Some Letters Should Remain Unopened

I happened upon a post on Facebook, posted by an acquaintance who was replying to one of his own friends. I guess privacy settings were non-existent because I was able to read the original post and my friend's affirmative comment. Since the exchange appeared on my wall, I felt compelled to comment since the original post was so offensive (i.e., it's not as if I was stalking someone else's wall). 

The original post was an article (so-called) that appeared on the DailyKos, an uber-left leaning site. It was written by a blogger who goes by the name Ministry of Truth, who is actually someone named Jesse LaGreca (I know because I had to do a bit of sleuthing). LaGreca is obviously also on the far-reaches of The Left, judging not only by this article but by the Wikipedia write-up about him which shows him affiliated with the obnoxious Occupy Wall Street movement. 

Here's his article. 

An Open Letter to the People Who Hate Obama More Than They Love America

And here's what I posted on my friend's Facebook post. 

What a despicable letter. If anyone's a "hater" it's the author of this odious tirade, which is based exclusively on caricature and stereotype. It occurred to me that the author (Jesse LaGreca?) is himself a caricature, but judging by the comments that follow the article, maybe not. I had to slog through the muck before I ran across one comment that reflected some insight. Referring to the few conservative acquaintances with whom he apparently respectfully differs, this person writes, "We do talk about issues, though, and I often learn something. I think it's good to remember that they're people who have a different outlook that puts blinders on their better interests. My friends honestly believe in a market that creates opportunities and risks but builds a better personal character. I believe them wrong but neither of us know for sure. What we do know is that they have been there for me when it counted and still are. That's what matters." What a gentleman. For more insights into why liberals and conservatives differ (and how, hopefully, to bridge the gap between them), perhaps Mr. LaGreca could look into the research of Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion. Peace out.

Later, I might write my own "Open Letter" to people like Jesse LaGreca, maybe even to LaGreca, himself. Meanwhile, here's a good introduction to Haidt's research.

Jonathan Haidt: The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives (TED Talk)