...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Thursday, April 29, 2004
      ( 4:27 PM )
 
New Blogs! New Blogs!

Just found some new favorites I wanted to share with you all. One is not so new, but it's new to me: Wanda's Words on a Page has been around as long as I have and I can't believe I haven't seen it before! It's got a huge amount of info pulled in from all over the place -- and watch out, your cursor will get very activist once you hit Wanda's blog!

The other is an addition to the Oregon blogging team - Wink Wink. Like this here little outpost, Wink Wink is a great mix of lefty commentary on everything, including some great stuff on our home state. I found this gem there today: A Powerpoint presentation of the President's 8/6/01 Daily Briefing.

Finally, it probably comes as no surprise that I don't often read conservative leaning blogs. However, the writer of one of these blogs stopped by here last week and I thought I would return the favor. We exchanged emails because I was intrigued and wanted to start a dialogue in the interest of trying to learn more about how conservatives view things (since I freely confess I don't get it). So I am going to start a new Friday installment. It will be my Dialogue With La Shawn. La Shawn Barber is a very well-published writer for conservative and religious magazines and has started her own blog. She is a black christian evangelical and unapologetically pro-Bush conservative.

I find that when I read her blog, I pretty much disagree with everything she says. But she is a very good writer, and I can tell that she has a lot of belief, feeling and thought behind her posts. I also find the comments from her readers incredibly fascinating. I posted my first comment there this week. If you go to read her blog and you're a lefty, read it with grace and curiosity and don't be rude, please.

What I found really interesting was that she and I see the same issue in such diametrically opposite ways. For instance, she is convinced the media is completely left-leaning and Bush-bashing and I can't see that at all. I see a media that cowtows to its corporate ownership, blacks out virtually all liberal views, and doesn't really question this administration on anything. I don't understand how she can come to her conclusion, as I'm sure she can't understand how I come to mine. In fact, we are opposite in more ways than just politics. She says that she used to be a liberal but then made her way into the Christian evangelical / politically conservative world where she now thrives. Me, I started out in that world, growing up in that community and then leaving it in my early 20's to become a much happier and much more stress-free lefty. But the fact that we realize each other's opinions exist may do a whole lot more with regard to bringing people together in this country than pulling us apart. I'm trying to find something in common with La Shawn, though so far I haven't. But I'm determined and when I do, I will use that to show myself that see, we're not all that different after all! I'm an optimist, what can I say? So look for my new installments on attempting to create some dialogue. I have a degree in conflict resolution, I might as well try to use it, right?

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