Provocative Associations

I’ve often said that writers should try to avoid polarizingcontroversies that tend to piss audiences off, but I wonder if that applies to associations.  I have several “controversial” associations on the right side of my blog.  Most of these are folks who make politics their centerpiece, and they range across the political spectrum.  However, in this polarizing age, their mere existence tends to piss people off.  What would the impact be of such associations?

I’m not talking about someone at the David Duke or Louis Farrakhan end of the spectrum.  Obviously I wouldn’t associate with people of such vile intolerance.  Unfortunately, anyone not squarely “on your side” is seen by those on the opposing side as the equivalent of Duke or Farrakhan, which is a sad state of affairs, in my opinion.

In the end, I won’t eschew those who take a more provocative stance in their writing and public persona than I do.  That would eliminate some of the most interesting voices in writing today.  I’m fairly hard to offend to the point of cutting someone off, which seems petty to me.  So hate me if you like for those I choose to associate with; it won’t dictate such associations for me.  I’ll continue to make those judgments for myself.