in reference to my last post.  it befuddles me how something that seems so obvious to me can cause such a great divide among people.  this leads me to two conclusions, neither of which i can fully accept.  one i have very little grasp of the situation because of how staunchly i hold my views, believing that the greater understanding of the situation i have the greater i would be able to understand the other side of the situation.  although the more and more i learn and the more time passes the stronger my views become. (leading me to believe that perhaps i am not looking at it with an open-mind) or 2: all of those people are ignorant.  when you are faced one against many it is silly to assume the many are ignorant.  although not impossible, silly nonetheless.  so this is why i address open-mindedness.  but first the fact that i address is a hint that i am open-minded (although does not prove it).  so i try to understand where they come from, what is important, etc etc.  every road i go down leads to the same conclusion.  of course this is based on my "fact base".  this leads me to question my "fact base".  is it completely biased, believable since my parents share the same views.  so i address my fact base. what are the facts that these other people hold that i am missing, well i have yet to come to an arguments that is in the slightest convincing.  and i often see common themes among people who disagree. the one comment i hear to no end "i like him" that does not help me evaluate my fact base and my bias.  so i have yet to come across any truth to help me come to a conclusive decision except that when you have enough proof pointing in one direction you should just go with it.  so is now a time when i can forget my bias and keep developing my ideas, or must i keep considering my base?  it is a tricky question because this is how i blame other people's ignorance and misconceptions. something i am trying very hard to avoid.