Live and Let Live???

Why do people change so much during election season, or, is this what they're really like and just fake it the rest of the time?

I have no problem having an intelligent discussion with anyone on just about any topic.  My understanding of an intelligent discussion is when two or more people talk about a specific subject, and they all bring up different points, opinions, and share these with each other.  You don't have to agree with all of it, but that's where the "intelligent" part comes to play.  It's alright to disagree with someone, and when that happens you usually say something like, "Hmmm, that's very interesting.  I don't agree but we can agree to disagree", or, "I've never heard that before, interesting."  No one is offended, no harm done, life goes on.  If a topic becomes offensive or uncomfortable for me to talk about, I'll probably excuse myself from the discussion by saying, "I'm really not comfortable talking about this", and just leave.

With my family, I'll usually just tell one of them to, "Shut it" or yell other things, have a tantrum and go into the other room.  That's how my brother's and I converse.  Generally, no one is offended, and it's all hugs and laughing in an hour or two.

Now that it's almost Election Day, more and more people are spewing hate like a good old fashioned "spit-take".  You remember, the old TV shows where Ricky takes a sip of coffee just as Lucy comes in the room doing her Lucy thing.  Ricky spits out the coffee all over the room.  People I've known for years, people I considered (notice the past tense) friends, people from church - they're all talking garbage about different candidates.  Some of my favorites:

*How can you vote for (fill in blank) and call yourself a Christian?
*(fill in candidate's name) wants to kill babies.
*Your so stupid for following (candidate) so blindly.
*She's a horrible person.  I heard it on the news.
*I'm sorry you plan to vote for (candidate).  I'm unfriending you from my Facebook.

Most of what people are posting on Facebook, and writing to the local papers about is just bits and pieces of words they've been able to pull together from the media and other people they've spoken with.  Add a picture and there ya' go - it now becomes a fact.  No, it's still bullcrap. 

If Governor Romney is a Mormon, who cares?  How is that going to affect me or his policies should he become President?  If anything, I appreciate the fact that he believes in a Higher Power to help him in his daily life.  If President Obama is a Muslim, (and I don't believe he is) who cares?  Same questions as before.  How's it going to affect me or his policies?

My point is, we don't know any of these candidates personally.  We know what the media says we know.  There are a few of us that try to read about it all from a few unbiased sources, but that is really hard to find.  I don't mind having a discussion about either one, or the issues, but don't threaten to kick my butt or pray for me because I have a different belief or opinion than you do.

Recently, I had a woman tell me the Democratic Party is just evil and God will get all of them for who they are and what they stand for.  On the subject of Homosexuality, though, she believes it's something that happens to someone and they can't help it.  "Live and let live."  So in politics, if you don't believe a certain way, you're going to hell.  In issues of morality, though, it's ok, you can't help it.  What am I missing here?

I'll never understand the hate.  Some of the Facebook posts out there are just horrible.  From both sides, not just one party or from one specific group. 

Once the election is over, after everything's been counted and the winners declared, I'll still feel the same way I do about who I voted for, and what issues were important to me.  I'll also remember the people with the hate and those relationships will end.  I don't need the negative energy in my life.  Oh I'm sure they'll be all, "happy happy joy joy" but they can do it without me.  I've seen their true selves and that's type of person is one I'll vote against every time.
 

Childhood

A friend asked me today, "Did you have a happy childhood?"

This made me stop and think about it.  Did I have a happy childhood?

I was born in the late 60's so I was a child in the 70's and a teen in the 80's.
Didn't we all have a great time back then?

We didn't worry about the environment, it was there then, it's here now, it will still be around for our grand kids.  You don't have to be a tree huggin' hippie to know that.  Our TV only had 3 channels and a UHF knob.  We watched our favorite shows every evening, and cartoons every Saturday morning.  It didn't destroy our brains, make us numb, or psychotic.  We did play outside, but if we had the cool toys back then that they have today, we would have done the same thing kids do today.  Play with them - inside.  We all played outside and unsupervised, but there weren't the perverts trolling the playgrounds with tootsie rolls like there are now.  If someone asked you for help looking for their puppy, you helped - you didn't have to run the other way.  Our holidays were great, lots of decorations and no "Keep Christ in Christmas" signs all over the place.  We didn't need them.  Everybody knew Christmas was about Jesus birth.  There were Nativity scenes in every yard and window.  We went to school every day, and every class had a bully.  By the end of the school year the bully had been taken care of on the playground by playground rules.  No one called the kids parents, no one tattled.  What happened on the playground, stayed on the playground.  If we were bad in school we were punished when we got home.  If we were bad anywhere, we were punished when we got home.  I'm talking about real punishment, a spank or worse - grounded, or even worse - no phone - that one would almost kill me.  Our parents didn't hover, they let us learn by our own stupidity.  "Don't put the butter knife in the outlet."  "Ok", we'd yell as we put the butter knife in the outlet, got zapped, and ran outside.  We never dropped the "F" bomb.  There were some things we just never did.  We went to church, ate dinner with the family at the kitchen table, and put the flag out on every holiday.

The more I think about it, I would have to answer yes.  I had a good childhood.  We laughed a lot, cried a little, and the 4 of us (my brothers and me) fought like the Stooges from time to time.  One thing was a constant, we were loved.  Our mom hugged us often, tucked us in at night, and always told us she loved us.  Yes, I had a good childhood, and hope someday, when he's asked, my son will say the same thing.