Please….For Crying Out Loud…Stop the Rants!

With the upcoming election, I feel as though I am being pummeled with rants from both the left and right via traditional and now social media. Four years ago, there were a lot fewer FB users and a lot less of the ranting.  Now, it has gotten so bad, I wrote the following and posted it on my FB feed:

To my FB Friends:

With the upcoming election, I realize many here feel compelled to state their POV from either side of the political spectrum. I have read many of these posts over the past several months.

Just realize, that some – many? – of the people who you are sharing your POV with, may not agree with you. In fact, some may be vehemently opposed to your opinions — and no, they aren’t idiots for having an opposing POV. As a result, these comments can come across as personally insensitive, offensive, etc. – because at the root level, you are attacking someone’s – supposedly your friend’s – core beliefs/values.

No matter what any of us say here or which articles we share to support our POV, we are not going to convince someone to switch parties, change our beliefs, etc. I try to be respectful of other people’s opinions – even if I don’t always agree with them. Sometimes I fail – and my kids are always quick to point out when I do. But, I have always tried to live by the following: I don’t expect others to believe what I believe in and I don’t ask others to pay for or support what I believe in.

This philosophy has tended to work out pretty well.

No matter which way the election turns out, hopefully, this approach will allow us to remain FB friends.

I don’t know if you, too, are growing weary of the missives being thrown from both sides but based upon the informal feedback I’m getting a lot of FB users are hiding a lot of their supposed friends – at least during the election run up - just to rate limit the rants.

I will probably join them if it continues. Sheesh.

End of rant.