Practicing political tolerance.
September 8, 2011
I’m having a hard time.
Every 4 years the flashiest sporting event comes around – yes. The presidential elections.
And every year it gets a little harder for me to keep my mouth shut.
After all, how can people believe THIS or THAT?
Did they not do the math?
Not read between the lines?
Not spend hours fact-checking to make sure they had the facts of the matter before spreading their opinion around sheep-like?
And the emails. Dear heavens. The emails.
Political forwards, sent from family member to family member – and eventually to me.
Only. I don’t agree.
I’ve never agreed.
I don’t believe that all immigrants should HAVE to speak English before gaining citizenship or residency status. I’m rather glad my ancestors weren’t held to that standard or I’d have ended up in a completely different place. How egocentric is it that folks feel that folks trying to make a better life for themselves should learn our language to make things easier on US?
And.
Yes.
Outbursts like that.
So I take deep breaths and mute conversations that get me too worked up.
I pass on responding to many comments that seem so ignorant to me.
Politics aside, people deserve to have opinions, whether based upon their research or not.
They can base it on a clown’s nose stuffed up a dog’s butt if they want to and you know what?
I still need to respect their right to voice their opinion without forcing them to swallow mine.
And that is what I’m trying like HELL to remember.
Progress.
January 28, 2010
I didn’t listen to the State of the Union last night.
I had no intentions of doing so and was in bed by 8pm.
The truth is…
I don’t think the President can be that effective in the changes he’s trying to make – changes that I agree with – as the plan currently stands.
There has to be a starting point and well… moving the mountain isn’t necessarily the best starting point to choose.
For one, you have to gather workers to help you move the mountain. Then you have to motivate them to move it. You have to have a plan to give them to help them help you move it. And you have to have a plan on how to feed them, provide shelter for them, etc. while you’re moving said mountain – after all, it takes more than a day to move one and your workers WILL have to eat.
Then. You have to coordinate that food. And the shelter… and you keep coordinating with people and plans until you’re down to the smallest of details because without those details in place, the mountain CANNOT be moved.
So. My point is, why not start by moving a rock, just to show folks it can be done? Get a little positive karma on your side – after all, it couldn’t HURT.
You see… We’re living in a country where you can’t MARRY someone of the same sex but many times you CAN add them to your health insurance policy. The insurance companies and businesses are trying to avoid cries of discrimination but the States are advocating it?!
And where a married man and woman can work themselves to the bone and not be able to carry insurance for their own health because it’s too expensive or too much of a pain for their company to even try to deal with. And if they’re self-employed or have some major pre-existing condition… such as needing Prozac for anxiety, FORGET it.
After all, what insurance company would want to risk insuring someone that took the time out to see a doctor about a problem, was then prescribed an anti-anxiety/depression pill and TOOK it, of all things, before it turned into a more serious dilemma? That irresponsible uninsurable person!
Even still… We’re living in a country right now that has basically had its ass kicked by the economy.
Your average Joe might be worried about healthcare, but HIS healthcare. Not mine. Not yours.
He might be worried about how YOUR healthcare is going to affect his finances… but not whether or not you can get help by going to your local family practitioner.
For him, it may be just that simple.
In short, Yes. I see the mountain.
It’s there.
It’s blocking my view and everything.
It bothers me every bit as much as it bothers you.
I want that mountain moved.
I would like it moved now.
I just can’t quite figure out how to get to the mountain to start pushing with all these stupid rocks in the way.
