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Most of you know I’m not inclined to discuss politics. Nor do I feel social media outlets like Facebook are appropriate places for posting one’s political views. But it’s getting nasty out there and I really think we all need to do something about it.
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There is a shocking level of viciousness that occurs when people talk politics these days, so much so that it’s scary. I saw a post on Facebook last week that enlisted a whole bunch of knee-jerk reactions, the kind that have become symptomatic of our political landscape.
Case in point. Someone posted a special ‘F-U’ to the Democrats for taking his income tax refund. Vicious enough if not totally misguided. Then someone replied, “It actually is used to line the pockets of the rich Republicans”. Again misguided but based on the first post, quite hysterical in my opinion. That enlisted a barrage of nasty, angry comments about how “lefties” should keep their mouths shut, etc. etc. My question is: why can a “rightie” bash the “Dems” but a “leftie” can’t respond? What happened to good old-fashioned dialog? A good example of how polarized our political landscape has become. I hate it.
And this polarization penetrates our entire social structure. It divides families, alienates friends, makes co-workers skeptical of each other. You go out to dinner with people and if you don’t know where they stand politically, it could get dangerous. God forbid someone brings up something political. It can set off a debate and ruin not only the evening but also the taste of your martini, getting right down to the bottom line.
The challenge is in how we deal with these postulations if we aren’t on the same page. We could prolong the argument and risk alienating our friend or co-worker or even spouse, or we could politely listen to their point-of-view and offer that while it is an interesting position, it isn’t necessarily the one we hold. Or we could simply change the subject. It’s a real delicate balance.
Unfortunately this extends all the way up the ladder, statewide and nationally. It doesn’t matter what’s right for the people, apparently, it matters what’s right for the party. For example, we have the Republican budget bill and the Democrat budget bill. Where the heck is the “peoples’ budget bill”?
I heard an insightful assessment of what’s wrong with the landscape of social dialogue just yesterday, concerning where our political leaders have been putting their emphasis since the November elections. “It’s about capitalizing on how afraid people are in a bad economy. It’s about telling Americans that other Americans are the enemy. Its about splitting people up.” So true. And that’s a damn shame.
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What to do? Maybe the best thing is to turn our attention to something positive, something we can rally around. And agree on. How about the Brewers?
There are many things to like about the Brewers this year, but didn’t you just feel terrific last Thursday when the Brewers and Ryan Braun announced an extension to his current contract, meaning he’ll be in Milwaukee at least through 2021? Here’s a superstar and potential hall of famer who approached ownership about figuring out a way to ensure he stays here his entire career. And at a contract price that most observers feel is a bargain for the team. Braun said at the time, “It’s truly special to me to come to work here every day, and I’m excited about being able to do that for the next 10 years. Thanks to the fans – that was the single biggest reason I wanted to stay here…” Hear that Prince Fielder?
Have a great week!
