Nuts on both sides

After the election, a co-worker of mine (who's 77 years old) was kicked out of her daughter's house because Obama won the election. Wow. That's the first time I've ever heard anything like that. I've known democrats to do weird things but this takes the cake. I have to believe the daughter is a little unbalanced to begin with. I mean, you would have to be. I had an incident with another co-worker at another job once who was a bleeding heart left wing nut. I mean nut with a capital "N." We went to lunch one day and apparently I said something conservative that she didnt like and she gave me the silent treatment after that for a few weeks. I kept asking her what was wrong and she said nothing. This when on until I decided to email her since email is non-confrontational (good for people who can't communicate). She said I said something that she didnt like and she knew that telling me wouldnt change my mind anyway and that she didnt want me to get mad. Get mad??? The silent treatment without telling me what was wrong wasn't making me mad???? I wrote her back after I got over the initial shock and told her that she was right, whatever she says would not change my opinions and that we should just agree to disagree. So after a few days she decided I was worthy of her kindness and started talking to me again. I decided to let the whole incident go away and didnt hold any grudges. It just showed to me why her marriage was in the dumps if she communicated in that passive agressive way and that she had more problems than I could help her with. The thing that stuck me is that democrats are so pro civil liberties and freedom of speech. Wasnt my freedom of speech taken away from me when my co-worker punished me for voicing an opinion? Are democrats pro free speech only if you say things that agree with them? Is that how it works? Ironically, I went to lunch with this same co-worker a few weeks later and I dont remember what we were talking about but she actually said that she was glad Ronald Regan got shot at. Wait a minute. So would she have been even happier if he was killed? Is that what I'm hearing? Now I know for a fact I never said anything that insane. Why was it ok for her to say that but I got punished for whatever conservative leaning thing I said??? I wish someone would explain this to me. Needless to say, I'm not friends with that person anymore (for other reasons). Bottom line - this country is divided and will stay divided. Both sides dont want to come together. If you're a democrat and lean to the center, you're criticized (Hillary Clinton). If you're a republican and are moderate, you're called names from the right. Maybe there should be a third party where centrists from both parties meet in the middle. Anything's possible.

You Can't Win Them All

I don't understand what happened. We were poised and ready to take a different direction from the last 4 years with a hope that someone new could come in and do something with this economy, this unemployment, these gas prices. Instead, people chose the same rock star they thought was going to save the world 4 years ago. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice ... We can only blame ourselves if nothing changes or things get worse in the next four years. And with no mandate, what's going to change? Its not that I'm a pessimist. I always try to hope for the best. But this President has proven that he doesnt know what to do. He talks about moving forward and there's still so much to do. What? He hasn't even started. In his speech at the Democratic Convention, Obama says that WE were the change in his "Change" motto in 2008. Oh, we were supposed to be the change. You're not the change, we're the change. We're supposed to make things happen in Washington. Got it now. Its all a bunch of rhetoric, we've heard it before and we're going to keep hearing it the next 4 years. *** What happened to the Republican base? The Evangelicals have been a force in the past. Did they not want a mormon in the White House? That was an issue. People didn't want to discuss it but it was an elephant in the room. I have to admit, I wasnt crazy about the idea myself but I wanted to hand the reigns over to someone else who might have been able to spur this economy and get people the jobs they need. *** So - I voted. *** I always vote. Its probably one of the most patriotic things you can do. People died in wars so we can have the freedom and a democracy. Regardless of the outcome, we still have a voice and a right to cast our vote for who we think can get the job done. I dont understand people who dont vote and there are alot of them. I meet them all the time. If you dont vote, you cant complain about what the current President is doing or not doing. Other countries wish they had the democracy we have and here we have it and trample it underfoot when we dont vote. That's how strongly I feel about it. Now I dont think that you should just randomly go vote for whatever or whomever but get informed about the candidates and what they believe or what they stand for. And then make an informed decision. But decide. And stand by it and never make any apologies.