Everyone has an opinion on nearly everything and that is just as true for those in the Tea Party as anyone else. At the same time, many of those opinions are held passionately and so, when people come together to discuss their differences, passions can sometimes heat up and boil over into a war of words.
While this sort of thing is a natural human reaction, it rarely solves anything. There is saying that goes, “A person convinced against his will is a person unconvinced still.” Yelling, name-calling, and hurling insults may be a way to let off steam but it does nothing to convince anyone to change their mind. In fact, it only makes each side become more entrenched in their beliefs if, for no other reason, than out of pure, vindictive stubbornness.
No one likes to be yelled at or be insulted and when that happens to someone their normal reaction is to become defensive and fight back, usually using the same antagonistic tactic, which then causes the other party to defend themselves in like manner. Before long both sides are angrily screaming at one another and all that gets accomplished is a rise in blood pressure and a sore throat.
If you really want to get under someone’s skin when they yell at you, merely smile at them and calmly say, “I love you too, brother (or sister).” Since it takes at least two to argue, if one side doesn’t respond then the other side soon begins to run out of things to say except to keep repeating themselves. After a while, they’re the ones who end up looking silly and immature while the calm person comes across looking as the more reasonable and intelligent of the two.
Remember, when you fight fire with fire you only end up with ashes. The Tea Party movement is all about building up this country, not burning it down with hot rhetoric.
