The election was a while ago. And during the election, I was saddened to see the divisiveness between people who supported Barak Obama and people who supported Mitt Romney, but I tried to understand it. However, I was never able to understand the insulting, venomous words that seemed to spew forth from both sides.
Now, Barak Obama is president. More than half of the people wanted that outcome, and so he won. But the hate keeps coming.
I’m not a constitutional scholar. I don’t follow politics that closely. I don’t stay on top of all the international happenings. I admit it. But I do support my country. I love my country. I love my fellow countrypeople. If I had to categorize myself, I’d say I’m a liberal.
And I’m hurt.
I see people on various social media platforms, people whom I know and love, spreading hate. And I want to speak here to my friends:
Reposting things from sites such as “Things Liberals Hate”, and “Let’s Make Fun of Liberals” – hey, I’m a liberal, and I’m your friend. I don’t agree with what you’re saying (though I defend your right to say it) because it’s mean and hateful and doesn’t help our country or its people get along and act as one. Whey would you share things like that? And what’s more, would you come and say that stuff to my face? I thought you liked me. Why are you painting all “liberals” with the same ugly brush. Why not paint something beautiful on a fresh canvas?
When you post a link to an article that says that Obama basically killed the victims of the Benghazi attack, I read it. Maybe I’ve missed something in the mainstream media coverage. I’m open minded enough to think that could be the case, and I know there are some things that the government sweeps under the rug. But when that article spouts suppositions and calls them facts, and makes its own unsupported claims, I feel discouraged. I tried to understand your point of view, and I am saddened by what I see.
And you are Christians- devoutly so. I believe what I believe. And as you know, I believe in spirituality and the power of the universe. I respect your beliefs. I would never judge you for what you believe. I do think, though, that Jesus was trying to bring people together to live a life of harmony and devotion. I also believe that all religions can co-exist peacefully. Acceptance was a large part of Jesus’ teachings. If you’re going to call me a murderer because I believe in a woman’s right to choose, or tell me my child is going to hell because he or she is gay, how am I to react to that? How am I to react to you personally? I find myself praying for YOU, to release the hate in your heart that somehow grown there in the name of things that are holy.
I can see why most of the wars in history have been fought about religion. What I can’t understand is why, if we all believe in the same God, we cannot respect each other’s right to find our own path to that same God.
And I can see how, if your political beliefs differ from those of our elected president, you may feel disappointed, and want something different. That’s why we have elections every four years. But if you love your country, support its leader. Inspire change by your positive actions, not by spreading hateful words. Open your eyes to see that we are all in this together, and we all want the same thing, and to achieve that, we must band together as a nation. I believe our president wants the same thing as we do: a prosperous economy and a peaceful world. Saying you want those things, however, does not make it so. He operates in a political machine that refuses to compromise – I’m not even sure what the good of all the unwillingness to work together within our government is, but I can certainly see it being reflected in the split among people – among friends – within our country. Within our system, the president cannot just say, “This is how it’s going to be”. So, no, he can’t immediately make things better. But he’s trying.
I want us all to try. I want to feel like my friends are people who appreciate our differences. They can know that I will ALWAYS have their backs, and if they need something, they can ALWAYS turn to me for help. It sounds awfully simple, doesn’t it?
I will (almost) end this mini-rant with a reiteration of a Thomas Jefferson quote I posted last month:
“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”
But please, act like my friend. I love you. And remember another quote, this by John Watson: “Be kind. everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
14 comments
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December 7, 2012 at 5:15 pm
slpmartin
Love that last quote…as well as the rest of the post…have a great weekend.
December 7, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Seasweetie
Thanks – you too, slp!
December 7, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Cin
Yes a million times yes. I was completely shocked by the hate between supporters of both parties! In Canada we get a bit uppity and things but never this much hate between people. I saw families fall apart over this and I was like “what? why?”
I’m a liberal. And at some points I could only laugh when people were calling obama supporters “fucking liberal hippies” I wanted to say to them “Hey, go to Canada and check out the Green party. You’ll find real hippies then…”
It is amazing how blinding the hate can be. And worse the lies that people believe. Lies spread by mainstream media as facts. I was like o.O throughout the whole thing.
And religion should not be part of it. But yet it is. I have many Christian friends that I respect. I respect their faith, I respect them. And some of them sadly got swept along by the faith wave that came through. It made me sad. When logic suddenly doesn’t apply things get crazy.
December 8, 2012 at 1:25 pm
Seasweetie
Yes, Cin! Why is it like this? Why the hate? Nothing has ever been gained through hatred, in my opinion. The only changes it spawns are for the worse, not the greater good. It continues to make me sad, all this rehetoric. But it made me happy to hear from you.
December 8, 2012 at 6:08 pm
Cin
I have no idea. My husband kept telling me there was no way to understand it, just that years of politicians pushing the “us or them” has gotten everyone to think that way.
~hugs~ 🙂
December 7, 2012 at 6:11 pm
timkeen40
I have a friend who is actually a very good friend and we vehemently disagree with respect to our politics. I am a Kentucky Wildcat fan and he is (gasp) a Louisville Cardinal fan. Worse, he used to be a Kentucky fan, but switched. Intolerable!
To those outsiders it may be worth noting that politics, religion, and just about everything else take a backseat to Kentucky basketball, whether you root for or against them.
My friend and I do not agree on politics, either, but we are still friends, abeit very difficult sometimes. He thinks the direction of country should go one way. I think it should go the other. But if he and I can get over Kentucky basketball and be friends, mere politics shouldn’t be a barrier to anyone.
Great post.
Tim
December 8, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Seasweetie
HA, Tim! I love this. The things we are passionate about shape our natures and our relationships. Strong relationships learn how to navigate such disagreable waters. (And I’m a Duke fan, so…..)
December 8, 2012 at 11:21 pm
timkeen40
I forgive the fact that you are Duke fan. I have no animosity for Duke in general. Coach K is awesome. It’s just that one game, that one damned shot, and that one guy. What’s his name? Lattimer or something like that, right?
Tim
December 10, 2012 at 8:38 am
Seasweetie
Something like that, Tim. 😉
December 8, 2012 at 12:35 pm
thepetalpusher
I don’t know where or when it all started. No one wants to work together anymore. It’s an all-or-nothing-at-all mindset. And, you know, it’s ok to agree to disagree, but disagreements are now venomous. I, too, believe in the powers of something spiritual–not sure what that is. But this looking at everything with a magnifying glass is only separating us further as a country.
December 8, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Seasweetie
Exactly, petal. And I’m not sure why. I wonder if it’s part of an overall impersonalization that our society is experiencing, as we become more technology-driven, and less interactive with other human beings.
December 8, 2012 at 2:12 pm
cecilia
Great post.. I have an enormous amount of trouble understanding any of this kind of hatefulness and it makes me feel very sad.. be kind…exactly.. it works for just about everything.. c
December 9, 2012 at 12:44 am
belladonna23
I can’t agree more with you. I am a person that does not claim a political title mostly because those titles “Democrat” and “Republican,” automatically strike rash opinions, either good or bad, just with one word. It divides the country and ignites hate on both sides. Anger can be a very healthy and constructive emotion, but hatred has no use.
December 10, 2012 at 8:40 am
Seasweetie
I totally agree, belladonna23. Throughout my life, I have tried to know people based on their own merits, not on the labels that society or that even they themselves assign them. I only ask for the same level of consideration and respect. And hate is a useless emotion.