I Vote No

Over the course of the past several weeks, I have been disparaged, denounced, and vilified. And that’s just by my friends. On Facebook.

Oh, they haven’t set out to hurt me; indeed, nothing has been directed at me personally, but it’s been hurtful nonetheless because of who I support for President. Not that I’ve announced who I’m supporting on Facebook or most other places for that matter. Nor will I here. It never seems to occur to many folks that when you post something to the effect that a person must be a total moron (or worse) if you vote for Candidate A, that you’re talking about me. You know, me, your friend who just happens to think differently than you do. It’s getting hard to take.

So is the hypocrisy.

So is the idiocy.

So is trotting out memes with meaningless quotes or statistics taken out of context, especially when you know full well that if “your team” went the other way on the issue that you’d be posting memes filled with the opposite message. The Director of the F.B.I. is a jackass . . . no, wait, he’s a hero. Could be that he’s a jackass who did the right thing. I don’t know, but I am not going to blindly insult people about whom I care, and whom I respect as a result of whatever the F.B.I. Director does.

In any case, these elections are about who gets the biggest share of the pie. If the Republicans win, they do. If the Democrats win, they do. The one rule upon which they both absolutely agree is no one else gets to pick up a fork and have at it. And guess who is paying for the pie?

Worst of all is that we seem to have moved past holding our personal ideas superior to our neighbors’ ideas. Too many people seem to feel fully justified in holding themselves superior to their neighbors, who are no longer “wrong,” but are now inferior. Regarding someone else as inferior makes it much easier to subjugate him, first for his own good; that’s usually how it starts and that’s usually the rationale that is sold to the masses who are just grateful that they are not lumped in with the inferiors. The next step however, is to subjugate the inferiors for the “good” of the subjugators. Then the list of “inferiors” begins to grow.

Those two candidates with their respective faces in the pie aren’t going to save us. We’ll have to save ourselves and soon. Regardless of who wins the Presidency next Tuesday, bite your tongue, love your neighbor, and hope for the best. And if you can’t do that, at least quit insulting me on Facebook.

 

About Austin Gisriel

You know the guy that records a baseball game from the West Coast in July and doesn't watch it until January just to see baseball in the winter? That's me. I'm a writer always in search of a good story, baseball or otherwise.
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20 Responses to I Vote No

  1. Dick Snyder says:

    Thanks for your thoughts. I’m just glad we still live in a democratic republic. Enjoy the “LAST TWO” games of the series.

    Like

  2. buffycooper says:

    Very well said. It’s nice to hear a voice of reason in the wilderness.

    Like

  3. Cindy Everly says:

    Happens on both sides of the aisle. People have called me worse than moron. Best news–it will soon be over.

    Like

  4. Jim Maki says:

    Well said. I have known for a while who I am voting for. And neither candidate is worth loosing a friend over.

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  5. George Hoffman says:

    Amen, brother!

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  6. Don Hoover says:

    Whenever I am asked who I am voting for, my reply is always the same: “One of the Candidates” As you know my friend, I am not on face book, which is my choice. To the people who are, I say, if you hurt Austin, you hurt me as well, for I have known him for many years, so please stop & think before you post something you will regret.

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  7. Jill says:

    THANK you! Just had an argument with my beloved husband, who thinks I didn’t push back hard enough on a coworker who pans to vote for a different candidate.

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  8. dan seidman says:

    Wonderfully put! I have been feeling this way for sometime

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  9. Vonnie says:

    Well said. Whatever happened to “agree to disagree”?

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  10. jeff cappo says:

    Very well put Austin! I agree

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