I hate politics

Before talking about mercury in the Great Lakes, let's talk about politics.

I hate it.

I hate politics.

I hate that I feel briefly good when going on a rant about X or Y, but then feel terrible later because I really, in my heart of hearts, don't feel that those who disagree with me are villains. They're my neighbors. They're my friends. They're people who I genuinely like...and though we have different views of this nation I'm guilty of preferring to bury the hatchet than to get everything I want.

Sure, there are ideological loyalists. I ain't that. I'd rather have meaningful friendships, at the end of the day, with kind people with similar interests than have friendships with people who merely agree with me.

There's too much politically polarized demonization. Looking on our friends and neighbors with suspicion because they want this or that. Communists. Nazis. Fasciests. Words meant to shove one another into a frame from which they can never again re-enter polite society.

That's no good.

I don't have the heart to be an ideological purist, or a partisan. I simply don't believe that people are evil. I don't believe people who disagree with me are evil. Or bad. Or even immoral. Or even misguided. Wrong. MAYBE wrong. I maybe believe they're wrong.

But out to destroy all that is good in civilization?

No.

Do I get frustrated? Sure I do. I see people demonize the folks at Occupy Wall Street, I hear them referred to as Nazis. As idiotic hippies. As anarchists. Anything, everything, meant to diminutize and dismiss.

Did I play that game with the TEA party? You bet I did. Bunch of geriatric malcontents, screaming for the government to keep their filthy government hands out of their Medicare and VA benefits.

But they were angry, weren't they? Mad about something. Mad about feeling like they don't have a voice. Atroturf or not, SOMETHING resonated with enough Americans to get them out on the streets and into town halls to protest. Some sense of decay. Some sense of loss. Some sense of fear. Some very real human experience.

I'm tired of the hating and demonizing. I'm not cut out for it, really. I can't sustain it. The best I can sustain is the occasional outburst of frustration.

Long term.....maybe not so much.

What the hell am I talking about? I don't know. It's late. I'm probably delirious from sleep deprivation. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be eviscerating the bad guys old school.

I think I was going to talk about mercury in the Great Lakes. Maybe next time.