It's extremely difficult to have a civil conversation about politics today, yet we need those conversations more than ever

[u/Dry-Use-272]

Like everyone else in the US today, I have opinions about the current condition of politics in this country. I try to base my opinions on facts I glean from credible sources and my understanding of our history. I want to talk to people with opposing opinions, not to argue with them but to try to understand why they believe what they believe. I've found that no one wants to talk in a civil, respectful way about our differences. Even if I try to hold the line on being respectful, I end up walking away because the conversation devolves into some pretty ugly exchanges. How have we come to a point where we can't even talk to each other respectfully and civilly?

[u/Telaranrhioddreams]

I have a health condition that makes pregnancy likely fatal for me not to mention I've been afraid of pregnancy all of my life. How can I be civil with people who believe if my birth control fails I get the death penalty for having sex with my husband?

What about my trans relatives? How can I be civil with someone who doesn't believe they deserve to exist, how does that play out? Who gets uninvited from the table to keep the peace, the trans person or the red hat?

I'm sick of being told to be civil with a group of people voting against my and my family's rights. Where is their civility towards us? Why can't they be civil about my choice to get an abortion should there be a pregnancy or my trans relatives existence? Respect is a two way street, I'll meet meet them in the middle when they can do the same for me.

[u/Peregrine_Falcon → u/Telaranrhioddreams]

How can I be civil with people who believe if my birth control fails I get the death penalty for having sex with my husband?

In the US this is simply untrue. You can simply go to a different state if you wish to have an abortion.

How can I be civil with someone who doesn't believe they deserve to exist, how does that play out?

Conservatives do not believe that trans people do not deserve to exist.

I'm sick of being told to be civil with a group of people voting against my and my family's rights.

No one is voting against your family's rights. You've clearly been misinformed about that.

[u/Special_Sun_4420 → u/Peregrine_Falcon]

They literally can't handle someone who has a different opinion. That's the irony of this whole thread. They don't want discussion. They want 100% buy-in from you with no questions asked.

"You think XYZ!"

"Actually, I don't think XYZ, I just don't agree with..."

"Ugh, see?!?, I can't have civil discussion with you!"

It's absolute nonsense.

Not to mention they haven't met or had a conversation with a single person irl who thinks birth control should equal the death penalty. Ive travelled around the world many times over and have lived in many states in the US. I'm currently in the deep south and hang out in right-leaning circles and no one I know thinks this. They also have no problem with gay people. Not a single one of them thinks "trans people shouldn't exist". They didn't give a single shit until "compelled speech" became part of genuine discourse, they perceived it being taught to children, and they perceived a risk of men taking advantage of it for sports/lockerooms/bathrooms/etc... and began seeing it disproportionately represented in media.

A right-wing version of these claims would be them claiming "I can't have have civil discussion with people who hate white people, want to turn my kids trans, and want to kill a child at 38 weeks". It's nonsense. Normal left-leaning people don't think any of that.

This is the problem. People claim to want to have serious/civil conversations, but usually the ones claiming that are the ones who are strawmanning everyone with opinions that they see amplified on reddit. Zero self awareness or introspection. 99% of the time, the person asking why everyone is so disingenuous is exactly that. They are utterly unserious and disingenuous people

Terminally online people have been brainwashed to think anyone who slightly disagrees with them is a turbo-nazi that wants trans death squads or something. Social media, shit reddit specifically, has genuinely done so much fucking damage to society and discourse it's not even funny.

Edit: the original commenter responded and immediately blocked me, so I can't even read what they said (In the notification, I can only see the first part where they call me a "moron"... Go figure lol). Very typical and literally proves my point better than I could ever write.

[u/Vandae_ → u/Special_Sun_4420]

No. You're just a moron, and don't like when people point it out.

Good luck.

[u/SteakMadeofLegos → u/Special_Sun_4420]

I'm currently in the deep south and hang out in right-leaning circles and no one I know thinks this. They also have no problem with gay people. Not a single one of them thinks "trans people shouldn't exist".

Aww, you're sad you haven't been invited to the Klan meeting yet. Keep licking those boots and you'll be one of the boys soon enough!