Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Well, that's over


I spent the last three days before the election avoiding facebook, twitter, YouTube, radio, and commercial TV. I just couldn't take any more of the negativity, the name-calling, and the vitriol.

Next election cycle, please remember this: you have friends whose political views don't match yours. And when you post hateful things about the people on the other side, those friends see what you say. When you say the people that disagree with you are stupid, unpatriotic, or evil - you're talking about your friends. And it's hurtful to have your friends call you those things.

There was a time when people on opposite sides of the aisle could admit that many of those on the other side were well-meaning, reasonable people, who happened to disagree on the best way to solve the problems of the day. They acknowledged each other's patriotism even when they vehemently disagreed on matters of policy. They discussed their differences without calling each other Nazis or communists. They found compromise, and sometimes even common ground. And they made progress.

We can't go back to those days, but I hope we can regain some of that ethic. You don't have all the answers and neither do I; we can't get anywhere until we learn to listen to each other. And to do that, we need to stop listening to those on our own side who demonize those on the other side.

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