Voting in 2020

Hi friends.

Before I start, I want to give you some expectations around what you’re about to read.

I will not be sharing my thoughts on the candidates or political parties.

If you just let out a big sigh of relief, read on. If you plan on asking me about sharing my political affiliation via the internet, please move on. It’s not that I won’t share because I’m ashamed, I’m MORE than happy to talk with my people about it IRL. But the interwebs is just not the place for it.

Rather, I’d like to share some thoughts I’ve had around our attitudes towards each other throughout this election.

It’s SO odd to me that after ALL we’ve been through this year, we still have it out for one another. You’d think that after a pandemic and all the havoc it’s caused, we would’ve come together by now.

You’d think we’d be donating to or volunteering at charities we believe in, instead of arguing about which president will do the most good.

You’d think we’d be supporting one another’s small businesses instead of debating over which candidate will support them more.

You’d think we’d be doing the work together instead of scrolling & looking for someone to judge for their political views.

It’s confusing to me how we can be SO empathetic towards one population, and SO hateful towards another.

If you’re still reading this, you may have similar thoughts. And this isn’t a personal attack against you, or anyone, for that matter. This is just me rambling/thinking out loud about what I’ve seen the last few months.

AS IF 2020 wasn’t hard enough, let’s add an election to the mix. And, let’s be honest, is anyone actually happy about the choices we have? Most people I know fall somewhere in the middle politically, and are being forced to choose between two extremes. I have yet to meet someone in real life who was like, “Yeah I’m voting for _____ because he’s a stand-up guy!”

More often, it’s something like “I’m voting for ____ because I refuse to vote for _____” or “_____ is the lesser of the evils".

So can someone please tell me, why on earth do I see MORE hatred than ever this election? I’ve read some hateful things from both parties, generalizing about “the other party”. I’ve read from people that I love and adore (despite our political differences) that anyone with a differing view is (in so many words) a bad human and should unfollow them immediately. Or if they “find out” you’re a supporter of _____ they will immediately block you.

That. Is. What. They. Want.

The media is thriving on the division. We are all perpetuating the exact thing that we all claim to hate. We want “unity” and in the same breath speak unkind words about those ignorant _______ supporters. We’re ALL entitled to our opinions & free speech, it’s just all the contradictory words & actions that I don’t understand.

I’m SURELY guilty of this, too. As I’ve seen this play out more in the world around me, and realized how ugly it is, I’ve had to take a hard look at myself and how I speak about others as well. It’s super easy for me to blame “the system” or the candidates because I don’t know them as a person. This is just as bad as the person who is making generalizations about the masses.

In Braving the Wilderness, Brene Brown says,

“People are hard to hate close up. Move in.”

I have a hard time believing that my friends who said those things on social media would be able to say to me, in person, that we can’t be friends anymore and I should no longer try to contact them. So why do we say things online that we would never say to someone’s face? Brene is so right. MOVE IN and you might not feel the same way about the “other party”.

Unpopular opinion: I love you no matter who you vote for. Or if you don’t vote at all.

Because your worth isn’t in your vote.

And while the media and the people harassing you about your political affiliation would like you to think differently, who you vote for doesn’t make you good or bad.

If you’re like me, you’re probably TIRED of it all. And I don’t want to add to the noise with this short blog. I just wanted to share these thoughts for the person who’s questioning their self-worth or values because the “other party” is telling them they’re a bad person.

Should we be critical thinkers? Yes

Should we ask ourselves hard questions? Yes

Should we have open minds when talking to people who have different beliefs? Yes

But should we let someone else GUILT & SHAME us into changing what we believe about ourselves and our worth? Absolutely not.

So friends, let’s face the next few weeks with a little extra love & grace for each other. Let’s do for each other what no president ever will.

Let’s love each other up close.