Im trying not to wade into political debates this year. I’ve decided that my politics are just that; my politics. And to be quite frank, I don’t really have any hard and fast alignments other than “don’t be a dick” and “be a good neighbor”. I consider those pretty easy to do at the personal level, community level and, rosy glasses, national level. Call me naive cuz sticks and stones.
I have many friends and relatives whose political alignments are so far afield where I sit that sometimes it surprises me. Sometimes I surprise them. I get thrown into camps based on simple statements and that baffles me. Humanity has managed to create incredibly complex systems of government and economics and to assume that a species capable of creating such complexities will then proceed to produce citizens who neatly fit into one box or another is fairly baffling. In just this single nation we can claim a plethora of cultural backgrounds, nationalities and personalities that are so diverse it makes my head spin at times. And so to be thrown in as a “liberal” or “conservative” based on a statement or an idea I have, just doesn’t sit with me. If we are being completely honest, if you asked me to pick a political party Id likely tell you to go eff yourself or declare myself a “Catatarian” because who wouldn’t want to support a party whose platform is “naps for all”?
You’re probably reading this waiting for me to say something you can latch onto and either love or hate me for. Sorry. See above. This is just me complaining that I have to choose. I don’t always see eye to eye with either of the big groups. And my ideals and goals for my community, state, nation, whatever, border on insanity, idiocy, idealism. Or some combination of those three.
As we wade deeper into what is shaping up to be an ugly, angry, ridiculously redundant campaign season, I’d just ask that if we are going to talk politics, let’s do it face to face. If you want to hear my views please be ready to disagree and know that the disagreement does not need to end our friendship. We can be civil and still hold to our views. We can agree to disagree. In fact, I’d prefer my circle of friends not always see eye to eye on every detail. How boring that would be? How little personal growth that would encourage. But as you go, however deep you choose to engage; remember that there is a human behind every thought. A real live person (for the most part) behind each tweet and like. If you disagree so vehemently that you are driven to rage, there are convenient block/unfollow buttons all over social media. If an idea scares you, upsets your status quo or otherwise challenges you, push yourself to step outside your own experience and see the other side. Sit down with someone and know them before you dive in to judging them.
And with that. Good day.
Bountiful Words, Beautiful World 