It's that time of year: election season. I am a firm believer in how important it is to vote, no matter what you believe- vote, vote, vote. I feel like it's one of the things that really sets this country apart, and I think it's incredibly important for American citizens to be involved with the political process.
That said, I'm amazed at how quickly friends, family, and co-orkers turn on each other over their support of one candidate over another. Let's be real here: neither candidate is perfect, so it absolutely surprises me how many people are so shocked when one or the other says or does something completely stupid, and then they use that to put their own candidate on a pedestal.
I think what irks me the most, is that SO many people sit on their high horse and point the "stupid" finger at anyone who disagrees with them. It's like people seem to forget who their friends are and just attack anyone who isn't voting the way they are. Now, I'm a fairly outspoken person. I have my beliefs, I stand by them, and I don't really give a damn what anyone thinks of them, so in all honesty, I can't be THAT surprised when I tick people off. I even rubbed a cousin the wrong way for voicing that based on the incredibly ignorant statements on women's bodies and rape they have no business making decisions for women. (well they HAVE, and despite the fast I'm voting Republican this year, I can recognize that!) DO I care if people disagree with me? No. Not at all, and if they choose to be offended by my beliefs there's not much I can do about it. But, even my Mom of all people got "hate mail" from a so called long time friend calling her blind for the simple act of "liking" one of the candidates on Facebook. People who would never dream of intentionally offending anyone, people who are very subtle in sharing their thoughts, people who do not put their beliefs out there bluntly for the world to criticize are getting attacked.And the thing is- this doesn't change anyone's mind. Telling me I'm stupid isn't going to make me vote for someone else, it's just going to make me want to punch you in the face for being a jerk.
So, a few things to remember before you jump down someone's throat over the election:
1. Two different opinions doesn't make either one stupid or blind. Stop calling people ignorant, blind, or sheep just because they don't agree with you.A business owner, a coal miner, and a stay at home mom might all have different political views which are influenced by their person life situation and how the policies effect THEM.
2. Neither candidate is perfect.
3. Before you attack someone, ask yourself if the election is really worth tainting relationships over. I can't think of any that are.
Whether you think we can't afford another 4 years of Obama, or you're still feeling the promises of hope and change- vote, and stand by your beliefs without being a jackass. :-)
What am I for? I'm for lower taxes. I'm for proof of citizenship. I'm for working hard. In the words of Tim McGraw: "Democrat, republican.... guess I'm screwed I'm neither one."
Talk about irony, not 5 minutes after posting this to Facebook, I get: "You're not who I thought you were, I can't believe you'd vote for Mitt, blah blah blah"
SO much for the message I was going for.
That said, I'm amazed at how quickly friends, family, and co-orkers turn on each other over their support of one candidate over another. Let's be real here: neither candidate is perfect, so it absolutely surprises me how many people are so shocked when one or the other says or does something completely stupid, and then they use that to put their own candidate on a pedestal.
I think what irks me the most, is that SO many people sit on their high horse and point the "stupid" finger at anyone who disagrees with them. It's like people seem to forget who their friends are and just attack anyone who isn't voting the way they are. Now, I'm a fairly outspoken person. I have my beliefs, I stand by them, and I don't really give a damn what anyone thinks of them, so in all honesty, I can't be THAT surprised when I tick people off. I even rubbed a cousin the wrong way for voicing that based on the incredibly ignorant statements on women's bodies and rape they have no business making decisions for women. (well they HAVE, and despite the fast I'm voting Republican this year, I can recognize that!) DO I care if people disagree with me? No. Not at all, and if they choose to be offended by my beliefs there's not much I can do about it. But, even my Mom of all people got "hate mail" from a so called long time friend calling her blind for the simple act of "liking" one of the candidates on Facebook. People who would never dream of intentionally offending anyone, people who are very subtle in sharing their thoughts, people who do not put their beliefs out there bluntly for the world to criticize are getting attacked.And the thing is- this doesn't change anyone's mind. Telling me I'm stupid isn't going to make me vote for someone else, it's just going to make me want to punch you in the face for being a jerk.
So, a few things to remember before you jump down someone's throat over the election:
1. Two different opinions doesn't make either one stupid or blind. Stop calling people ignorant, blind, or sheep just because they don't agree with you.A business owner, a coal miner, and a stay at home mom might all have different political views which are influenced by their person life situation and how the policies effect THEM.
2. Neither candidate is perfect.
3. Before you attack someone, ask yourself if the election is really worth tainting relationships over. I can't think of any that are.
Whether you think we can't afford another 4 years of Obama, or you're still feeling the promises of hope and change- vote, and stand by your beliefs without being a jackass. :-)
What am I for? I'm for lower taxes. I'm for proof of citizenship. I'm for working hard. In the words of Tim McGraw: "Democrat, republican.... guess I'm screwed I'm neither one."
Talk about irony, not 5 minutes after posting this to Facebook, I get: "You're not who I thought you were, I can't believe you'd vote for Mitt, blah blah blah"
SO much for the message I was going for.
No comments:
Post a Comment