my goal is that this thread to be warm and gentle and fun
I would have posted this response to your message more timely but I didn't want to befoul all that "warmth and gentleness and fun" that so dominated the thread on Wednesday. Here's what I wrote then and set aside. Strictly FWIW.
I have been reading about objectivism and libertarianism since I was in college, which was a very long time ago, and consciously rejected these belief systems after mulling them over. I do know quite a lot about libertarian principles, and found your insinuation that I did not demeaning.
Grainne, I was a practicing vegetarian for a few years a couple of decades ago. I had studied the matter extensively over time and adopted the practice for ethical, environmental, and health reasons. As it turned out, the health part of it did not agree with me so I reluctantly gave it up.
Despite my own experience with it, were I to engage you, a longstanding, committed vegetarian, on the subject of vegetarianism, it would be with a certain receptivity and deference. I would not respond to any difference of opinion between us on that subject by asserting my relative dabbling in vegetarianism as overriding expertise in the matter. But were I to do so, I would not be surprised nor would I find it rude if you responded to my attitude with a bit of an edge.
Perhaps with this illustration of a reverse scenario you can relate to how I might have misinterpreted your engagement with me, a longstanding, committed libertarian as one of inquiry.
I know better now. |
