Before you say anything about my touching upon topics I told YOU not to, realize there's a method to my madness and I have my reasons. With the upcoming election, I have noticed a considerable amount of political divisiveness among my friends and have seen and heard things that I had no clue were bouncing around in their heads. These two topics are dominating my Facebook feed and while I understand having strong feelings about these things, I would be remiss if I didn't rip a few of you new assholes regarding the way you are going about it. While it's one thing to have these discussions in the privacy of your home with family and/or friends, it's quite another to go on the internet and make these views known to all. You are on an open forum and with freedom of speech alive and well, anyone and everyone can and will comment, starting disagreements and possibly severing the ties of friendship in the process. Was this your intent?
Since I'm fairly certain you didn't mean to cause this type of chaos, let me help you out. How about we start with politics? Back when most of us were in high school, or just starting college in my case, we all registered to vote. It was pretty fucking huge for me, I can tell you that. Having such strong opinions and a desire to attempt to affect change, voting was something I waited for quite impatiently, especially since I missed the deadline to vote in the 1988 election. Damn being smart and skipping a grade! I wanted to vote! Anyway, we all registered, bright eyed and bushy-tailed with what we thought were very firm stances on many topics and we were going to fix the ills of our nation. At least that's what I believed. Today I know better, and I am confident that most of you do, too. You have no right to complain about the state of our great country if you don't get off your ass and vote. I'd like to say that every vote counts, but we all know that isn't completely true.
Here's what is true, we are entitled to our opinions and to vote according to our conscience without fear of repercussion. We don't have to agree, we simply have to respect other people's right to to disagree. However, as I scroll down my feed, I see this just isn't the case. Angry people, with mob mentalities, attacking others for not sharing the same love for their candidate. Guess what? We don't have to like the same one. I can hate your choice for President and you can abhor mine, and that's ok. What's not ok are the vicious comments I'm seeing directed at who I thought were friends based solely upon this year's election. What the fuck happened to everyone? I'm seeing sides of people I never wanted to and frankly, didn't know existed. As I watch the debate, I am further convinced of my choice to vote for my candidate. Notice I haven't mentioned WHO my candidate is to you? Because it's none of your goddamn business. Plus, I don't feel obligated to explain my decision to you or argue the point.
Religion. Part of the driving force determining for whom half of you will vote this year. Separation of church and state, have you forgotten this bit of information you learned so many years ago? "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only and not opinions, I contemplate with solemn reverence that Act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State." This quote can be credited to Thomas Jefferson in his letter to the Danbury Baptist Association. Does this sound familiar to you?
Here's the deal. Choosing a presidential candidate has nothing to do with your religious beliefs or lack thereof. I'm Roman Catholic and have been since birth and I can tell you that my religious beliefs are quite contrary to my political beliefs. They are separate and distinct entities and never the twain shall meet in mind or my heart. While I may believe in following the Ten Commandments, I still don't want anyone but me deciding what to do with my body. I saw a fantastic sign in a You Tube video today, and I have to share the sentiment with you. Keep your rosaries off of my ovaries. Truer words on the topic I've not heard. You Don't Own Me, have a listen for yourself. As women, we have to protect our rights more strongly than ever. Repealing Roe v Wade would be catastrophic in 2012. Ask yourself these questions. If your fourteen year old daughter told you she was pregnant, what would you do? What if she told you it was the result of rape? Think before you make snap decisions regarding MY body. Cutting funding to Planned Parenthood and inevitably denying access to proper birth control will perpetuate a vicious cycle...more unplanned pregnancies. And so on, and so on. Pro life or Pro Choice, make that decision quietly on your own, but consider the ramifications should one reign supreme over the other.
Back to religion. I've told you in the past, I don't care what you believe or if you do. What really frosts my cookies are people who have chosen to believe in nothing yet judge me negatively because I do have beliefs. I could go on and on about how you are going to hell and how choices you make now will affect your eternity, but I won't. Why? Because I'd never presume to foist my beliefs upon you forcefully or with malice. Somehow, a lack of faith seems to give you the right to shove science down my throat and insist that it is the only way of thinking. Maybe that works for you. Maybe you use your non-belief to justify your current behavior and it allows you to live a life of unmindful debauchery with a clear conscience. More power to you, have at it. Posting incessant scientific links and articles and photos trying to tell those of us who are members of organized religion that we are stupid, unthinking, uneducated boobs is offensive and only serves to display your own lack of intelligence. Truly intelligent people understand that everyone is different and are able to accept those differences gracefully without trying to force homogeneity. Big word? Look it up, shitheel.
Now that I've done what I specifically told you not to do, feel free to shake your heads in disbelief and judge me harshly for being a hypocrite. I've forced your hand. But now that it is all out in the open, my opinions included, think about why I had no choice but to write this. Stop posting all of this bullshit all over the internet! Being entitled to an opinion doesn't mean nonstop blather online and filling page after page with what you think is proof of your political choices. It also doesn't mean you are allowed to be cruel and judgmental about what someone believes or doesn't believe. When you insist upon standing in judgment of others, perched upon your self-appointed pedestal, spewing venomous trash daily, you show us all your true self...and it ain't pretty. Harshly opinionated people are rarely attractive, the hate shows all over your face. It totally explains the way many of you look. The ugliness in your words imprints itself on your appearance, there's no escape. Even if you pretend to be sweet and magnanimous, we'll see your ugly from a mile away, and cross the street to avoid you. Like my dad used to say, "Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one, and most of them stink." Does the shoe fit? It should. Are you friggin kidding me right now???
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