I have been sorely disappointed in members of my own party who have fired salvos against each other solely because of the candidate they chose.
I have never called Clinton supporters by any other epithet. But I have seen Obamabots and many other derogatory terms lobbed at me and others who share my belief that Obama would be the better president.
I also do not approve of the term "Rethuglicans" or "repugs" because those too are fellow citizens.
Anyone who throws such names arounds shows 1) they are childish, 2) they do not respect our Democracy, which not only allows but REQUIRES us to have differences of opinion, and 3) are stabbing their own party in the heart.
Why would anyone do that?
Seriously, why would someone want to alienate half the party? Why would one want to put down the very voters you'll need in the fall should your candidate win?
I know they're upset. I know they feel their candidate has been treated unfairly. If there's anything I've learned as I've gotten older, it's that life isn't fair, and it's silly to expect it to be.
Please. Can we all just get along? And I do mean ALL, not just Democrats. We are each of us both a part of society and a maker of it. We can reflect the nastiness around us, or we can choose NOT to reflect it, to enlighten those around us, to do as my chosen candidate does - acknowledge missteps, return ill will with good will, and adhere to the high road.
It's not easy, and anyone knows I have fallen from that road more than I want to admit. But I see the road, and keep trying to find my way back to it. That is the road I want to follow. And while names will never hurt me, they hurt the namecaller immensely.
The only way we're going to get universal healthcare, for example, will not be by electing the right president, but rather, by pulling together in a single direction.
We can argue over whether mandates are right or wrong until we're blue in the face, when what we all really need is single payer.
What are the obstacles to us getting there?
- Insurance company lobbyists who own too many people on the Hill.
- Doctors and medical professionals who think this means pay cuts, longer hours, and reduced care. In other words, a lack of education.
- US. By our infighting and bickering, we're not moving the debate forward. If instead of taking the time to blog cheap shots, more time was spent reading and discussing issues, not people, the debate would move forward, and solutions would eventually emerge.
I learned again from Obama that it's okay to be wrong. He'll just admit error and move on, difusing a situation entirely. I know people who will argue a wrong position just because it's too painful to concede defeat. Let it go. This isn't about any of our egos. This is about our collective well being, and we can't get that if we act too much from our individual interests.
I've swallowed the attacks and refuse to respond in kind. But I do want to speak up, to those who may have simply not stopped to think about what they are doing. There are always those with a nasty, immature, or outright mean streak who will spew bile. But I'd like to think most of us can rise above that.
I'll keep trying, myself.
Thanks for listening.
UPDATE: One of the commentors pointed out that I neglected to call out Obama supporters who hurl names at Clinton supporters. I've not noticed that primarily because I tend to gravitate to the pro-Obama diaries. But I deplore that as well. As I said, I have not engaged in that behavior and I would ask fellow Obama supporters to resist any such temptations as well.