Hello everyone. My name is Nate. I've been growing more and more discontent with the quality of conversation I find on the internet. I'm not interested in reading sensationalized, stereotyped, exaggerated, or completely disconnected from reality political discussion. I'm tired of insults, flaming, and quick assumptions. I want to have conversations, not a contest to see who can insult the other in the most creative way. I don't want to be in an echo chamber. If I wanted that, I could go to Yahoo, Politico, Mediamatters, Townhall, Freerepublic, Buzzfeed, and the list goes on and on. You don't find conversation there, you find cheerleading, posturing, and cesspools of willful ignorance. Now, having said all that, I don't want to give the impression that I assume someone who disagrees with me is doing something I listed above. I don't want to be agreed with all the time. I want conversation, a back and forth exchange of information and opinion, That's how we learn, that's how we grow, especially with a topic like politics which can be subjective or objective, or both at the same time. A few things about me. I am a left-of-center moderate. I tend to be socially liberal and fiscally moderate. I am pro-choice, pro-death penalty, pro-gun rights, pro-gay marriage, pro-welfare, but most of all, pro-education. I am an agnostic, bordering on atheism. If we're talking about a topic with religious aspects to it, try not to be offended if I do not take your religious beliefs as gospel or sufficient basis for a law, program, or idea. Religion is personal, abstract, and there are so many variations of it. In a conversation about a secular nation(I mean secular in the way it's governed, not that it's people have no religion), I believe we need to stick with real examples, motivations, evidence, etc. Again, I mean no disrespect to anyone's religious beliefs, but I believe very much in the separation of church and state, and that the 1st amendment pretty much insists on it with it's wording. Government and religion should always be separated. Anyhow, nice to meet you all, and I'm looking forward to moderated civil conversations.
Welcome and should you need help,,,please ask...I'm sure you will find a home with many different outlooks here, just jump in....
Hello and welcome, Nate! I agree with you on a few things disagreee with you on others. We should have some interesting discussions.
