It's really quite remarkable. I've noted something about a short list of hard right irrationalists (it isn't inherent, only present in the group I'm thinking of that, sadly, represents the hard right more often than not around here as posters), they have a habit of declaring their reality in lieu of fact and confusing assumption with conclusion.
By way of, the liberal use of the word liberal to describe anyone who isn't in lock step with them on any particular. At first I thought they simply didn't understand what a liberal actually was or how the term functioned, that it was a point of confusion. So I spent a few weeks meeting the off claim by noting my actual voting record and history, my support of gun ownership, my belief in fiscal responsibility, my belief that a market economy, intelligently regulated, should out perform socialist economies, and my opposition to abortion, issues of distinct separation from the lion's share of people who would actually consider themselves liberals.
Nothing changed.
At that point I realized I was dealing with either irrational or dishonest people and that the only reason the liberal line was thrown out was that they saw it as a deep insult. I don't. It's just inaccurate. Conservatives fought integration and preserved slavery. Liberals defend abortion. Reason to lay serious charges of moral deficiency at their feet. The two camps have also done enormous good and not everyone in either camp supported the evil wrought in its philosophical name.
When people who throw out the word "liar" like candy at a parade routinely speak a thing they know to be untrue, they're irrational and you have to reframe your consideration and response to them. When people usurp the prerogative of God as an expression of their faith they're irrational and you have to reframe your consideration and response to them. When people echo the form of you without demonstrating the foundation of reason and support, and believe that to be sufficient or meaningful, well, you have to recognize who and what you're dealing with and find a measure of compassion for someone that bereft of reason. They really don't know what they're doing a good bit of the time. It's what happens when you feel your way through things best suited for consideration.
