I have one fb friend--a person I worked with (actually hired) many years ago. She and her hubby retired
to Idaho (that oughta' tell you) several years ago. I'm retired. We've stayed in touch for the 25 years
since I left the organization where we both worked.

Several years ago she was the first person to send me a 'friend' request on fb. I accepted, but
really didn't get into it until about 18 months ago. Since then, we've had some battles. I remember
the first time I posted something political and she reared right up! Wow. Surprised me. So of course
it turns out she watches Fox, likes Sarah Palin, OMG--the stuff she puts up sometimes--and I by and large
try to ignore it. Yesterday, she posted this food fight between Bourdain and what he said about Paula Deen. Well, she loved Paula's trash talk comment about "how could he be so mean? Did somebody pee in his cereal?" The day before, she made--and posted--zucchini bread using Paula's recipe. Loaded with oil and sugar. OK. In the last year I've lost 40 lbs. This friend has remarked--and asked--how I did it. I've given her the info. The friend is significantly overweight. So I posted in response that Bourdain was not smart to insult PD (calling her food 'sucky') because he was on the right side of the issues about the impact of high sugar/high fat content food. Well, my friend kept maintaining that Paula won the argument
and I maintained that winning the contest of the best insult was not the issue!

OK. I'm going to take this beyond fb and food fights. I'm very concerned that we are more and more
unable to have a conversation with people who have a different opinion--and this particularly applies to
people on the right. This a.m. my friend posts on her wall:

Sometimes my posts are just innocuous posts.. I am not looking for a debate on everything I post... so from now on... here is the deal... if you insist on a debate EVERY TIME I post something, including this post.... I am going to SEND YOU TO TIME OUT ON YOUR WALL.. you can debate all you want on your wall.. LOL!!!

So the way I read this is, don't make a comment unless you agree with me. I'm not interested in changing my opinion, not interested in looking at anything from a different point of view, not interested in anything unless it's about me and the way I see the world.

That is sad. Very sad. How are we ever going to get out of the mess we're in if this is what we're up against with the followers of Fox News? This is not the first time I've encountered this attitude with someone I know well, either. My sister in law is a right winger, and boy did we ever have it out during
the primary season leading up to 2008. When I tried to give her facts, she shut me out with the comment, "I'm not interested in a history lesson, I just agree with xxxxx opinion." In other words, don't confuse me with the facts!

I really don't see a way out of our problems if people aren't willing to listen to another view of things.
It's very, very, discouraging.

What say you, DU'er's? If you've been able to successfully maintain conversations with right wingers
when you express disagreement, what are your secrets?