The period of the great divide of the 60s was the time of my formative years. There was more than one kind of war protestor. There were those who sincerely opposed war and wanted it stopped, and those who hated the warriors and gave veterans their warm welcome home. That's what demonization of your "enemy" does. Today there is hate of political enemies the varying depths.

When we went thru the process of adopting our niece we had to deal with various agencies. Quite painful for my wife dredging up her truly horrible childhood. Interviews that actually made her cry. Less painful for me but one unnecessary thing happened. One woman in the process who had our histories on paper and knew that I was a veteran of the war in Vietnam smugly told me that she had been an active war protestor. There was no need for her to put that into the interviews, she was a hater. I felt like I was in the presence of a venomous snake. As is typical for me, I tried to befriend her and get passed it, but it was there.

The haters were a minority of the political left, but they were the face of the political left. On an intellectual level I understand that vocal extremists are not what most of their tribe is like, but on an emotional level they are like a Viet Cong in a friendly village. They make the village suspect, and that is one of their goals. I try my best to not be blindly partisan in politics, but the people who arrogantly speak of my conservative kin as "uneducated" (stupid) bumpkins and racists prevent me from ever seeing the group they make themselves the face of favorably. Demonization is about making members other tribes enemies, rather than rational discussion of ideas. Time tested; it works.