Well Shut My Mouth, Please
When I was a young teen, my Daddy took me out to dinner, just the two of us, to The Plantation Inn. It was, at one time, the place for an excellent buffet, receptions and showers, but is now a memory, long lost to progress, strip malls and parking lots. I was surprised that Daddy would take me out for no reason, and I was pretty much in awe. During dinner, the table behind us was occupied by a group of business men discussing politics. Daddy couldn't help himself. He turned around, and joined in the conversation, and fascinated, I sat back with my slices of Virginia ham and mashed potatoes, and watched.
The conversation was lively, the disagreements were many, and yet, not once did any of these gentlemen name call, or show what my Daddy would call a lack of character. They didn't agree, they conceded on a few beliefs, and they had a good time. My father told me when they left, he shouldn't have gotten involved. He told me that you don't discuss politics or religion, and only death and taxes were a sure thing, along with love, happiness, and sorrow. These days, I shouldn't join in any political debate in public, and I think I'm finally starting to learn to "shut my mouth," to an extent, on social media.
What the heck has happened to us? People are put in boxes. If you're a Democrat, you're a socialist, commie, conspiracy welding, back stabbing thug. Should you be Republican, you must be a racist, a greed monger, and an apathetic non science believing fool. Libertarians are placed in the just crazy category from what I've seen of the name calling on social media, and an Independent just doesn't have enough common sense to make a stand for a party. During this time of the Pandemic, we all have become more divisive. Blame abounds, it's this one who is at fault, or that one, it's all on the Democrats, it's all on the Republicans, and shame, shame, shame on us.
The memes are outrageous. Examples: Nancy Pelosi's face surrounding a urinal, and a man relieving himself into what would be a picture of her mouth. Trump pictured with a naked Putin behind him, and I can't even go there. Men who claim to respect women with T-shirts saying they'd "do" Monica. Even the children of politicians are not considered untouchable. Mocking and ugly memes are the new normal, name calling and judgement are somehow now acceptable. Pardon me, but what the heck people? This is common, coarse, low-down-dirty, and quite frankly, wrong, and it solves NOTHING.
My Mama would have spit out her heavily sugared coffee, and my Daddy would have socked the first person who disrespected a woman. Think of what your children are seeing, I know my parents did. The Plantation Inn is gone, and it sometimes feels as though we have lost civility, empathy, and the willingness to make an effort to be kind to each other. I hope for all of us, regardless of what box people think we should all be in. I don't care about your politics so much as I do about your actions and your words. I'm just going to carry on with the memory of what a spirited, respectful difference of opinion should look like, and hope.
The conversation was lively, the disagreements were many, and yet, not once did any of these gentlemen name call, or show what my Daddy would call a lack of character. They didn't agree, they conceded on a few beliefs, and they had a good time. My father told me when they left, he shouldn't have gotten involved. He told me that you don't discuss politics or religion, and only death and taxes were a sure thing, along with love, happiness, and sorrow. These days, I shouldn't join in any political debate in public, and I think I'm finally starting to learn to "shut my mouth," to an extent, on social media.
What the heck has happened to us? People are put in boxes. If you're a Democrat, you're a socialist, commie, conspiracy welding, back stabbing thug. Should you be Republican, you must be a racist, a greed monger, and an apathetic non science believing fool. Libertarians are placed in the just crazy category from what I've seen of the name calling on social media, and an Independent just doesn't have enough common sense to make a stand for a party. During this time of the Pandemic, we all have become more divisive. Blame abounds, it's this one who is at fault, or that one, it's all on the Democrats, it's all on the Republicans, and shame, shame, shame on us.
The memes are outrageous. Examples: Nancy Pelosi's face surrounding a urinal, and a man relieving himself into what would be a picture of her mouth. Trump pictured with a naked Putin behind him, and I can't even go there. Men who claim to respect women with T-shirts saying they'd "do" Monica. Even the children of politicians are not considered untouchable. Mocking and ugly memes are the new normal, name calling and judgement are somehow now acceptable. Pardon me, but what the heck people? This is common, coarse, low-down-dirty, and quite frankly, wrong, and it solves NOTHING.
My Mama would have spit out her heavily sugared coffee, and my Daddy would have socked the first person who disrespected a woman. Think of what your children are seeing, I know my parents did. The Plantation Inn is gone, and it sometimes feels as though we have lost civility, empathy, and the willingness to make an effort to be kind to each other. I hope for all of us, regardless of what box people think we should all be in. I don't care about your politics so much as I do about your actions and your words. I'm just going to carry on with the memory of what a spirited, respectful difference of opinion should look like, and hope.
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