BEST OF ENEMIES

 

BEST OF ENEMIES …

There is a great documentary entitled “Best of Enemies” which came out in 2015. It is the story of the William F. Buckley Jr.  and Gore Vidal feud.

Both of these men were educated, well off and came from similar backgrounds in the US.

That’s where it stops. Buckley was a conservative and Vidal was a liberal. Both were extremely passionate about what they believed.

The documentary leads up to their debates and their confrontation at the 1968 presidential conventions. As you may recall, Buckley lost his temper at the Democratic convention in Chicago and called Vidal a ‘Fag…’ on live television. It was a powerful moment for all to see.

My point leads us back to today’s condition in our country. This week, the election proved how divided we are in this country, some of us were sad, others joyful. It depended upon your own personal point of view.

My question is simple, I, like Buckley, do not understand the mentality of those who agreed with people that think like Vidal did.

This election brought us some very interesting and confusing (in my opinion) points of view from the liberal candidates.

We had candidates that brought up the following points to be agreed with:

1.     Men can choose to become women and get pregnant. I only ask someone to explain to me what part of my male body that I am currently living with that could produce and carry a baby for 9 months?

2.     There should not be any parental restrictions on what a child can be exposed to since everything is readily available on the internet. Am I as a parent duty bound to instruct my 4-year-old how anal and oral sex is handled? Should I find out how the ‘Dark Web’ is found just so they can know where these sources of information can be found?

3.     People who steal are only doing so out of necessity and it is our responsibility to provide for them? So, if I own a corner grocery store that I built and maintained for years to provide for my family. I should not be offended if a mob enters my store and takes every piece of my inventory because they needed it? What keeps me from deciding that I don’t want to open a store and put up with the hassle and just join them to support my needs?

4.     We are told to accept immigrants to this country because they need a better place to live but they don’t have to assimilate into our culture or respect our laws. So, I am just requested to roll over and play dead when someone breaks into my house and rapes my daughter and is not charged with any crime because he ‘didn’t think it was against the law’ and is acceptable behavior in the country he has fled from?

5.     It is acceptable for grown men to appear completely naked in women’s bathrooms and locker rooms to shower or whatever with naked women because they have seen naked men on television and it isn’t any different in real life. I conclude that the television can be turned off if wanted.

6.     Parental controls are outdated and parents should have no control over the decisions their children wish to make. It’s their lives and how they choose to do so or what they believe is up to them. So, my responsibility for my child basically ends at birth and my children are to be left to the will of the government or the will of the world for them to mold and shape? Am I to abandon my children and let them find out on their own about the things that can hurt of endanger them?

I think you can see where I have problems with these positions which were all expressed very clearly by various candidates before last Tuesday.

Like Buckley, I am puzzled how we have drifted so far apart. I do not deny the sincerity of the liberal faction in our country. I just cannot understand the long game that seems to be in play.

Both sides must certainly have their valid points. But isn’t it a shame that we have drifted so far apart that there doesn’t seem to be any middle ground we can stand upon and come to mutual agreements for us all?

History repeats itself in both examples and the results are not pleasant to read or study about. Both extremes will lead to the eventual collapse of our society.

See you next week, Peary Perry