I would submit that we in this country live in the most tolerant era since humans began living in communities. If you name a group of people who had been ostracized at one time or another, they are no longer expected to stay in the background and quietly accept hate…they are coming forward and rightfully expecting to be treated just like everyone else.
Now, we can have the argument that maybe the dial has gone past center and that many of these groups are now given preferential protections. I believe that the term “hate crime” is one of the most divisive and unnecessary labels we have devised. I have made my point on this before, but if someone were to walk into a bar and shoot up the place…why would he get a lighter sentence than a person who walks in and shoots up a church? If the outcome is the same, the sentence and punishment should be as well…no?
All that said, we are teaching tolerance and working to eradicate prejudice and hate. Our televisions are loaded with diversity and acceptance. Any state or locality that passes a law that in any way inhibits the rights of any group is suddenly under attack. These are all good things…though, it would be better if we didn’t have to classify everybody as something…but, maybe we will get there someday.
So, in this new world of love and acceptance, the only thing we are allowed to not tolerate is blind hatred…except in one instance. Oddly, it is apparently acceptable to hate and prejudge people based on political party. Don’t you find it strange that the very same person who tells you that you have to accept a lifestyle that makes you uncomfortable turns around and hates someone because of their politics…politics which make them uncomfortable?
These people who proclaim that we must love all and that prejudice is never acceptable…are the same that prejudge those on the other side of the political fence. Anyone who voted for Trump is a now a bigot who supports racism and misogyny, while anyone who voted Hillary supports corruption.
Why is this type of hatred and prejudice acceptable? Why must we accept someone with differing religious views from ours, but not political? Isn’t that strange? Christians can’t hate Jews…but Republicans can outwardly hate Democrats…or vice-versa? If I call you an idiot for believing in a certain religion, than I am a bigot…but not if I call you an idiot for following a political ideology?
We need to stop being so filled with rage about the “other side” and see that there are salient points on both sides.
For example…Is the ACA (Obamacare) perfect? No…do an estimated 20 million more people have coverage? Yes…do many people pay more than they used to? Yes. Can you see why some think that 20 million more covered is good? Can you not also see why some think that those that are paying more to cover the load may not be so good?
There is an answer somewhere in the middle. Neither side has it worked out perfectly…which is why they need to start “opening their ears” like we teach kindergarten students…and actually hear the points being made instead of rushing to condemn.
Question for my Democrat friends: Why shouldn’t health insurance companies be allowed to charge more to people based on past information? OK…Why then, is my auto insurance company allowed to charge more for my teenagers? It isn’t their fault they are teenagers…and before you say it isn’t a necessity…in every state except NH, we are forced to carry auto insurance. NH has it right…if you can prove that you can afford to pay for an at-fault accident, you don’t need insurance. That is a great model…
Back to the question…I am charged more to cover my children because of statistics for teen drivers. Shouldn’t a health insurance company be allowed to make the same choices? What if we opened it up to true competition…someone would want to write that business…just like the auto insurers. Or…If I have 4 accidents on my record and switch companies, shouldn’t they be allowed to base their rates on my prior information?
Republicans: Have you ever met someone who had to declare bankruptcy because of an ill child? Shouldn’t we have something in place to prevent this? Should someone be forced to cause the rest of his family to suffer to pay for his child’s medical care? If you haven’t seen the effects, they are devastating and hard to watch.
I am not claiming to have all the answers…as stated, they exist…somewhere in the middle. Compromise will need to happen…*all* people will have to share in the pros and the cons and help shoulder the burden. This process can’t only benefit one side of the coin…when the Democrats shoved this through, while the Republicans screamed bloody murder but couldn’t stop it, didn’t they stop to think that when given the chance, the Republicans would come out full force to get rid of it?
Maybe we could learn a valuable lesson here…because the Republicans were left out, they are going to use their new majority powers to force their agenda on the American people and 4-8-12 years from now…whenever the Democrats get the majority again…we will go through the same thing all over. This would be a perfect opportunity to sit down together and work out a plan with compromises from both sides and work towards the future of America (the jobs they were elected for) and not furthering a political agenda. What better lesson for the young people of our country could there be?
Politics is one area where we as a nation can’t afford to allow for this hate to exist. When two sides play tug-of-war with politics, no one wins. Picture a rowboat…one side is Republicans, the other Democrats…both rowing in opposite directions…the boat spins in circles…we will never get anywhere.
We teach our children to compromise and work together…shouldn’t we (and our politicians, media, etc…) be following that same example? We are supposed to be developing open minds and and an acceptance of other’s beliefs…at least I certainly hope we are, since my political beliefs are shared by only 7% of the US and my religious beliefs by only about 3%…
If you choose to not associate with me because we differ on those core beliefs, that is your right and I’ll be sad to see you go (I am just saying that to be nice, I won’t actually be sad). But in a time before anyone had heard of the term, “culture appropriation”…people used to come together and learn about the differences and similarities between them and celebrate both. Example: Japanese people developed a desire for blue jeans while we learned to enjoy sushi and Pokemon. Today, a white person with dreadlocks (yes, they are technically not dreadlocks as white people hair won’t do the same, but you know what I mean) comes under attack for appropriating the culture instead of being respected for their willingness to embrace another culture. Weirdly, at the same time when black people straighten their hair…that isn’t appropriation? Am I appropriating when I eat sushi? Are my Japanese friends appropriating when they wear blue jeans? Of course not…and now you see how silly it all sounds…
Coming back from tangent land, here is my point…there isn’t supposed to be room for prejudice and hate between people of varying opinions. This country is supposed to thrive on our differences. When people work together, ideas are shared and the best ones can be put forward. When we don’t, we get only the ideas that one side has to offer…and they may not be best for all (or any) of us. Neither side of the political argument has all the right answers…
Don’t hate your Republican neighbor…they probably don’t mock the disabled or hate women and don’t hate your Democrat neighbor…they probably don’t support foreign governments purchasing political favors. Our government can’t be about one man cementing his legacy and another trying to tear it down, it needs to be about one government working together to cement our future as a nation.
Above the Nonsense 