Friday, August 17, 2012

Please, No More Politicals Meme's.....

I like teams. I like the feel of being on a team. Of course, the only team I have recently experienced was a charades team and alcohol was definitely involved.

I remember the elation and relief I felt when my team finally shouted, “Steven Corey,” only to learn that the correct word was Covey (I still say the word looked like Corey). I guess I need to read more self help books, because I had no clue who Steven Covey was. It was all in good fun, and I now own a copy of Steven Covey’s book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (number one habit should be to clarify spelling when playing charades). I have not read a word.

The point is, being part of a team feels good. I could not have been more proud of our country during the Olympics this summer. I am ashamed to admit that daily I checked the medal count and sneered and snickered when the US overtook China (I still am gloating). Teams are great.

However, lately, I feel like politics is more about the “team” than the issues. This election is making me feel like the kid who was never picked for a team in grade school. I don’t fit it, and I am not ready to join a team.

I watch as Facebook is flooded with a new phenomena called memes. I recently learned that it is not so new although as it is defined by the internet, it is relatively new. According to Wikipedia, (no judging) a meme is: The term "Internet meme" refers to a concept that spreads rapidly from person to person via the Internet, largely through Internet-based email, blogs, forums, Imageboards, social networking sites, instant messaging and video streaming sites such as YouTube.

If you haven’t noticed the ubiquitous little photos of Romney and Obama, with text splayed across it to convey a conveniently inaccurate and misleading message, then 1) You have not been paying attention, 2) You are technologically impaired (congratulations), 3) You have forgotten your Facebook password, or 4) You have Facebook friends that are keeping it classy (congratulations).




There are even places that you can go and create your own meme. Doesn’t surprise me. I don’t like these. They REALLY bug me. Lately, it has bothered me a lot and I have devoted some serious thought as to why I hate them so much and why this election has been bothering me more than politics usually bothers me. I have some answers.

The Memes bug me because they are so dismissive of the issues. They divert your attention away from the issues and everyone coalesces around comments intended to sidetrack your thoughts. Take the Meme of Obama above. Seriously? People are STILL throwing the idea that Obama is not a citizen around? Puh-leeeez, he has been president for almost four years people, I think that train has left the station. And the one of Romney, I guess being wealthy is a sin and no one should be president if they are successful because they are out of touch, right, got it. Although, I do admit, I would rather have a president who has been successful.

I think I have figured out why these things are so widely used. It’s kind of like being on a team. It makes it easier to dislike or like someone without knowing anything about them. You pick a side and then hurl Memes around on your Facebook page and wait for people to Like it or comment.

I think they are destructive. It spreads fallacies and distorts truths (ok, the truth is, I kind of like the ones with housewives making comments about wine).




It makes it easy for critics of Obama to believe he has no right to be president (he does) and critics of Romney to believe he is out of touch (believe me, the guy knows about money). I absolutely hate political memes.

It makes it so hard to decide which team to join, because when I vote in November, I will be picking a “team.”

Here’s my problem. I think Obama is the guy for me if I am going to vote with my heart on gay rights. He’s the guy most likely to sign national legislation to allow gay couples to enjoy the same civil rights heterosexual couples have. You can talk to me until the end of time about why you may disagree, but I will never understand why gay couples are treated differently than my husband and me. Never, don’t bother, ain’t going to happen. My mind is made up, the ship has sailed, blah, blah, blah. I also like a few parts of Obama Care. I disgaree with how it got passed, rushed through Congress while many representatives and Senators were at their cabin, but that’s another story. I like that my son and daughter can remain on our insurance. I like that insurance companies cannot cap benefits and I like that they cannot deny people with pre-existing conditions. The rest of it needs some serious reworking because the tab on it has already doubled and it has not even taken effect yet…

I don’t like his jobs record, his stimulus spending, his proposed tax increase on couples making $250,000 a year and I absolutely hate his strategy of pitting one class against another. Millionaires and billionaires (wish I was one), represent about 1% of our population. They make about 17% of the total income of the US and pay about 37% of the taxes (I did look into this and wrote down the numbers but sadly, not the source. I didn’t make this up and I actually went looking for something else and found this statistic). If we taxed the millionaires as Obama would suggest, it would not make a dent in reducing the budget deficit. And if people don’t think it would make a difference in how they invest in the economy then they are not understanding how the economy is driven. Don’t take my word for it, there’s a lot of empirical evidence out there. My question is why would Obama spend so much of his time on this issue if it will do nothing to solve the budget issues? As a matter of principal? Frankly, I would rather he focus on something a little more tangible. He could start by submitting a budget; it is four years late.

