Politics at the Gym (live, shop, bus)

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I'm not on the HOA committee, but what I hear through the grapevine is that if they decide to ban political programs, that would include all news, including local news.

Wow, that's going really far. I don't think any of the local news programs are biased. Stupid and lazy, yes, but not biased.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Wow, that's going really far. I don't think any of the local news programs are biased. Stupid and lazy, yes, but not biased.

It's not a matter of bias, it's a matter of "no political discussion programs". In the next year, all the news channels will be devoting an increasing amount of time to politics. It's dramatic, and it's easy--sad to say but news stations love the idea of not having to pay reporters to go out and cover actual news

[mominbristow]

I really think what's needed here is a healthy dose of tolerance before you lose TV privileges altogether. If you walk in and something's on that you'd rather not watch, politely ask if anyone minds if you change the station. Yes, some days you may be forced to watch Fox News instead of CNN, or the country music station instead of VH1, or One Life to Live instead of Ellen, or whatever. And yes, some people do like to watch the news and/or politics while they work out. I think the whole notion of censoring what TV shows to watch will lead you quickly down a VERY slippery slope!

And if you are forced to watch an opposing political viewpoint while you work out, I promise you won't grow horns and your eyeballs won't burn out...you may even learn something about the opposing side even if you don't agree!

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by mominbristow

I really think what's needed here is a healthy dose of tolerance before you lose TV privileges altogether.

Wrong. People don't need to tolerate being forced to watch your shows or listen to your music. Nor the reverse. CNN is balanced reporting. MSNBC is not. Nor certainly is Fox "News." If there is one TV, it should be set to the least common denominator of personal taste. It's not censorship; if you want to watch your own shows, get your own treadmill and put your TV in front of it.

[mominbristow]

The point is, you will never find the least common denominator of personal taste. You may think CNN is balanced reporting, others do not. You may think that a mindless sitcom is tolerable, others may want to rip their eyes out if they have to watch it. You're right in that if you want to watch your own shows, the only solution is to build your own gym in your basement, but if you're going to work out in public, with a public TV, you're going to have to learn to share.

[Caladium]

I think the fact that someone is slipping in every day and leaving fresh materials daily after they are repeatedly removed is a large part of the annoyance.

What if someone repeatedly put a political sign on the front lawn of an HOA building? Is this any different from something like that? I'm pretty sure a stunt like that would tick people off too. It doesn't matter what the party is, IMO the irritation is from something done repeatedly even after it's removed and polite signs have been posted.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by mominbristow

The point is, you will never find the least common denominator of personal taste.

But it's common sense to choose something that will offend the fewest. You're also confounding two different things: political presentations and entertainment. It's true that any TV show will probably annoy someone--but it's not true that any TV show will make someone feel like someone else's political views are being forced on them. You can't avoid the former, but you can avoid the latter.

Local news is pretty benign and uncontroversial. It may not be anyone's favorite, but very few people would feel like it's forcing someone's political views on them. Or put it on ESPN. I find ESPN painfully boring, but I would not find it offensive. Or the Weather Channel.

The solution is not to choose one show that offends one group and alternate it with another show that offends the opposite group.

[mominbristow]

Again, I think leaving the materials is just an annoying byproduct of a typical campaign season. Every day I come home and see political brochures on my doorknob and in my mailbox and I just shrug and throw them away (no matter which party they're from). No one is forcing me to read them, and if they want to waste their money and manpower delivering them to me, so be it. I can't say that it would bother me at all to see the materials in a public place.

And I don't think they're doing it deliberately to "be a pest." They just believe in their candidate and are trying to get the word out. The price of free elections.

[mominbristow]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

The solution is not to choose one show that offends one group and alternate it with another show that offends the opposite group.

I never said that the solution is to choose one show that offends one group and alternate it with another show that offends another. I simply said to politely ask to change the channel to something you'd rather watch. And, speaking for myself only, I hardly feel that by watching a show with an opposing viewpoint that someone else's politics are being forced down my throat. Instead, I often find a difference of opinion educational and enlightening even if I don't agree.

[normie]

Originally Posted by mominbristow

I can't say that it would bother me at all to see the materials in a public place.

And I don't think they're doing it deliberately to "be a pest." They just believe in their candidate and are trying to get the word out. The price of free elections.

Maybe. I respect your POV but I can't say I agree. I remember during the last election someone pasted an Obama sticker on the playground equipment. It was promptly removed. It wasn't a big deal because that was the end of it, but if a sticker continued to be placed every day, even though it was being removed every day, I would have been ticked off. If you want to put a sticker or a sign or literature on your own property, that's one thing, but not on shared property. The same goes for religious material.

To be honest, I think it could be someone playing a prank. If the object is to promote a candidate, it seems to be backfiring.