Agreeing to disagree

I can’t recall the radio station but I’m thinking it was Q107 in Toronto and they were doing a version of Johnny Carson’s Carnac the Magnificent, divining answers to unknown questions. The setup was to give the punchline and then provide the question.

Ted Nugent had suffered facial injuries. Not sure if it was a hunting accident or chainsaw mishap but the answer was, “Jack and Diane, and the gashes on Ted Nugent’s face.”

The question: Name two cuts on an American Fool. The latter being the title of the John Cougar (later Cougar Mellencamp and even later just Mellencamp) album of the same name.

Politically speaking, Nugent and I are on opposite sides. Don’t agree with Uncle Ted’s views, but damn I like his songs. I’ll always play air guitar to Cat Scratch Fever and his Amboy Dukes rocker, Journey to the Centre of the Mind. I’ll wango tango till my dying days.

But…

Whatever happened to respecting the opinions of the left? Or the right? Or the slightly leaning to one side or the other?

I’ve been unfriended on Facebook because I’m more of a liberal. Small L. Not a diehard supporter of the Liberal party or a guy with a man crush on Justin Trudeau. Though Sophie, ahh…Sophie I find very appealing. I’ve always had a thing for French Canadian women, going back to Genevieve Bujold.

And yes, prior to the election of Ivanka’s Dad, I created a Facebook post suggesting that Trump supporters were out of their minds. Or didn’t have minds. Or were fucked in the head.

But…

I accept that many people will vote for their side, no matter who’s running. Our local MP was parachuted in, with zero political experience and having the charisma of of a tree stump and the voice of a 12-year-old with a sinus condition, and she won easily because voters in this riding will elect a German Shepherd if it’s the conservative candidate.

I get that many voters are fed up with traditional politics and hey, why not give this person a chance? Cant’ be any worse and the last administration did not improve their lives, financially or otherwise.

And, I like S.E. Cupp.

Conservative commentator with the guts to sit across from a guy the right hates, Bill Maher (and lefty Michael Moore, above). They spar, disagree throughout Real Time with Bill Maher and, I’m guessing, have dinner later. Maher continues to invite Ann Coulter on his show because it makes for good ratings, and he’s willing to let Coulter express her opinions and explain her positions.

Is Coulter a nut job?

Hey, how about those Maple Leafs?

And I’ve likely lost another Facebook “friend.” Okay, Ann’s brilliant. Come on back. No. She’s neither brilliant nor an idiot. Coulter is sharp. She’s made tons of money from books and appearances. I don’t get a cent for my blogs (so far). To steal a line from Trump supporters, deal with it.

I’m dealing.

Social media thrives by putting us in tribes and, at the same time, dividing us. Check out this link! Are you outraged? Aren’t those people morons? Reply. React. Repost. Who cares if its true? There’ll be another post in a few hours telling you that the previous one was bogus and in the mean time, here’s a video of a poor deer stranded on a frozen lake.

They rescued the deer.

You’re a good person. So am I. We can agree to disagree and, in the words of Kim Mitchell and his longtime songwriting partner Pye Dubois, go for a soda. Nobody hurts, nobody cries. Nobody drowns, nobody dies.

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