Stop Me Before I Get Political

I don't like to get political. There's so much tension in politics, especially right now.

But I have so so much to say. Oh so much.

I think it's better to keep my mouth shut. Because this is what will happen:

Those of you who agree with me will feel grateful. You'll be glad someone else is talking about your feelings on the various subjects I'm dying to talk about.

And those of you who don't agree with me will still not agree with me and will have a knot in your stomach because you think I'm just a little delusional and stupid.

So how about this? How about if all of us agree to read two or three things a week from different sources: conservative, liberal, moderate. Let's come up with a good list for each other of sources that are reasonable and thoughtful. Post article ideas in the comments, and I will read them. Maybe we can all read them and have a rational, educated discussion.

And until then, read this on civility. Beautifully, powerfully stated. I especially loved these paragraphs:

The need for civility is perhaps most relevant in the realm of partisan politics. As the Church operates in countries around the world, it embraces the richness of pluralism. Thus, the political diversity of Latter-day Saints spans the ideological spectrum. Individual members are free to choose their own political philosophy and affiliation. Moreover, the Church itself is not aligned with any particular political ideology or movement. It defies category. Its moral values may be expressed in a number of parties and ideologies.

Furthermore, the Church views with concern the politics of fear and rhetorical extremism that render civil discussion impossible. As the Church begins to rise in prominence and its members achieve a higher public profile, a diversity of voices and opinions naturally follows. Some may even mistake these voices as being authoritative or representative of the Church. However, individual members think and speak for themselves. Only the First Presidency and the Twelve Apostles speak for the whole Church.

Feeling All Civic 7.2.10

One of Josh's exciting adventures this summer has been attending Merit Badge Camps! I know! That sounds like so much fun , doesn't it?

For his Citizenship in the Nation badge, we all went to the Utah State Capitol.

I thought it was very interesting.

The big kids? Kind of did.

Ben? Not so much. He ended up in a time out in the stroller after freaking out in the Senate Chamber and trying to escape into an off-limits area.

Then he figured out how to undo the stroller seatbelt.

Sigh.

But I decided that although I sometimes say I hate politics, I really don't. I actually like being forced to question my assumptions, and being forced to wade through so much dissention to come up with what I think is the best answer (of possibly two bad answers) and choose a side. And hooray for democracy, right?

OK, but sometimes I still hate politics. Because there IS a lot of dissention. And I'm all about the love.

And also? The renovation of the Capitol? Way good use of my tax dollars. Gorgeous. And the restoration of the artwork? Incredible. I love these WPA murals everywhere I see them. (Plug in for good use of government funding in times of economic distress...Way to fund the arts, Pres. Roosevelt!)

Sorry. Did my political stripes show? I'll tuck them back in.

Yes, I'm Going There

A warning: This blog is about to get political. There are some of you who will want to click away from my blog immediately. You are welcome to do so and I'll have no hard feelings. I'll wait three seconds while you find something else to read.

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OK. I now assume that everyone reading this has been warned and is ready to enter the Political Zone.

You ready?

(Disclaimer: I am not suggesting that all people who disagree with our current administration fall into the following categories. I have had great discussions with people recently where the dialogue remained calm and interesting. I appreciate learning from others and hearing others' opinions. I do not assume that someone who disagrees with me is stupid, flat-out wrong, or misled. That being said...)

WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR NATION???????

I love being American. I love our freedoms. I especially love our freedom of speech, and I am fully grateful that people are welcomed, even encouraged, to spew their own personal hatreds wherever they'd like.

But I am so tired of hatred. I am so tired of anger. I am so tired of fear. I honestly want to cry.

I'm an idealist. I like to believe that millions of people working together can create solutions to help those who struggle in our great nation. I like to believe that millions of people working together will SOLVE problems, not CREATE problems.

What I am seeing now is that millions of people are choosing (CHOOSING!!!) not to work together. Rather than create public dialogue that is respectful and intelligent, so many people are choosing to sow fear. Do you know what you reap when you sow fear?

You reap disaster.

I have had emails and read comments lately that equate Obama with Hitler. They equate our society with pre-WWII Germany. They equate Obama's desire to talk to school children on Tuesday, encouraging them to take their education seriously with Hitler's desire to create Nazi Youth Brigades.

If I swore, I'd do so right now.

This is RIDICULOUS. Do you hear me? This is INANE, right? Except it's what people are saying. It's what people are believing.

Hitler used something called The Big Lie. Do you remember this from high school World History?

The Big Lie (German: Große Lüge) is a propaganda technique. The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler in his 1925 autobiography Mein Kampf for a lie so "colossal" that no one would believe that someone "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously".

Here's what Hitler said about using the Big Lie. (By the way, he was accusing the Jews of using the Big Lie themselves. Nice.)

All this was inspired by the principle--which is quite true in itself--that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.

This is my hypothesis. It is easier to vilify someone we don't agree with than to simply realize that intelligent people can have vastly different opinions. After all, if we get deeply entrenched in a belief, we have to assume that everyone who doesn't think like us is wrong. We have to assume that someone who thinks differently than us is not just wrong, but in some cases may well be evil. Enter Obama as anti-Christ, Obama as secret Muslim (and there's something so wrong about this accusation anway), Obama as non-American. The Big Lie begins. And then it spreads.

This is a quote from a message board my friend just sent me:

When Obama shows his birth certificate, then I might let him speak to my child. When Obama quits apologizing for America and Americans to other countries, maybe then!! When he quits bowing to Saudi Kings, possibly I'll think about it. When he admits he's a Muslim, might do it then......and when he explains why he sat under a radical, racist, Black-Panther preacher for 20 years, and only quit going when the media caught him........and please explain why Michelle, her mom and kids were allowed to sight see all over Europe in AF-2 at tax payer expense......and why her SNACK cost the tax payers $450 bucks at the Waldorff Astoria.......and when hell freezes over then and only then would I let my dead DOG sit and listen to anything Obama has to say!! One Big A$$ Mistake America!! Do ya have voters remorse yet? God help us!!

I will agree with this rabid poster about one thing. God needs to help us. Other than that one statement, I must say I wish I were shocked at the underlying rage under this post. I'm not. I've read this too much from too many people, and I'm terribly terribly sad about what it says about our society.

I ask you to think about your feelings on politics. When you start talking about politics, are you talking about philosophy? Are you talking about specific policies? Are you respectful of those who hold other opinions? Are you spreading fear? Are you suggesting positive improvements on policy? Are you specific in things you wish were different? Or are you allowing hatemongers to have their way with you? Are you part of the Big Lie?

I beg you. Don't allow your spirit to be torn by hatred.

I stay rather non-religious in this blog, but I want to share one of my favorite scriptural passages. This is from the Book of Mormon, and is from Christ.

3 Nephi 11:29-30 For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.

The Lord spreads peace. He sows peace and He reaps love. This is what I hope for our nation, that we can turn from hatred to love, that we can solve our problems together. Yes, that makes me idealistic. But I'd rather be idealistic than angry. So when you talk to me or to others about the things you see as wrong in our society, have ideas. Have hope. Be ready to be part of the solution, or just don't talk at all.