I’m quick to anger; quicker to forgive, but when I get a comment like Robert’s in my Hating to hate
post, I become irrational.

Nowhere do I say anywhere nor do I imply, infer or anything like that, that America got what it deserved. If anybody thinks that it is their own distortion of my post, not mine.

I hate how divided this country has become.

It’s worse than the 1960′s: that was a generational divide and a change in economies—from a manufacturing economy (the industrial revolution) and a service economy; to a more refined service economy and the beginning of the technology age.

Though I was very close to my parents; always said my dad invented parenting, we didn’t have as much in common as kids have with their parents today.

Our music was different than theirs as was our hair and clothes. Though they caught up, somewhat, in the 70′s.

We saw many injustices and strove to change them. I always regretted being too young to go down South for Freedom Summer. My parents physically barred me from going to the 1968 Chicago Convention.

Our divide then was based on two very different generations converging. Yes there were radical older people and younger people who loved the status quo.

The divide then was based on issues.

That music, clothes and hair styles played a big part in a divide seems almost laughable now. It was a physical way of showing that we were changing; what we did to help stop racial injustice, the War in Viet Nam, among other things wasn’t.

The divide became very understandable during the Chicago Convention, and during the killings at Kent State. our parents thought that could have been my child. By the time Watergate happened, much of the divide was over.

Yes, I’m looking at this from the perspective of a New York Jewish woman; that is the only way I feel comfortable talking about generalities.

What is this divide really about? I’m not sure that I understand it.

I’m not saying that I’m Miss Manners, or the most wonderful person on earth, because I’m not.

But I try to listen to other people and understand what they are saying and why they are saying it.

Some of the people I love the most in the world are or were Republicans.

I hate labeling people because of their politics.

But when I get a comment like Robert’s, my blood begins to boil.

How is he trying to understand me?

Yes I can speak with some authority about 9/11. Though I live five miles uptown the smoke came up here. I saw people all day with ash covering them. I heard their stories–that day.

I received hysterical calls from people asking if their children–who they hadn’t heard from, could stay in my apartment.

My best friends treked uptown still in high heels; the phones weren’t working by then. We met at my friend’s daughter’s middle school. Little Luce, not yet eleven, had been told by her teachers what was happening as they thought she was mature.

While she was assured that the attacks happened only at The Trade Center, she knew her mom worked in a large building that could have been a target.

That fear will remain with her for the rest of her life. How can it not? What words of comfort could any adult offer any child?

Could we say then that it wouldn’t happen again? Could we say it now?

Robert did admit that I could speak with some authority about 9/11.

Then he went on to say that I can’t speak about the Florida election. I don’t get that.

Was there smoke to feel and smell? Were people killed? What is the similarity.

As usual Cranky Liberal, in his comment was far more astute than I could ever hope to be. Read his blog. It’s good for you.

Like 9/11, the Florida election and after election affected us all.

I have never denied that 9/11 was the nation’s tragedy.

I do believe that New York has never really recovered from it.

Yes the average apartment in Manhattan costs one million dollars.

How does that help the average New Yorker?

We have the highest cost of living of any city in this country.

The average New Yorker is being driven out of the city of their birth by rapidly escalating costs.

While the rest of the country had felt the affects of the stock market tanking, we also felt the direct affects of 9/11 and are still feeling it. Too many businesses closed for good; too many people lost their jobs and can’t find new ones.

I hear the argument over and over again that wages rise faster than inflation. Not for the average New Yorker, no way.

We’re in some weird kind of economy that nobody talks about or tries to explain.

But I do understand that the Florida election affected my life as much as anybody in Florida. Like the rest of the nation I watched Katherine Harris distort reality.

The reality is that if the election results had been counted properly; Gore would have become president.

The reality is that nobody knows whether or not 9/11 would have happened.

Another reality is that the new right is smug without having anything to be smug about.

Blame everything on liberals; it’s so much easier than having a meaningful dialogue.

I have often stated that I would have backed a war had it happened soon after 9/11.

But this war; what are we fighting for?

We can talk all we want about bringing democracy to the Mid East.

How are we really going to accomplish that?

American soldiers are dying, and for what?

Yes I believe that 9/11 brought validity to Bush’s presidency. I think that’s shameful, and won’t let people stop me from saying that.

There is a wonderful book by Vincent Bugliosi
He talks about how the Supreme Court managed to overlook facts–such as election tampering, and appointed the President.

It was published on May 1,2001, and was just being discovered and talked about–summer lite reading took its place– when 9/11 happened. Bugliosi can hardly be called a liberal; he was the lead prosecutor on the Charles Manson case. He was known for strict views on law and order.

But he understood how the Florida election underminded our country’s democratic process.

All I am asking for is meaningful dialogue. But that seems to be impossible these days. Say anything and you’re branded a liberal.

I don’t remember Joe McCarthy, the blacklist, and the House of UnAmerican Activies Committee (HUAC)but it sure seems that we’re traveling back in time to that era.

I dedicate this to Arthur Miller who wrote The Crucible in response to what was going on in this country then.

I know he was 89; but I still believe that he died partially of a broken heart. The link I have included has an explanation about why he wrote it.

Many people are under the misconception that the blacklist only included people from Hollywood. When I Googled Joe Mccarthy and HUAC the most popular results made that seem true.

One example of why people have to search further and not rely on Google as a primary research tool.

The blacklist included ordinary people–friends and relatives of my parents.

I know because I heard about this all my life.

The only way I can honor my parents memory is by helping make sure that the Blacklist, HUAC and the resulting horrors don’t happen here again.

But when so many Republicans are arrogrant, refuse to engage in a meaningful dialogue and just want to hate anybody different from themselves how can that be possible?