing real harm in response will not help. Put more bluntly, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I understand your position, and it's a "nice" position to have.
But, IMO, it's too late for that. The extremes are determining actual government policy and action. This isn't hypothetical anymore. The left wants to, and is beginning to, severely restrict freedom of speech, the right of self defense, freedom of association, the right to chose what you put in your body, they want to monitor everything you say and/or write (they are already monitoring everything that you post - including this), they want to decide how you will raise your kids, they are criminalizing political opposition,...
While the liberal friends and family you have may disparage the extreme left, they continue to vote into power people who implement extreme policies. That's not going to change peacefully, I believe. I've read enough history to conclude that we have crossed the Rubicon.
My position isn't based off of wanting to be "nice." It's about doing what is moral. It's not about standing aside and letting bad guys do bad things. It's about standing one's ground but with principals. Otherwise the alternative one is trying to present is a lateral move at best.
I agree that real harm has been done by extremists, but doing real harm in response will not help. Put more bluntly, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Doing real harm can help - otherwise the Third Reich would be running the world now.
I think it is acting morally to forcefully, even violently, stopping evil.
If I'm understanding you correctly, you are talking about physical harm. I agree that physical harm often calls for a phyical response.