The past few agonizing months of eroding election season and poisonous politics has left me (and I'm sure countless others) exhausted, defeated, and frankly... annoyed. I am grateful for the privilege to have a voice in our democracy, but I'm overwhelmed with the hatred and accusations and overall judgement that has followed an extremely controversial political season. For a solid year I teetered back and forth between the two major candidates; neither encompassed my ideals or represented who I am, and both left a bad taste in my mouth. I struggled to pledge my vote right up until election day, and in the end, I voted for a third party candidate (because I know you were on pins and needles trying to guess which way I went ;). Actually, who I am politically is quickly graying. I'm not liberal, that's for sure, but I'm not the tea-party conservative I used to be either. In some ways, I envy people who can be so black-and-white (about everything). They seem confident that how they view the world and the opinions they have formed are right, no matter who disagrees and no matter who they hurt. In most areas of my life, I have always lived in the gray. It's not that I don't know what I believe, or that I'm easily swayed; I think it's more that I believe that people don't see the world as it is; we see it as we are. I can't understand the experiences or circumstances outside my own sphere of life. How could I? All of my experiences, circumstances, upbringing, and biology is specific only to me (and maybe my brother). It's not that I think truth is relative either. It's just that I acknowledge that maybe I'm wrong, and maybe I don't have all the answers.
Facebook and social media are absolute bedlam with people posting, trolling, and instigating arguments over anything, really. I'm not saying people shouldn't fight for what they believe. I'm not saying we should ignore injustice and inequality. I'm not even saying we should all try to agree. I just wonder if it will be possible to get back to the point where we see one another as humans again. As people who may disagree and see the world differently, but as people who genuinely think that those around them are doing what they think is right. I know some incredible loving, kind, just, passionate liberals, and I know incredibly kind, just, loving and passionate conservatives. I know devoted and sacrificial pro-choice men and women, and I know honorable and doting pro-life men and women. I respect and admire people who think our borders should be forever open to anyone, and I respect and admire those who think we need to tighten things up to make our own nation the best it can be. I'm not ignorant to the arguments on either side of either camp on any issue. Maybe it's because I live in that gray, but I have a hard time handling the negativity and bitterness. It's exhausting. It's demoralizing. And it's unnerving. As far as I'm concerned, no one wins when our nation remains divided by hate. And both sides are guilty. Both sides should be ashamed.
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