I do not want to be political.  I prefer to stay out of political discussions, because at this time in the history of my existence, I have found these conversations to either be full of camaraderie or vitriol based on whether someone agrees or disagrees with you.

The problem with conversations about politics, is that when people are so diametrically opposed on different points, civil discussion is impossible.  I have heard friends of mine speak of the animosity between family members when they are trying to celebrate holidays, because of their different political views.  Thankfully, I do not have that problem in my immediate family because we agree with each other.  (Sigh.)

Political parties are unable to compromise with each other.  There is no true governmental process going on due to the fact that people feel so strongly that they are right and the other person is wrong.  They do not want to discuss issues with one another.  They do not want to listen to the other side.  Compromise is impossible without listening.

And then there are the political websites that make like-minded people band with each other to vilify the opposing faction.  And there are right and left news outlets as well.  Those with the most money often win elections because they have the power to jam  the airwaves with their brand of propaganda.  Ads and websites and news outlets stretch the truth and sometimes even lie to put their ideas into the heads of the viewers.  It’s a tactic that was used by anti-communist Senator McCarthy, to lie to the public, and then if necessary retract those false statements because the retraction would be put on a back page of the newspaper. He knew that the first statement in the headlines would stick in people’s minds when they were plastered on the front page.  Retractions were rarely seen until it was too late for people wrongly accused to gain their lives back.  Lives were ruined because of his false statements.

Unfortunately, ads are rarely fact-checked.  In fact, most people don’t even want to check them out.  People prefer to think that the facts are right when they agree with them or would just like disregard those things that don’t agree with them.

I have my feelings and opinions about the issues but am not going to share them here, because that is not what this blog is about.  But, if the opportunity arises where a forum of participants would agree to listen to each other and seriously try to understand each other, I would welcome the chance to do so.  We are all in this together, like it or not.  I’d like to think that good people on both sides of the political spectrum would work together for the good of all.