Time to Tune Out the Rhetoric

I don’t do politics in this column. And I certainly don’t endorse candidates in my 550- word-space each week. Not to say people won’t encourage me from time to time to speak on the issues. Take a stand and stick to it, they might say. I’m not afraid to take a stand on issues. But in case you haven’t noticed, my little column is best described as a humor/insight column that is sometimes lacking in both in the opinions of some. Even so, I admire people who take a stand and aren’t afraid to put their views out there for the inevitable criticism. People can talk all they want to about how our politicians in this country are crooked. Unfortunately, some deserve the label. But in general, I admire their bravery to stand up. If they stand up against their party occasionally, I respect them. If they go against popular opinion in the name of what is right, I applaud them. But if they spew rhetoric, debasing and personally vilifying everyone that disagrees with them, I am turned off. Speaking of turned off, that’s what I want to do to my television when the pundits all start talking at the same time and hurl insults and dirty names at each other. Seems many are incapable of carrying on a rational discussion. Turn on the tube and scan for ten minutes and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Take, for example, the Democrat Congresswoman who was shot in Arizona recently. Despite an outpouring of love and support from across the country, there are those who want to get their faces on TV and talk about how it’s her opponent’s party’s fault that she got shot because of the “atmosphere they have created” in this country. Here’s my opinion, for what it’s worth. The atmosphere created exists mainly in our government, not among the vast majority of Americans- who simply want positive and effective representation. Most of us red, white, and blue Americans admire people for their character, not for their political affiliation. But some of the pundits have created a situation where even politicians themselves are scared to compliment members of opposing parties for fear that it will give their opponent credibility as a human being. I don’t care whether Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever. She’s an American. And she was doing her job representing and interacting with her constituents when she was shot. Unfortunately innocent others were hurt and several died. There are some out there who want to blame Republicans for the shooting as much as the lunatic who did it. And others would be irritated that by humanizing her and offering my deep respect for her- and by opining that the President gave a fine speech after the incident- that I am somehow advancing liberalism and harming conservative causes. If you adhere to either of these two opinions, I’m going to step out on a limb here and say that you are in the vast minority in this country. Most of us red-blooded Americans care about people more than we do parties. And we want all the rhetoric to cease so our representatives can get something done that will benefit all of us. That’s my stand and I’m sticking to it.