I'm QuirkyMe and I Approve This Message

I can't believe what transpired this afternoon.  I was just sitting around on facebook looking at my newsfeed when another bit of political "humor" appeared.  The person (at the time, a friend) who posted the picture had been posting things similar to this for days if not weeks.  It was bashing the candidate that they are against.  Not my cup of tea but if that's the way you want to express yourself, who am I to judge.  The problem arose when a friend of mine made a comment stating her opposing opinion.  Said person immediately began an argument with her.  She continued bashing the opposition calling the candidate an "idiot".  I agreed with the commenter so I "liked" her comment.  They went back and forth again.  I "liked" the commenter's comment again.  She had valid points.  The conversation quickly took a nasty turn but only on one side.  The person who posted the picture was belittling and accusing and many other not-so-nice things.  I was appalled.  This person who I thought was a friend, was verbally attacking another friend - a friend I agreed with.  I have never seen cyber-bullying before but I definitely witnessed it today.  The attacker's friend joined in and together they tag teamed my friend until she was at a loss for words.  She stood her ground as best she could but the harassment was just too much.  She tried numerous times to politely end the conversation but those two mocked her until she felt compelled to speak up for herself again.  Eventually it ended and my friend (the commenter) realized that the attacker had blocked her and deleted her as a friend.  Then I realized that she had done the same to me.  Guilty by association I guess.  I don't know.  All I know is these were grown women.  When I think of cyber-bullying, I tend to think teens but now I know better.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion and agreeing to disagree (as my friend had suggested) is a means not of backing down and admitting you are wrong but respecting another's opinion.  These people had their opinion and everyone else was wrong.  What happened to freedom of speech and freedom of choice.  There are other opinions than yours out there and it is rude to think otherwise.  I am still in shock as to what happened.  To unfriend someone over their political opinions.  Hello, I was reading your political crap for weeks before this whole incident.  And what happened to supporting the candidate that you want to win instead of just bashing the one you don't like.  I just don't understand hate.  I will not hate this woman because of what she did.  It confuses me and baffles me but I will not hate her.  Judgement is something I leave to my God.  It is God's place to be the one to judge not me.  All I know is I won't hate her but I won't tolerate her bullying either.  Bullying has no place in this world.  Find another way to feed your desire for power.  If its this bad with grown adults, I can't even begin to know what teens and children deal with.  And for them there is often no way to unfriend someone.  They often have to deal with their bullies every day, day after day.  So if you are being bullied know that it is not right.  Speak up and speak out.  Tell someone.  Even adults bully and get bullied.  You are not alone.

Poll Position

Today is election day and boy am I glad.  Not because I get to vote for the person whom I think should lead our state, county, city, etc.  I am glad because all things political will stop.  Finally, no more commercials telling me who to vote for or who not to vote for.  No more election signs cluttering up the landscape.  No more jumping up to get the phone just to find it is a pre-recorded message from someone asking me to vote for someone or something.  And I have to say that due to all of this unsolicited invasion of my privacy, I am not going to vote.  It's not because I feel that one vote can't make a difference.  I believe it can.  It's because I feel that none of the people who are running for office are actually worthy of holding that office.  I refuse to vote for anyone who slams their opponent in ads.  That rules out half of the candidates.  But I have to admit their ads are effective because they make me not want to vote for the other half of the candidates.  I feel that too many people go to the polls and vote without properly educating themselves first.  It's too easy just to push the button for someone because they're male or female or you just like their name.  I've done this in the past and regret it.  Not because the person was elected and failed me but because I participated in a process that I had no right participating in.  There should be a short quiz before you are allowed to vote proving that you know what the candidates stand for.  Maybe they should do it in essay format.  You can vote for someone but you have to then write a paragraph stating why.  Don't make everyone do it.  That would surely take too long, but more like random drug testing.  Make someone do it every now and then to keep everyone honest.  A lot of people also vote for the other guy.  They pick who they don't want to win and just vote for the opposition.  A friend of mine made the wonderful point that you shouldn't vote based on the lesser of two evils.  You should vote for the people you trust.  Trust is defined as assured reliance on the character, ability, strength and truth of a person or thing.  I'm not sure about the first three but truth and politics have no connection at all.  And trust me, I am sick and tired of the whole thing.