(I wish I would have seen this cartoon earlier. It is hilarious!)Change. Hope. Words promised by our now President Elect Obama. From all the interviews and press conferences I have seen, he has remained positive, upbeat and gracious. Especially in regards to his rivals. Yet, from his supporters and pundits I have not seen the same generosity. Where is the unifying language? Where is the 'healing' that needed to take place? I guess this post is just a warning to those on both sides, I am absolutely fed up with the negative name calling and divisive banter. How many of you have had a conversation with someone you disagree with, listen intently, even considering possible common grounds. And then they use words like "idiot" or "mental patient" in referring to President Bush, and you completely close off and continue in defensive mode. I know I do! You don't need to tear someone down to prove your point. You don't need to assign playground labels to invalidate them. Stick to issues and facts and personal experiences, and we'll be a whole lot more productive!
6 comments:
It does go both ways- I guarantee I am not a Nazi even though I voted for Obama ! (And, yes, I am absolutely sick of it!)
I completely agree it goes both ways. That's why I want my blog to be free from all that crap, we hear it enough from politicians and pundits! Enough blame games. Enough name-calling. And I think that is one of Obama's strengths, is he seems to be above that.
Thank you for saying it so well. I'm having a hard time understanding the lack of generosity myself. Is it all a matter of perspective? I'm just not seeing the same things other people see, I guess, and so for that reason I've decided to (try to)keep my mouth shut. I only wish others would do the same. And the defensiveness! Wow. Let's play nice.
I try not to be defensive in regards to this blog, but it is like my 3rd child! Sometimes I come off as a gruff mama bear, even if I don't intend to. But I do have a lot of respect for those who comment, because people seem pretty well informed.
okbushmans, I hope you understand I didn't mean that you are defensive, but rather other people (like the supporters and pundits you mentioned in your post). I would be defensive about my blog also were I in your position. I really enjoy reading your blog. I admire how well you articulate your opinions and thoughts and especially how well informed you are. Thanks for taking the time to give others something of value to read and think about!
Admittedly I have given my fair share of snide comments. I feel like most of the time I am pretty factual in my response and then I get attacked and assumptions are made and I think, cut me some slack, I don't think I am coming out of left field on everything. I get defensive. I have personally tried to be better about it especially after the "keep your enemies closer.." post on the political moms site. It seemed like everything boiled over at that point. I've always been a direct communicator, it's the East Coast girl in me. So, most of the time I think that my remarks come across sharper than they are meant. Most people would say "Would you like some Ketchup?" I say "Do you want Ketchup or not?"
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