In the past several days we have seen a lot of us debating with those we mostly agree with. Debate is healthy but when it melts down to hostility and name calling all valid points are lost. So I decided to write a guideline for debating this issue in hopes that it may foster healthier conversations.
- Understand that people upset over the FISA vote need to vent and should be allowed to vent and dissent.
- If you feel like you need to vent, try not to sound childish and say things like I want my money back from Obama, the DNC, etc. There are plenty of reasons for you to be proud of your involvement in democracy regardless of your current opinions.
- Don't try and convince those upset over FISA that Barack/Democrats somehow did the the right thing. That argument will never work with someone who has strong feelings on FISA. Your much better off sympathizing with them and/or offering other reasons why it's a good idea to still support them. Also don't try and convince them that they now need to vote for Barack so he can fix FISA. That argument doesn't fly very well right now either.
- Don't assume anyone who speaks out against Barack/Democrats is a troll. The best ways to deal with trolls is to ignore them. So if you really think someone is a troll, just walk away.
- Don't assume those claiming they are not voting for Barack now can't be brought back into the fold over time. It's best to treat people with repect if you want them to agree with you eventually.
- Don't assume those people are going to vote for McCain either. Making someone feel like they are backed into a corner probably won't work and may force them to take a closer at 3rd party options
- Don't tell people to go somewhere else to air their disagreements. When a family has a dispute it's always best to keep it in house and not let it roll out into the streets for all to hear.
- If you happen to get into a FISA debate with a Republican remind them that Barack/Democrats at least compromised and made the tough vote. McCain didn't even have the guts to show up.
- Don't use my last argument with anyone else besides Republicans.
- Don't name call!
Although this guideline focuses on the FISA debate, I think many points may be good to follow when debating other "in house" disagreements.
Hope this helps!