So listen up:

Closet Republican –

What’s the point of being a closet Republican? Either you have good reasons for your political views, which you can articulate in a persuasive manner, or you don’t, in which case you should change your views. Put them out there for all to see, develop your thinking, and you’ll be a better person. Meanwhile, take the high road regarding your insulting relatives – show them that mindlessness deserves no respect.

P.S. If you’re a guy, then check out the Log Cabins for inspiration and ideas. Puts a whole new spin on the letter.

Jealous –

Don’t read your fiance’s messages without permission. Ever. After you apologize, tell him you’re still upset about the lady’s behavior, and ask him what the two of you should do about it. Don’t demand anything, but read his response. And stop being furious – furious is for when someone hurts you on purpose.

P.S. Do you know the woman? A little contact can go a long way in assessing intentions and relationships.

Underpaid intern –

Tons of contradictory but lightweight advice out there. Here’s mine: contact your university’s legal aid office, talk to a lawyer, and ask what you should and can do. The lawyer should know all of the angles – the risk to reputation, the legality of wage discussion bans (they vary by state; there is no federal protection of your right to discuss wages, but many states do protect it), the likelihood of success, best approach with the employer, etc. It's a complex question, and the outcome will vary greatly depending on the approach you take.

P.S. When it comes to deciding whether this is a “real issue," follow your gut. Sitting on your hands won’t help.

Clothing donor –

If this is a catastrophe, you have a charmed life. Are you being selfish? Not really, but you’re being bitchy. Why do you you want to spite your roomie for her “sense of entitlement?” Of course you have a right to dispose of the clothes as you like. What you choose reveals the state of your friendship.

P.S. Have you had a talk with your roomie about all the other things that have bugged you for four years, but you didn’t want to bring up until it’s time to move out?

P.S. If you’re a guy, then check out the Log Cabins for inspiration and ideas. Puts a whole new spin on the letter.

Sorry, i don't know what this means.

The LW did not state his or her gender, only that he or she is in love with a Republican boyfriend. If it's a he, the letter becomes much more ironically funny. (Reminds me of the Doonesbury storyline of Chase, the gay Republican talk radio guy. <link>)

The Log Cabin Republicans are an organization of Republicans who are gay or support gay rights. <link>

See? I do have all the answers.

The Log Cabin Republicans are a group of gay Republicans.

A gay friend of mine says "this is kind of like being a Jewish Nazi, but whatever."

I'm glad someone's providing the humour this week. Gay Republicans indeed ! They must spend their whole life in a state of constant embarrassment. Or having gay sex - you know what they're like. Not enough arse in the week.

...one is gay and the other a John Bircher type. The gay one is treated by the other like a 'liberal'. Both are ex-mil, so they share something, a narrow minded view of life, but that's it. It's funny to see how two intelligent guys can be so out to lunch. But in either case, the empathy quotient is missing. That's the source of their personal problems, and their adherence to the Republican mantra. It attracts anti-social people.

You're basing your view on the "Republican" party based on personally knowing two? We need to bring back the statistics course from last week and discuss again probability based on a sample study of two.

If I have to judge that you are representing, I'd say that the intelligence quotient is missing.

...republicans on the net, the candidates and the ones in the news, and the nazis i've known personally in my life and Republicans i have known in my life. they all share one thing, abstract rules over individual consideration of reality. they're all big in the mind over matter thing. people who take emotional strength from predictability and rules and of course their way being the only right way. they all have blinders on when it comes to seeig reality. i think it's because they are mentally handicapped and can't learn new things and adapt. it's a defense mechanism of the untalented.

Texwiz:

The Log Cabin Republicans are a group of gay Republicans.

A gay friend of mine says "this is kind of like being a Jewish Nazi, but whatever."

I once knew a black woman who had chosen to become Mormon. I really wondered about her sense of self-worth.

How do I respond to gibberish? If you want to rest your laurels on stereotypes instead of true knowledge, you go right ahead.

Out here in the real world, I realize that there are some idiots (ahem . . . ) and then there are reasonable individuals, that even though they don't agree on the method, really are looking to make the US a better place. The losers that are only interested in hate and discrimination (thank you for demonstrating it goes both ways!) will always exist and don't deserve any more attention.

Either you have good reasons for your political views, which you can articulate in a persuasive manner, or you don’t, in which case you should change your views.

Nice job today, but I disagree with this one point. Not everyone is an extravert (or a lawyer!). She doesn't owe it to her family to justify her views (nor do they owe it to her to justify theirs, of course). Learning to debate and make arguments might be helpful for her, but for a lot of people, it's just not who they are, and it shouldn't be their obligation to change their personalities for the sake of others.

I understand that some people don't like to debate; however, I contend that views that are not discussed and defended are often ill-formed, even incoherent. Certainly a decision to align one's views with a political party should be subjected to some scrutiny.

Even better than oral debate is a written argument. Good writing sharpens one's views, or reveals them for the empty constructs they are. Arguing is just a formalized way of thinking things through, and I contend that everyone is indeed obligated to think through their political views: they owe it to themselves, and to anyone they interact with politically, whether in discussions, by voting, or any other way.

To repeat my rhetorical question: what's the point of holding views if you don't tell anyone about them? More specifically, what's the point of getting upset that people don't like your views, if you don't share them and can't defend them?

Agreed Tom, just because someone is not eloquent in stating their reasons for believing a certain way doesn't make them any less valid. Actually, I've known quite a few people that everything they say sounds so good but if you try to dig further, it's all a bunch of crap.

what's the point of holding views if you don't tell anyone about them?

Heh, maybe I'm too pessimistic. My thinking is, "who the hell would be interested in my views"?

Fitzpatrick wrote: "Closet Republican –

What’s the point of being a closet Republican? Either you have good reasons for your political views, which you can articulate in a persuasive manner, or you don’t, in which case you should change your views."

In a perfect world.............My experience is that the right wingers look at issues such as tax cuts for the rich - "Well its good for me so it must be good for everybody" Then they just get nasty if you can't see the "self evident truth" in their position.

Unfortunately, they have the wealthy, beautiful people on their side and a largely uneducated, illiterate electorate will nearly always follow such people.

However, this may be slowly changing. The fact that these types are the least likely, of all demographics, to be serving in Iraq, has started to sink in.

The economy is like the frog in the pot, slowly starting to boil. For a long time, people blamed themselves but now they realize that the system is rigged in favor of the Republican wealthy. I suppose the fact people will no longer be able to re-mortgage their house to support their lifestyle, may drive this home to some.

However, the Republicans are organized and well financed. Unlike 1933, most people are not yet to the point where they will really think about the issues and how they affect them. They would still rather take their cue from the non issues dredged up by the Republican controlled media.