Another Thing Ruined
Before I get started I want to take time to honor those who passed 11 years ago today. Not a day goes by that I think of that horrific day. We will never forget those who perished and we will definitely never forget those who sacrificed their lives to try and save others. God Bless.
For those of you that know me well, I don’t deal with absurdity very well. That’s not a bad thing, I don’t think anyone should deal with absurdity well. In my house this year I vowed not to watch one inning of the Red Sox because I felt that the collapse of last year was a sign of things to come and the organization had done its fan base a true disservice, so I decided not to watch. I look pretty good with that decision.
Over the past couple of weeks another tradition that I always took pride in following has absolutely just become so absurd, I can’t stand to watch anymore, and that is the Presidential Election. The absurdity that I see is not even from the candidates. I will actually watch the debates because that is where the true colors of the candidate come out. The conventions did nothing for me, so far as much, I didn’t even watch Mitt Romney’s or President Obama’s acceptance speeches. All the conventions do is rally the bases of each party and spew more spin than a jet engine.
What has turned me off? The Electorate. It has gotten so bad and so divisive, some of the stories you read, and videos you see are just so absurd. Blaming media bias is an old tune and I’m not going to do it, but I do blame the internet (Al Gore, I’m not blaming you here) and social media because it is a shield for peoples comments. Everyone hides behind their blogs, Twitter and Facebook accounts, no matter who they offend. Why? Because someone is voting in the opposite direction of what they are. It’s not a contest. You actually really don’t win anything if the person you support wins, they do.
Four examples turned me off completely
- The video from the Yahoo blogger that said the Romney’s/Republicans “are happy to have a party with black people drowning”. Referring to the Convention going on while Hurricane Isaac was hitting New Orleans during the RNC.
- Reports that during the RNC that a black cameraman from CNN was heckled so much that the hecklers had to be removed. They were throwing nuts at the man and saying “This is how we feed animals.”
- A video that surfaced at the DNC of a woman speaking on how Romney would ruin the country if elected and that if she ever saw him she would “Kill Him”
- This example closed all the doors for me. Musician Nikki Minaj, who happens to be African-American, came out in support of Mitt Romney. The backlash was stomach turning, with physical threats and being called an “Uncle Tom” for supporting Romney.
I read an interesting comment on an article today and I had to use it “Who you cast your vote for is your business and yours alone.”. Amen. I was telling a friend the other day, who obviously has opposite views than I do, “I don’t care who you vote for just as long as you vote.” I will take it further by saying get informed on your own, that means don’t get your views from Twitter, Facebook, MSNBC or Fox News. If you truly want to know the truth review the Library of Congress, The Congressional Budget Office, Department of Labor and Department of Energy.
I long for the time when nobody knew who people voted for unless they were asked. Now it seems to be a pre-requisite to be included into a group or a conversation. Also, if you do happen to have the privilege to vote and do, mark your ballot and have no regrets. Vote FOR someone, not AGAINST someone. A vote for President Obama doesn’t mean that you are a Socialist and support Communism. A Vote for Mitt Romney doesn’t mean that you are a Racist who hates Women. No matter what anyone tells you. Vote your conscience.
With all that said, I look forward to the debates both Presidential and Vice-Presidential and I will leave the Facebooking and Tweeting to the hacks.
3D OUT
Coming Right Atcha