Political Debate - A Call for Civility

I am going to write about an issue that has been bothering me for quite a while now. The absolute vitriol between the two major U.S. political parties. I would submit that’s its reached alarming proportions. I regularly chat in a political chat room, and some of the posts I have witnessed are beyond the pale.

Let’s start with Sarah Palin. Almost from the very beginning, Palin was a polarizing entity. People seemed to either love her or hate her. She energized the GOP base in a manner that presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, had not succeeded in doing. For this reason, she cannot and will not be forgiven by many on the Left. That’s all well and good, but people don’t know where to draw the line. During the course of many online chats, I have seen horrible posts about Palin’s family, including her infant son who had been born with Down’s syndrome. It was appalling, but it didn’t end there. Palin’s teenage daughter Bristol who is an unwed teenage mother, was viciously attacked as well. These attacks on Palin’s family continue to this very day, and are simply inexcusable.

Now we move on to the First Lady, Michelle Obama. While I am the first to admit that as a Libertarian who leans right, it’s probable that I do not agree with Mrs. Obama’s political ideology, the things I have seen written about her are outrageous. The posts about Mrs. Obama are usually unflattering comments about her attire, body type, and her ethnicity. Shame on you who post such things! Our First Lady is a beautiful, accomplished individual. I love her recent ads about supporting the military, and she happens to look stunning in the commercial. Many are angry with her regarding her crusade about healthy eating. While I don’t agree with a nanny state; that is, the government implementing regulations regarding what we choose to eat, I feel that Michelle’s concerns about childhood obesity and what we put in our mouths are valid. Her heart is in the right place. There is no cause to demonize her.

These are just two examples of the vitriol from both sides of the political spectrum. People, who resort to such attacks, do so because they are unable to defend the issues on merit, logic and facts. Attacks on a politician’s family have no place in decent, intelligent political debate. Let’s leave family out of the fray, especially the kids. When all is said and done, we’re all fellow Americans. We may disagree vehemently about the direction the nation should be going, but please folks, let’s seek higher ground and remain civil.