Tired of Political Threads
 

Hello all!
I have come to notice the large amount of political threads on the forum that seem to lead to fights, trolling and bitterness, or just plain out nowhere. The funny thing is, I keep hearing about users being utter monsters in the Open Discussion section, and as soon as I meet them, I find them to be some of the coolest, most fascinating people I have the chance to get to know.

Anyone else share my sentiment?
Anyone else tired about all the hate?

Yes. :)

Well at least you're not one of us that is so hated.:)

Now, seriously, I do not know any of you, but from what I can see, "Air&Road" seems like an interesting chap! C'mon, a Cessna? That's gotta be cool! :)

I firmly believe that any of the people who are still on this forum that have met me face to face would tell you that I'm a nice guy and someone they know that they could trust.

the majority of forum users on PP are Americans, and with an American Presidential election about to happen, emotions run high. Better get used to it, this will happen every 4 years. Once the election takes place, things will die down after a few months.

Many people share the same hobby interests and automotive tastes, but are fierce political opposites, and this is the time where people start to argue.

This reminds me of my good friend Jim, back in Rhode Island. He is a is a sixty-five year old, right-wing republican, but he is a person I consider an almost-father and mentor. We agree on a few things, but we disagree on many others. In any case, we never let our ideological differences set us apart, and in fact, it was our common love for W123's and W126's, as well as the lessons applicable to both mechanics and life, the learning by doing and the buildup of self-confidence and reliance, that really made our friendship grow.

That's where my point is coming from.

he may have interesting tastes and hobbies, but remember, even Joseph Stalin liked to draw and loved automobiles, while Al Capone loved to play the banjo.

And Jeffery Dahmer enjoyed fine cuisine.:P

If one finds political/social/philosophical threads tiresome . . . there's an easy cure for those afflicted with fatigue. ;)

I'd be the first one you'd see listening to Al Capone's fine banjo skills.

Most people on this forum are probably so young that they don't know much about, if they even have heard of, Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart.

These two guys were EXTREMELY prolific and popular movie actors of the thirties on into the seventies.

Jimmy Stewart volunteered for the military as soon as WWII broke out and was about as conservative as they come. Henry Fonda was about as politically opposite from Jimmy Stewart as anyone could be. They became VERY close friends. In interviews later in life, they both said that they recognized VERY early in their friendship that they were total political opposites, so they just avoided politics and went on with their friendship.

Over the years, I have worked closely with and been close friends with MANY screaming left liberals. I've just sort of avoided politics like Henry and Jimmy did and moved on with it.

I work for an automation company headquartered in a city, far, far away. My office is in a plant in a small town near home. My main contact at the plant, in the office next door to mine, is pretty far left, but a great guy. We have LOTS of mutual respect for each other. His wife and my wife have served together in some charitable organizations and his kids know my kids. We have lots of mutual friends and acquaintances. We get along great with an occasional friendly, and very light jab at one another about politics. I would trust him with anything I own and I'm sure he would do the same with me.

On this forum, there have been some very nasty exchanges that have set me off and formed the "online personality" you see on this forum. I believe that MANY of my political opposites on this forum, if they spent time with me on a daily basis, I could find a way to deal with them ammicably.

So just because my political views don't agree with his, Dropnosky is accusing me of being a communist and a Mafia Gangster?