Unbelievable

My friend Rebecca T. showed me a couple of articles the last few days, and for the most part they irritate and disgust me. But the rest of the part is sadness. The articles focus on bad behavior. Not bad behavior between adolescents or even poorly educated hillbillies that don't know any better, but between political parties.

I'll take this opportunity to mention I don't consider myself that political of a person. I tried once, it didn't take. I think it's because I don't know enough of all the parties involved to decide what fits my beliefs specifically. I believe in some of the things a traditional Republican would believe in, but not in all of them. And I believe in some of the things a traditional Democrat would believe in, but not in all of THEM. So I'm somewhere in the middle. And though there probably are other parties that would cover those in between spaces, I don't know enough, or want to take the time to know enough, about them to say what it is that I might be. Do you see how exhausting that is?

That being said, let's go back to these articles. I'd had it on my mind for some time now, what these articles talk about, and I'd seen some headlines on the news sites, but frankly if something doesn't interest me I don't really finish reading it. I finished these articles like I would finish reading a really well written horror novel: mouth agape, eyes squinted, afraid to continue but too involved with it to not. The subject has to do with the behavior of the Republican types toward the Democrat types as a result of the passing of the health care situation.

Think what you want to think, believe what you want to believe. Think it and believe it strongly, with great vigor, if you want. But don't, like, throw a brick through the window of someone who doesn't think what you think, whose beliefs might be the opposite of yours. Not when you're in, say, your thirties. Or sixties. Not when your in your teens either but at least then one could say, well, they're young, they don't know any better.

These over-zealous Republican types about which the articles discuss, albeit in generalities, I am quite sure do know better. They are for the most part elected officials, business people, and one would assume somewhat educated individuals. Acting like bullies and fighting dirty and calling names, really bad names, names even TtheD wouldn't kid about in the worst of a tirade. For what? Because you don't like the president? You think he's a socialist? You fear for our country, a country that has survived quite a few damning administrations in its past? You fear for our country's future, and the future of your children, so you set an example for these children you claim to care so much about by verbally abusing "lesser" individuals, using violence, degrading and embarrassing people who may or may not be less fortunate than you and outwardly displaying bigotry? That's fantastic - I'm not in the slightest bit concerned about the future of a nation run by children who are being raised to think that THAT's okay...

And where does this come from, anyway? When I was a kid, seriously, not that long ago, I still got in trouble for picking on others or using bad words or misbehaving at home or in public. Most of the kids I knew did, too. And I was coming up in the time where people were a bit more cognisant of the diversity in our communities, in our world, the cultural and religious differences. We were taught to make an effort to be empathetic and compassionate toward others. Clearly that has gone out the window. When it is all over the news and the internet this kind of behavior by adults is commonplace and condoned, the only thing we are doing is going back to a society of hate. I don't want to live in that kind of society. I don't really hate any one. I feel sorry for a lot of people, but I certainly don't hate them. And most definitely not because they believe strongly in the con of my pro. So I guess I don't want to be in anyone's party, if this is what it becomes.

But they say you have to believe in something, so I believe in people acting like adults. Playing nice, not acting like a bunch of bullies, not pushing others around like well-dressed thugs. Have your beliefs, your pros and your cons, but if someone else doesn't feel the same, celebrate the differences with a healthy well thought out debate.

Don't throw a brick in their window for God's sake.