Have you ever sat and read the things on a public bathroom urinal or stall dividers. You can find some of the most cruel, heartless, and, most of the time, ridiculous dribble that can be found in ink. I always expect something new when venturing to the public restroom, but I never expected their to be anything like the political hate I saw today.
I glanced over and on the top of the next urinal divider over the ingraving (yes it was carved in) said "shoot republicans". You can imagine my suprise. I hoped, if he were still there, the man couldn't see my more or less republican standing by the way I was relieving myself. Just underneath that, however, was another statment, though in permenent marker this time, and it read " Spoken like a true pussy gay duchebag liberal."
This was out of hand. That these men think that they can call themselves part of these parties, when anyone with a high enough standing to actually judge them professionaly in that respect would never allow them to associate with them or their supporters, was almost sickening. Then, to top it off, there was a hastily scribbled " written by an asshole bush lover," just underneath the last scrawl.
I sat there staring and I finally took out my pencil and wrote beside all of it "look at what happens when our people our divided."I cant remember who it was that said that seperating congress by the two parties would be the downfall of this country, I believe it was Benjamin Franklin. Whoever said it seems to be right.
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It is humorus how simple american ways are what divides this country. Political parties, races, jobs, religions and many other things. Theres no way this economy will ever be undivided. I just dont see it happening.
Excellent points. Benjamin Franklin probably had a quote- I'm not familiar with it- but if it helps, I know that George Washington's farewell address warned against falling victim to a bipartisan system.
Your blog discusses what is, in my opinion, one of the most unpleasant aspects of politics- attacks on character instead of focus on the issues. I laughed at your bathroom debater's use of the term "liberal" as an inherently negative word. Our nation's politics, on the big spectrum that includes every form of government, is pretty much on the left (liberal) side. Different use of the word, but both of our major parties stem from that use.
Thumbs up on your response. I just hope people can see the pencil writing as clearly as the ink.
Thumbs up on your response. I just hope people can see the pencil writing as clearly as the ink
I was worried about that, it came out nice and dark.
Any kind of dividing of the country is not good. The problem is, people don't believe things uniformly. Some Americans are Christian and don't believe in killing unborn children. Some are not, and think a child isn't a child until it can walk, talk, and vote. Some people are Christian and think that, as the bible clearly says, marriage is when one man takes one woman to wife and they cleave unto each other and forsake all others for the rest of their natural lives, while others think any kind of a lay that sticks around until morning, or maybe a couple months or even years, is worth calling a "husband" or "wife."
The people themselves are divided. Some people are of a more liberal nature and think people should be left up to their own, imperfect devices and should do whatever it is that makes them happy at the time and should blame the world, their parents, their church leaders, and their childhood for their inability to accept the consequences of their behaviors, and others are more conservative and believe that good should be rewarded, bad punished, and everyone should at least be held accountable for the things that are obviously their fault.
Giving these two very different groups of people their own representation is probably the best thing that could be done. Think of the obvious parallels there are. There is good and evil, and nothing is gray. It is either good, or not good. There is fun and there is not fun. There is wet and there is dry. There is light and there is dark.
It is not the two parties that cause the problem, my friend. It is all those who sit on the fence, unwilling to take a stand and vote one way or the other. It is all those who want to "stand out" from the crowd, who claim by not affiliating with one of these two parties, they are somehow helping America with their diversity, that are causing the biggest problems today. It is these Libertarians, or Independents, or all these other "groups" that back these obscure candidates that are going to mess things up for the only real candidates we have. These people are going to hang this election by not sticking with these two parties. And we're the ones who will suffer for it.
I'm not sure if it's uncouth to post two comments on one blog if one is just responding to another comment, but hopefully I've at least rewarded both well-written arguments with another page view?
I'm not quite sure that I agree with this argument because of how it polarizes the parties. These two parties have not existed from the nation's inception, nor have they been polar opposites. In the 1860s, the modern-day "Bible Belt" (term not used to cast a positive or negative light) was mostly Democrats, and Abraham Lincoln, who was the progressive and liberal (relatively speaking) leader, was Republican. Up until FDR's presidency, that was how it was, but he was a Democrat and used government to give the economy a much-needed boost. Since then, Democrats have been the liberal party in America.
I tend to agree with James Madison, who argued that factions, while not ideal, are human nature, and it is necessary for many of them to exist. The term he used was the "tyranny of the majority," in describing one large faction overtaking all of government. You do make a great point that third parties, in elections, usually just end up taking votes from one of the major two. But I believe that one of the primary goals of our form of government is to allow the most representative leader, party notwithstanding, to lead. Third parties, if formed well enough, are a good way to further the accomplishment of this goal because it means that we aren't picking between only two parties that aren't polar opposites.
Good, evil? Wet and dry this is how you see the political parties, as one right and one wrong? It is not those who sit by and dont declare a party that is this countries problem, though its definatly not the solution. Its those who are so blinded by righteousness that they believe that they are right and when someone says something contradictory to their absolute truth they become angry and write things about each other on bathroom stalls. To say someone is wrong becase they are breaking the norm? That because they arn't with you or against you, but because they would rather not be either of you and yet work together with each of you, this is what is wrong with the country? This cant be what you mean so I will wait untill you wish to clarify what you actually meant then I will provide and actual rebuttle.
If only I didn't agree that all third partiy candidates were pointless, but as for messing things up, I don't see how. Mcain, Obama and Hillary are all iddentical, except McCain is a little crazier war-wise, and Obama and Clinto are a little crazier economically speaking.
And "Some Americans are Christian and don't believe in killing unborn children. Some are not, and think a child isn't a child until it can walk, talk, and vote." and "Some people are Christian and think that, as the bible clearly says, marriage is when one man takes one woman to wife and they cleave unto each other and forsake all others for the rest of their natural lives, while others think any kind of a lay that sticks around until morning, or maybe a couple months or even years, is worth calling a "husband" or "wife.""
aren't very christian ways of putting things. That's exactly the kind of thing that divides the people even more. Whoever disagrees with me is evil and ridiculous and insane. Great.
"-bah!! Pardon the "bah!" I feel several "bahs!", but out of courtesy I only say one."
H.P. Lovecraft
We kinda hit that guys pretty hard, huh. Well, at least I know I'm not alone in think the argument was ridiculious.