Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Complete and Utter Madness

If you're looking for this week's Hodgepodge Questions you'll find them here.

Once upon a time I enjoyed following political races and listening to healthy debate. With every passing year and election cycle my enthusiasm has waned until I've gotten to a place where I can barely stand to glance at the headlines. I'm not sure healthy debate even exists in the land of the free and the home of the brave anymore and that makes me so sad.

I turn on the news and the shouting and the arrogance and everyone talking all at the same time gives me such a knot in my stomach I have to hit the mute button, turn it off, walk away. Does anyone listen or does everyone just talk? No need to answer that.

When I hear political ranting I sometimes feel like I'm at a Jr. High lunch table. If these grown adults were my children I'd send them all to their rooms. Just like a 7th grade child who misbehaves they'd be grounded from doing anything more than going to work and coming home. No microphones, websites, talk show circuits. Also included in this mess would be the people who speak on behalf of our elected officials, those who are sent out to do the dirty work, i.e., say the nasty comment, condescend, show the smug face, shake their head at the 'poor uninformed masses'.

We've lost the notion of common courtesy, not just in politics but in America in general. People zealously defend their points of view by attacking with great gusto anyone who dares to differ. The elevator heads straight to the basement too, the lowest place possible, with words like fool, intolerant, and bigot. Remember when those words were reserved for people who really were those things, not just for those with whom you disagreed? The dialogue (I use the term loosely) in recent years has morphed us into a society that has lost its ability, or maybe its will, to come up with solutions to very real and serious problems.

Unless you live under a rock you've no doubt heard been bombarded by the latest brouhaha revolving around a well known radio talk show host and something he said on air. What began as a hearing on whether or not the federal government could legally require religious hospitals/schools to provide contraception and abortion services under the new health care guidelines has deteriorated into some of the most disgusting rhetoric ever. I'm not going to debate here the original issue and I'm certainly not defending the language used by the radio personality but what I will say is this-whatever happened to the original issue? Where did it go? Its been completely lost in all the bickering, name calling, and aggressive co-opting of the discussion for political gain. And so it goes.

A radio personality is not the equivalent of a US Senator or our President. Neither is a pro ball player, an actor, or a circus clown. A radio personality in America can say whatever they want and people can listen or not, change the station, stage a protest, write letters, pull advertising blah blah blah. We're stuck with our elected officials and they are held to a higher standard than a 'celebrity'. Or at least they should be. After all, we pay their salaries. And while I'm on the subject of celebrity, when did we stop thinking for ourselves and start caring so very much about who some current or former politician or other 'famous' person is supporting for office? Think America!

For the most part I steer clear of politics on my blog, and definitely on my facebook page. I really dislike reading anything political on facebook-blech!. Lately my head has felt like it just might explode if I don't scold someone. Politics has descended into madness and I'm not sure we can find our way back. Unless reason and civility return to public discourse I'm afraid we never will.

This post is linked to the One Word Carnival hosted by Peter Pollack.
Go here to read more posts on today's prompt-'madness'.

28 comments:

  1. I HATE political commercials on TV. Drives me up a wall. Instead of bad mouthing an opponent, I'd like to hear what they stand for and what they are going to do to better the community and country.

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  2. Joyce...I could not agree with you more! I can't stand turning on the TV these days because I know what I'll see. It's just more than I can stand...and it gets so DIRTY! Personally, I've had more than enough!

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  3. All I can say is "Amen, Sister!"
    I would love to see a politician that refused to be sucked into the "badmouthing" of his opponent! And why, oh why, would I care who George Clooney, or any other "celebrity" endorses???? (Yep...this one's a hot button for me.)

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  4. I hate it all, too. I don't want to watch it.

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  5. Everything's so polarized. There are strong feelings on both sides, but very little meeting in the middle. Yeah, politics suck.

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  6. I think most of us feel the way you feel. Saddest of all is in this land where the people's voice should be heard, our plea to focus on the issue and solve the problem at hand is being ignored...or rather EGOnored. The egos and need to have the last word has totally moved real issues that affect real people to the far back burner. I'm sad for our nation and scared for my children.

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  7. I just hate what the political races have turned into ... whatever happened to rational debates of the issues. Ugh! I hate to be uniformed when it comes time to vote, but I can't stand checking the political scene either.

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  8. The worst is who Donald Trump is backing "really" Donald Trump who cares! I stay away from Politics and Religion conversations...it's just better that way!

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  9. I haven't been able to watch any of that stuff for at least a decade, and I was a political science minor. (But to be fair, I was always more interested in the mechanics than in the current politicians.) As much as anything, I can't stand the yelling.

    That's why I love getting my news on the internet. I know what's going on and can investigate if I'm interested, but I can walk away when it suits me.

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  10. I, too, get irritated with celebrity endorsements. It has the opposite effect on me anyways. "I don't want to see a movie _____ is in. Isn't she the one who is for abortion? So much so, that she has to use promoting her movies as a platform for promoting her agenda?" Then I desire to give her less of a platform. That elevator works both ways, too.

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  11. I have gotten to where I don't pay attention to ANYTHING political until just before an election because it is to maddening. I'm a much happier person when I'm oblivious.

