Why don't you just ask me?

I returned recently from a trip to Atlanta, where much of our family had gathered to have funeral services for a deceased family member.

I was asked to go to present the eulogy, and it was my honor to do so.

The night before the service, several of the ladies gathered in the kitchen area of my cousin's home, while I reclined in the adjoining den to watch some college football games.

They were for the most part a liberal group, and I knew the subject of the recent presidential election would come up and had no problem with that. I just made up my mind that I would stay out of such discussions and keep my politics to myself.

Well, my cousin from out of town, (not the hostess) an unabashed liberal, couldn't wait to bring up Obama's victory. And as if victory wasn't enough with her, I had to sit there and listen to her lead a parade of hate for anything and anyone conservative.

While the general consensus of the group was anti-conservative if not stauchly pro-liberal, this un-named ring leader, who was very aware of my political leanings, as well as my presence in the other room, brought up the subject of the election as a pretext to take shots at me. She took the opportunity to get in dig after dig, most of which if not all aimed at me (based on our political conversations in the past) in what can only be described as an act of cowardice on her behalf.

Cowardice because she did not want a debate, she wanted to bash!

Cowardice not because of her opinions; for I have always welcomed opinions different from mine. No, the cowardly part was that she knew that I would absolutely refuse to be drawn into a discussion of political issues with liberals, most especially her because I have found that facts and logic do not matter to her. Reason has no quarter within her in a debate. She does not even want to debate in fact. She wants me and others to listen to her point of view, and then as far as she is concerned, the 'discussion' is over. And by the way, she will not hesitate to let me or anyone know how unenlightened she thinks an opinion different from hers is.

Cowardice, because armed with the knowledge that I have told her that I will not discuss politics with her because of the personal invective she has used toward me in the past when discussing politics, and the fact that she was surrounded by a sympathetic left-leaning crowd (I was outnumbered); she felt quite emboldened to launch into her, conservative bashing, fact-lacking tirades, quite smug in her belief that I would not argue with her.

Cowardice because, she was not the least bit interested in a dissenting opinion. If she was, she knew full well that I was within earshot, and could have asked.

No she was perfectly happy in going on hour after hour with an endless critique of all things conservative... and I had to sit there and take it like a man!

I listened to her opinion of conservatives and conservatism. Oh she had us all figured out for the heartless crooks and evil people she believes us to be.

Now my aunts and cousins were not aware of my political leanings. They unlike the coward, are people of integrity for the most part, who would not have let things go on like that at the risk of being offensive to me.

Not that they would not have made their opinions known, but they most certainly would not have gone on like that knowing I was one of the conservatives being lambasted. I'm sure they would have let it go only so far, and then changed the subject. And at the very least they would have inquired as to why I was a conservative; we would have had some back and forth of opinions; they may well have expressed their disagreement and even a little disappointment or disapproval, had they known my beliefs. That is their right, and we would have agreed to disagree.

They did not know my politics,...but the coward did! And the coward was only too happy to encourage the conversation go on and on, while I sat there in miserable silence.

Liberals love to tout how sensitive they are to other's feelings. I wonder if she would have gone on like that if instead of a conservative sitting in the other room, a white person was there; or a handicapped person; or a person of another faith instead?

Intolerance? I have travelled far and wide in this nation and have seen intolerance in many incantations and incarnations. But liberals take the proverbial cake with their brand because it masquerades itself as anything but!

I do not care what side of the political spectrum one is on, you are intolerant if you cannot stand the fact that someone disagrees with you! Or if they have an opinion of their own; or if you consider them unenlightened, un or under educated, brainwashed, or not too bright for having a different opinion!

If the old saying "Can we just agreee to disagree." is just a mindless platitude to you, check your 'control-freakometer' because you may be red-lining (no pun intended)! And you probably are a liberal!