No matter what political party you affiliate with, it should never stand in the way of you being a decent human being.
We can all have our opinions, beliefs, and perspectives. We can be pro-something or anti-anything, yet agree to disagree.
But when you choose to not help someone in need because they subscribe to a political party other than your own, that’s partisan poison.
Never should we hate any side so vehemently, or even slightly, that we slap one generalized label on them all. I even dare to say that if you had a candid conversation with someone, you may even see eye to eye on more than you could imagine.
Tonight I was reminded of why I subscribed fully to my independent voter status – not unenrolled, independent, because even if we lean more to one side than another, most of us are fair, open to intelligent discussion, and understanding. We see all sides, then decide accordingly. When the ugly partisan comments spewed around me this evening, my stomach churned. The physiological reaction was my signal that something wasn’t right for me, or sitting well with me.
I will continue to be a free thinker. I will continue to be fair. I will also continue to stay strong in my convictions while having the parallel ability to weigh all sides through a lens of compassion, and tolerance.
Life is hard enough without today’s culture of partisan poison that is most definitely killing us as a society.
When a decision needs to be made to help others, may you see the person and not the party. Remember the meaning of community and rallying together for the greater good. We may not all agree, but most all of us are well-intentioned.
When Noah built his ark, he brought on the elephants and the donkeys, two by two. None was considered to be better than or worse than the other, he just wanted them all to survive.
And maybe if we live with genuine care, integrity, and tolerance, we as a society would stand the chance to thrive instead of just merely survive.