Now Romney. He seems nice, articulate, whatever. He brought RomneyCare to Massachusetts. He has been a successful business man and saved the Olympics. Yes, he outsourced jobs and closed down plants. He can be ruthless in business decisions. I have to admit, I am not opposed to a leader that can make hard choices and take the heat. He has a plan and I am ready to look. He is a Mormon, but religion is a personal matter and not a reason to pry into a candidate’s life. I frankly don’t get the Mormon church, but I also don’t get the Catholic church, so his religion is not an issue for me (unless he decides to take another wife). He wants to put the government on a diet and invest in the economy by letting you and I keep as much of our money as possible and decide how we want to spend it, sign me up.

His views on gay couples, research on stem cells, and women’s reproductive rights trouble me. I support a woman’s right to make reproductive choices about her body. I will support those choices as strongly as I support civil rights for gay couples. However, I don’t think we should make people who don’t support that choice pay for the consequences of those choices. I think insurance should cover birth control, but I don’t think the government should be in any way involved in those costs. I think sexual education should be definitely taught in schools and all young women and men that are of reproductive age should be given access to any means to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. I support stem cell research and although I recognise that it can be a “slippery slope,” I turst in mankind and believe that it will maintain the dignity of life. I think the Romney team would differ with my beliefs.

Now, which “team” should I join? I apologise to my cousin, Robert, for ignoring the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. He seems like an ideal choice for me, I agree with a great deal of what he believes. From the Johnson web page:

“(Johnson) has been an outspoken advocate for efficient government, lower taxes, winning the war on drug abuse, protection of civil liberties, revitalization of the economy and promoting entrepreneurship and privatization.
As Governor of New Mexico, Johnson was known for his common-sense business approach to governing. He eliminated New Mexico's budget deficit, cut the rate of growth in state government in half and privatized half of the state prisons.”

I have just a couple of problems with him, but they are big ones…1) Foreign Policy – he has kind of an isolationist approach which I disagree with and 2) I don’t think he has a chance of winning. I want to be on a winning team!

Seriously, I am definitely a fiscal conservative. I don’t carry debt more than 30 days, I price shop everything. If I have a designer anything, my mother bought it for me. I drink Black Box wine, and I install my own light fixtures. If something needs painting, I do it, and we maintain our own lawn and driveway. I hate spending money unless I have to and I really wish our government felt the same way.

I do not believe that all Republicans are rich and mean. I don’t think they are snobs or condescending and believe that men are superior to women. I don’t think that all successful people are out of touch and I don’t think that all Republicans believe that corporations are the “American Way” of life. I think many are compassionate, caring and generous.

I do not think that all Democrats are liberal wackos. I don’t believe they all live in communes and advocate for government intervention from birth to death. I believe that like Republicans, they want to work, have children if they choose, support their neighbor in need, and pay their fare share. I don’t think they want a free ride and I don’t believe that all people who accept welfare, unemployment assistance and food stamps are lazy. I think many are compassionate, caring and generous.

I have a feeling I know which team I will end up on (kids, never end a sentence with a prepositon). I will kick my toe in the sand as as I join it, knowing that it isn’t everything I wish it could be. I will not post political memes on Facebook, I will not add inane comments which do not represent truths or facts. I will not make sweeping generalizations about the other team. I respect a person’s right to choose as long as I am given the same respect. I appreciate that priorities differ from person to person and one person’s perception is different from another’s.

If we can make it to November with civility and NO MORE POLITICAL MEMES, I will be one happy camper. Just play nice ( and don’t post without checking your facts). Think before posting, and thank-you.





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