Perferctly Reasonable

Okay, so Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama, and his brothers and sisters in Christ speech. Aside from being a truly “wow” moment in American democracy (and good luck to the people of Alabama with all that), he’s a really good example of the kind of people driving me crazy right now. The kind of person who is convinced that he’s right, and if you don’t agree with him there are only a few explanations:

• You are a reasonable person, and if he explains his point of view just a little bit more you will agree with him.
• You are slightly stupid, and if he explains his point of view in words of one syllable you will agree with him.
• You are slightly deaf, and if he shouts a little louder you will agree with him.
• You are just a plain evil mother-f***er and even though you know he’s right, you will never publicly agree with him and will do anything possible to destroy his way of life, puppies and the American Constitution.

And really, it’s not just evangelical Christians who do this. (And certainly not all of them, may I add.) There are individuals of each and every stripe who really just can’t see any reason why reasonable people can disagree. If you’ve ever been trapped with a Vegan having a low-blood sugar moment, you know what I’m talking about. After they’ve explained all the whys and wherefores, they’re truly aghast that you can say, “Thanks, but I’d still like butter and honey on that biscuit.”

Lots of shouty people out there my friends. And it’s easy to get lured into their shouting matches. I think the only recourse for the rest of us is to remember how lovely it can be to have a conversation with someone with different ideas, perhaps over a refreshing beverage and light snacks. To explore an idea, maybe reaffirm your opinion, maybe learn something new. And even if you come to agree to disagree, you still walk away thinking what a nice person you conversed with, and aren’t they an interesting thinker. And not just an evil mother-f***er.