Religion, Politics, & the Great Pumpkin

I was pondering today...why do people get so uptight when they talk about politics? Really--we are opinionated about other things--whether the greenhouse effect is real, freewill vs. predestination, even PCs vs. Macs...but why do people become so angry when someone doesn't agree with their politics? Even one of my best friends and myself, though we have only slightly different political philosophies, come away from political conversations a tad annoyed at each other.

I asked my father about this, and I liked his response. He said, "It's because it's a subject that complete idiots can have their say in, and no one can call them an idiot because it's all a matter of opinion."

True that. And I'm not saying everyone who disagrees with my political ideas is an idiot--just some people... ;0)

I've discovered something that has become my maxim, especially among people with opinions that differ strongly from mine; in the words of the ever-wise Peanuts character Linus van Pelt, "Never discuss politics, religion, or the Great Pumpkin!"

Wise words indeed...