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  12. they WANT the original issue to disappear...that way they GET AWAY with it. We just need to keep on the straight, small path of truth...and write letters, send emails to your representatives on their high places.

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  13. too polarized. too much hate too many greedy career politicians. I'm surrounded by it here in D.C as you noticed when you visited. I agree with Mindee: "I'm a much happier person when I'm oblivious."

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  14. The biggest problems with the bully-style campaigning, aside from the fact that perhaps there is more and more serious bullying in schools because we see all over politics that it works, is that it turns people off yo the point of not caring, not voting or not having honest information to make an informed choice.

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  15. Amen! A celebrity's opinion is no more valuable than yours or mine, but unfortunately in our society there are people who are sucked into this kind of thing.

    All I want to do is scream, "Lets get this country back on track!" Politicans are only in this for the power. They don't represent the people, but they surely like to control them by saying, if you vote for me I'll give you this, and this, and this. All the while I'm thinking, "What will this leave my family with?" Because you know when politicans open their mouths then this means less money for you and me.

    Oops, I'm sorry I'm ranting. Why didn't you knock me off my soap box, Joyce? lol This was a great post and you voiced what so many of us feel. Have a Super Tuesday! =D

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  16. It seems like politics has become such a dirty business that it will become impossible to get capable, decent people to run for office. You have spoken the truth and it is a sad commentary on the state of politics in our country.

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  17. Amen! Agree 100% Yes, yes! This should be published or run as an editorial in the newspapers across the country. It is right on! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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  18. Yes we have lost so much of what America meant years ago. I think it is sad. Your post is well written and I agree with you. However I am one of those people who live under a rock because I don't have a clue about the radio personality who said something. I know that my level of knowledge about our world and news really sucks. I don't watch the news, do not read the paper and do not listen to the radio. I perfer my own little world.

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  19. Well said! I can't stand how politics is in everything these days!

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  20. LOVE this post, Joyce! I have grown to loathe politicians and politics for the very reasons you stated. Sigh...

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  21. Joyce, I so love reading your blog. You always have the perfect turn of a phase that expresses things exactly. I enjoyed your tribute to Davy Jones along with the reminiscing of a more innocent, gentler time, and your rant on madness. I even enjoyed the post about lounging on the couch. Could be because our weekend was anything but relaxing! Thanks for sharing.

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  22. Happy Supper Tuesday!! :)
    I hate that the more money you have to campaign, the more likely you are to be heard. Looks like Obama and Romney (as of tonight) will be standing on a soapbox for the next several months badmouthing huge money making schemes and professing how they will help the less fortunate. It is all so ironic. The candidates with the most money will be swooning the poorest citizens. I wish there was a limit on campaign earning and spending. I wish the campaign was run like a high school student council campaign.

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  23. Sadly I think that there is no longer or in the near future will be civility in politics. It is all about sound bites and speaking to your base (what ever side of the isle you are on). Gone are the days in politics (very sadly) that you can disagree with someone but still like them. For the same reason I already said.

    I, as I'm sure many, would actually like our politicians to do there jobs and focus on what is really important and the real issues.

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  24. I knew an angry man who attended our church. He raved and ranted about all that was going on in the world. I told him to quit watching the News and reading the newspaper or his blood pressure might give him a stroke. He mellowed and I am not sure he liked what I said but his wife did. Prayer is better than ranting.

    Oh No, how I hate these Capcha puzzles to prove that I am not a computer. Here goes try number three. They are so difficult to read the letters that squiggle.

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  25. I am with you - I don't blog or facebook about politics. Actually, I steer clear of it all together at all times if I can help it. It's all nonsense anyway and the original point like you said is always lost. It amazes me that arguing about birth control or gay marriage outweighs what is really important in this country, such as the still bad economy and bad housing market, high gas prices, high taxes, etc etc... the stuff that TRULY affects us tax paying working citizens. THat gets pushed aside by all political figures. There's my 2 cents :) - Great blog by the way. I don't always get to comment, but I do read. I am a fellow NJ'er... Have a nice day!

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  26. Reading the comments, it's evident we all agree with you on the "scraping the bottom" politics that goes on in the US now. My concern is that we "normal" thinking people are becoming even more of a silent majority because we are all so fed up with everything. The nuts are the loudest and the media uses them as fuel to keep the 24-7 talk going. Not only have our politicans and their spinners, sunk really low, but so has our media. I don't know how we can bring respect and honesty back but staying quiet doesn't help.

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  27. When I was young, a bit of radio and a lot of newspapers, SOME TV, had election info and challenges. Not a whole lot, though. NOW??? Constant. Can't get away from it. And the fact that they now have debates drives me nuts! I can't trust their views and whether they are just saying what they want to say to make points ... even when some are possibly being as straightforward and honest as possible. The news media twists and turns what is being said.

    I know that, historically, much of this is no different. However, it's so constantly in our face for months and years we hardly have time to break away. [I rarely, if ever, read or watch any of it; my bp still goes up a bit! AND if we toss local, regional, and national into all that "hodgepodge" we can hardly breathe.]

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