Well, I'm breaking my rule already. This will be a political post, but not as long as I planned, and then I'm gonna throw in a palate cleanser.
I didn't realize how vitriolic the response from certain quarters of the "Right" was to Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama until I followed a link on this post by Gort to a series of comments on freerepublic.com (billed as "Online message boards for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web.") I won't reproduce the comments here, but "hate" barely begins to describe what's been bubbling over there. How the hell will these people react if - when - Obama is elected President?
I met my mom at the supermarket after work to help her finish grocery shopping and get the stuff packed into and hauled out of her car. By the time we got home and I had unloaded the car the news was off, and Inside Edition was on. I was just in time to see this story on Jon Stewart's indignant profanity-laced response to some divisive comments made last week by Sarah Palin, which was followed by a story on angry reactions in some quarters to Alec Baldwin's participation in a skit with special guest Sarah Palin on the most recent Saturday Night Live - by people who felt that Alec Baldwin had "sold out."
There's a lot of anger out there, on both sides. Maybe some of it is justified, maybe some of it is people dropping their masks and revealing their true natures.
I can't wait for this election to be over. Unfortunately, I don't think the hate will end on November 4th.
The narcissistic primarily autobiographical blog of the pseudonymous d.b. echo
DB,
ReplyDeleteWe were probably thinking the same thoughts on the last few days. It is a tad disconcerting some of the stuff that is going on.
I suspect it is going to continue to rise ... these guys had their way for most of my adult life (as depressing as that is).
Hang in there.
Super G
I'm already having mini-panic attacks thinking about election day.
ReplyDeleteSad to say, I'm not innocent...I hate those Repugnicans just as much as they hate me.
Strangely enough, I've been thinking similar thoughts ... that is, about the hate on both sides, and I remember the admonition, love the sinner, hate the sin.
ReplyDeleteMary Ruth: The true spiritual danger, on both sides, is giving in to hate of the other. I've been meditating a lot on that lately, because it is soul-damaging. What works for me: I try always to keep an individual human face on "Democrats." It's easy to hate an abstract concept like Democrats (or Republicans), but much more difficult to hate an individual that you otherwise like just because of their party affiliation.
Bill @ BN
Bill,
ReplyDeleteLike I tell my kids, "hate" is a strong word and emotion. I think there is too much vitriol in the air (and I realize I spew my own), but I generally try to do the same thing ... remember that most people are following their beliefs.
Actually we need a contrast of ideas - more than we get from a two party system I think. I know that I'm not right everything, so having checks and balances are a good thing.
What disturbs me most are blanket misrepresentation and out and out use of violence to intimidate or hate. That woman in OH calling Obama a Muslim and an Arab, probably didn't just make that up on her own. If you can slash tires on cars of Obama supports, you can probably do worse to those damn socialists.
I'm sure none of this is new at all, it just seems like the divisions have been ratcheted up over time.
Super G
I have a friend who lives in Walnut Creek, California. Walnut Creek is probably going to go for Obama, because most of California is; and my friend has an Obama/Biden bumper sticker on her Camry. She was driving the other day, and a "couple of guys" yelled "ugly things" at her; and then, while she was stopped at a light, a well-dressed prosperous looking woman in a well-dressed prosperous car pulled up beside her, rolled down the window, and yelled "Traitor!" at her.
ReplyDeleteMy friend has angrily decided that the bumper sticker stays (not that you can get them off anyway) - but this is just another example of the level of hate we're seeing. And this is California!
I agree with you all that the major effect of hate is to upset the hater's stomach and disturb his/her mind. What disturbs me about the Republican party is the way they seem to feel that the ends - getting McCain elected - justify the means - anything they think they can get away with, like the notice in Virginia (with the official electoral seal yet!) that "due to unusually large voter turnout", Republicans would vote on Tuesday and Democrats on Wednesday...
This has to stop.