Perpetuating the Cycle

It's that time again, election time. Debates, campaigning, political ads...and people that normally don't care about politics at all spouting off about his/her chosen candidate at any given opportunity. I almost don't want to post to any social media sites because what I say could be interpreted as needing a comment or reply about how it's (so-and-so politician's)'s fault that I'm feeling what I'm feeling and that (so-and-so different politician's) will hopefully be able to begin fixing the almost irreparable damage caused by (first so-and-so politician's.) Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for people standing up for their beliefs and convictions, I'm all for freedom of speech but it makes me sad that people can get so hateful and belittling about it. The number of times I've seen posts on Facebook about how anyone who votes for a certain candidate is "a complete moron," "clearly doesn't have the ability to think," or the worst one: "doesn't deserve to live." These are posts from people that I have always considered good people and my friends. Even worse, it's leaked over to our children. My twelve year old nephew asked me the other day if I was voting for a certain candidate and when I said "no" he stated "Well you're just stupid then!" At first I was hurt but then I realized he's just parroting back what he's heard adults in his life say. I explained to him that I follow the campaigns, do my research on all the candidates (not just the two major parties' candidates) and then choose a candidate whose beliefs and values align most closely with my own. Of course being a smart kid who adores his Aunt Erin, he was pleased with this answer. 

But, all of this caused me to notice the same kind of behavior elsewhere in my life. I was listening to ESPN Radio yesterday (as I do every morning) and couldn't believe some of the messages sports fans were actually composing and then hitting send about sports. Some people were arguing about whether Trout or Cabrera should win the MVP this year in Major League Baseball. Clearly this is a subjective view but the downright nasty messages people were sending were appalling!  And then there is the famous "catch that wasn't a catch" in the Green Bay vs. Seattle football game in which a replacement official named Wayne Elliot made a very controversial call that caused Green Bay to lose the game. Mr. Elliot reported that his phone rang non-stop for 72 hours with hateful calls from the Wisconsin area. I know I personally read so many tweets, status updates and posts with equally nasty messages about the situation that it turned my stomach. I have also recently "un-friended" a few people on Facebook because they posted what was supposed to be a funny picture, but that I found to be incredibly racist. I had commented on the wall of one person that posted it that it's the posting of images such as that one that perpetuates hate and racism in our society. He stated that he isn't racist, he just thought it was funny. Then an onslaught of his friends, whom I have never met, attacked me personally by calling me ignorant, stupid, self-righteous and a large number of other things that I can't post here. It was truly disheartening. Most disturbing of all, I recently read and article about a Tabor College student being beaten to death by a McPherson College student over a football rivalry.

In all of these cases I'm describing behavior of ADULTS. Can you believe it? ADULTS! I'm used to children acting on impulse in heated situations and saying or doing hurtful things not realizing the impact of their actions, but adults? Everyday I walk through school hallways, malls and other public places and hear teenagers calling each other the most vulgar names and physically harming each other because of their differences. It's always been my goal at home and work to provide a safe environment of respect where other people's opinions, ideas and cultures are valued and appreciated, but lately I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed that one person isn't enough. I'm feeling like I can provide a safe, nurturing environment for my own students and children but that once they walk away from me they're just going to be bombarded with negative, hateful and threatening people. The fact that it's 2012 and we still have to worry about racism, sexism and general hate towards others who differ from "the norm" is incredibly heartbreaking. How can we possibly hope that our children will grow up to be happier, healthier and have better lives than us if we continue to raise them in a society that promotes and perpetuates hate? How can we hope to grow as a society if we continue to not learn from our past mistakes? 

Perhaps all this political fever is just getting tempers running high and leaving people on edge. Maybe once we get through elections next month people will start to calm down and begin acting more civilized...at least I'll continue to hope that's what will happen...