October 19, 2012

• Hating Politics

  Found this when some ugly little spammer left a spamming comment on it and while I respect his right to do business, I wish he'd do it somewhere besides on my space...

  The ugliness of this election is wearing on me more than most and I find myself grieving for the spirit of our people when we can say and do anything just to get the vote. Is this election important? Sure, but more important than being civil, trying to find an acceptable compromise, being a moderate, acting as a person of moral courage, and... in the end, we have to have a government that takes care of all of us. This election is being very costly- not just financially (which is obsene), but in the issues not discussed and the anger that can't be unsaid. No matter who wins, we all lose at this point. And that makes me very sad... so don't tell me why your guy should win... tell me it's ok for your guy and his supporters to be so ugly.....

  From November '04...

  My mother was a woman of fiery passion and it was a brave soul who dared challenge her. One of the things she was completely passionate about was her politics. Voting wasn't a right or privilege, but an opportunity to prove her point.

  I remember being left in the car to watch the younger ones while she "ran" in to vote on Election Day. It took forever. One time, furious at the wait, I waited until she was driving the gravel country road home before saying, "When I grow up, I'm never voting!" I ducked to miss the backhand, but she got me anyway.

  Seeing the bruise on my face at supper, my father asked, "What'd you do?"

  "She's not voting when she grows up," my still angry mother exploded.

  I gauged the distance from her reach and myself and wondered if I should drop it. The odds were her favor.

  "It's useless and a waste of time," I replied hotly, still angry about being slapped. Apparently, my self preservation streak wasn't well-developed. She threw the thing closest to her hand, but I ducked under the table as the baby's bottle hit the wall behind me and shattered. My brother started crying and I got the mop.

  Side by side, we cleaned up the mess. More rational, she began to explain and explain and explain her views of voting.

  It wasn't that I didn't know them. I have been taken to political rallies before I could walk and was one of those babies the campaigners kissed. I had met many politicians before I started kindergarten. Evening life centered around the news during the fall elections and my parents quit talking about who to vote for with each other by the time I was five.

  Election Day was another holiday at our house, with a red, white, and blue theme (meaning the mashed potatoes were a sickly blue and dessert was red jello and whipped cream). She didn't put us to bed on Election Night, leaving that task to us for a change. She didn't want to leave the TV set until the results were in, and as long as you were watching the election results, you could stay up late.

  My mother apologized for her outburst and I accepted her apology, and then she said, "Some people said that you don't discuss two things with people- religion or politics, but I say, those are the only two things worth discussing at all. What people believe about religion and politics shows you their heart."

  TODAY ... so while I'll vote again this year, I wonder if this election is really showing us each other's hearts, and it's not a pleasant sight!

  • 10:42 am
  • 9 Comments