"Iggy"= "Talk to the Hand" = Fingers in ears, "la la la la la la"

[RedShoesBlueState]

I am sitting here just literally shaking my head. So far, I've managed to stay out of the controversial posts. I lurk and float, and I read. I keep reading, seeking intelligent discourse between people of differing opinions. I find that occasionally, and I thank those of you who try to disagree in a civil way. But mostly what I have been seeing instead are some of of the most childish behaviors this side of a playground. Chief among those behaviors is invoking the "Ignore" feature, just because you don't like what the person is saying, or because the cognitive dissonance created by what they say is just too painful for you to endure. There is an arrogance, an immediate dismissiveness that is scornful, disdainful, and disrespectful. The way it's done is the "stop communication" equivalent of "Talk to the Hand" (an expression that has always made me want to tear my hair out) or a 10-year old with their fingers in their ears, saying "la la la la la la.

Now to the part where I'll be put on "iggy." I am supporting Hillary Clinton. I'll say that now, in the interest of full disclosure. At the same time, I fully intend to vote for whatever Democrat is on the ballot in November. But I have a right...yes, I have a right....to express my reservations about Obama without having some of his supporters dismiss them out of hand, because they're uncomfortable with any criticism of their candidate. I saw that just a little while ago, when someone posted something about the pastor Wright thing, posted it in a rational way, without profanity or sarcasm -- and was greeted with a chorus of disdain and "iggy"s.

I care about my party, and I care about my country, and I have been observing politics for more than 40 years, and when I tell you that this stuff about Senator Obama's pastor is going to hurt him, and hurt him badly, I know what I'm talking about. Sticking your fingers in your ears and singing isn't going to make that any less true. My 84 year old mother in the Midwest is my barometer on such things. She wants to do the right thing -- she wants to vote for the Democrat. But someone like her, and so many, many others, still struggle against the racism they were born into and raised with. And I can tell you....the things she's saying the last couple of days make me very nervous. She's very uncomfortable with the things the pastor said, and no matter how much you may wish it away, she also wonders why Obama continued to attend church at a place where such racist bile was spewed on a weekly basis. That's reality, DU-ers. That's Heartland, and this isn't playing well in the Heartland.

As long as you only choose to listen to people who completely agree with you, as long as you dismiss contrary opinions immediately without even trying to consider the merit in them or threads of truth in them, you will never understand why things didn't go the way you expected them to. You'll be blindsided. You'll look at the polls, and you'll discount them and say "But nobody I know thinks that way." And...your candidate will lose. Because politics, in the end, is all about communication and listening to the people, and in the end, compromise.

All the best to you. What I hope for so many of you is that politics will not break your heart, as it has broken mine so many times.

[helderheid]

1. I've been here a long time and today was the first time I saw the term "iggy" used.

nuts!!

[no name no slogan]

2. Iggy is

Not Impressed

[Skidmore]

3. Sometimes I'm left speechless by the things I read on this board.

Because someone is 'uncomfortable' doesn't deal with the real issue. This nation as a whole, it's white and black citizens alike, has never truly dealt with slavery or its legacy. At least South Africa set itself on a road of reconciliation after apartheid. Here we created Jim Crow laws and marginalized people long after Jim Crow was killed. I don't care if people are 'uncomfortable' because truth is what frees people, and this nation could use a lot of truth and freedom right about now.

[RedShoesBlueState]

7. Agreed that discourse is needed

I agree that discourse is needed, but I think tone is important also. If Pastor Wright wanted to get his message through to my Mother (and I understand his message and agree with some of it) then he failed. He failed because of his accusatory tone. People like my mother, they want to do the right thing. She has four great-grandchildren who are mixed race, and she loves them. The eldest boy reminds me of Obama, in many ways. But no matter whether we think it's right or wrong of her, she is turned off and frightened by what she hears as hateful rhetoric. And fear? Fear is the death knoll for any candidate.

An old friend of mine who was also a minister used to say his job was to "comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable." I agree with that. As you said, making people a little uncomfortable can be a good thing. All I'm saying is that one must tread carefully. And the point of my original post was to say, don't pretend that it won't have any negative affect, or just dismiss those who are affected by it as being racists. We need their votes in November; all of them. My mother's included.

[KittyWampus]

4. So do you want to listen to me tell you all the filth on the Clintons the GOP will use?

You want to listen to how IN BED with the Bushes and NeoCons the Clintons are?

You want to listen to what Wright actually SAID and discuss it?

[RedShoesBlueState]

8. I wrote a long response, and then it got deleted

Dammit. I wrote a long response, and then somehow got an error message that said it didn't go through, and then it was just gone. I only have 5 minutes before I need to go out the door. I would be glad to continue this discussion another time. Perhaps you could post to me when you might be around again.

[musicblind]

10. As a Clinton supporter I would answer yes. I do want to hear those things

I would not be here otherwise. I have never used ignore, and while I haven't been here THAT long. I have been here multiple times every single day reading posts. I agree with everything the OP had to say. It makes perfect sense. In fact, I watch Bill O'Reilly, and listen to Michael Savage, because I WANT to know what the other side is thinking. I want to know so I can know how to deal with it. People who put other people on ignore, are merely being weak.

The same goes for name calling. I have never called anyone on this board a name. I am not speaking of one side as doing wrong here either. BOTH sides have bear a lot of blame. :(

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Thank you for a reasonable and thoughtful post.

And a belated welcome to DU.

:hi:

[thevoiceofreason]

6. I'm glad you are hanging around and speaking out

Not all we Obama fans spit. Glad to share comment and discussion.

[IdClaire]

9. totally agree

I mostly lurk here but had to respond to this. Ignoring this story will not make it go away. I think there a lot of people just like your mom out there who will find what this preacher said, or screamed, disturbing and rethink voting for him. I'm just telling it like it is and unless Obama addresses it and quickly and gets it behind him somehow, it could sink his campaign. I find it interesting that this story is all over the MSM but on DU the video's of the preachers sermon's are not even posted. You can bet if Hillary did this, it would be the top story, kick and recommended a couple hundred times but this is where DU is now.

[musicblind]

11. You are very well spoken, and well thought out

GOSH how I wish there were more of you. The people putting others on ignore make me think of right wing zealots who refuse to look at any evidence of evolution. As I said in another thread, Ignore is just a sister word to ignorance. Ignorance may be bliss but the price is far too high to pay.

I hope you will post here more often, I would like to read more posts by someone like you... who is calm, well thought out, and making points. EVEN if I don't agree with those points. I still want to hear them. That is why I am here on a discussion board. To have a DISCUSSION.

[musicblind]

12. Frankly

I am starting to worry that some people are using this board as a place to "vent" frustration from their everyday lives... and frankly, that is not acceptable. It trashes the place for the rest of us.