Sunday, November 07, 2004
To Like or Dislike....Is Fear A Factor?
Some aspects of politics are harder then others. Often a single person finds themselves at odds with people they call friends. And is this frame of thinking I am reminded of something I heard years ago.
“A friend understands the differences in his friends, where a good friend recognizes the differences and is not ashamed to point out when a friend is wrong.”
Now I have to admit I am ashamed of myself for not speaking my mind once I realized there was something I considered wrong. Remember, the phrase ‘I considered wrong’, cause this is always important in any relationship.
Even after 33 years of marriage I must recognize that there are things in which my bride and I shall never agree upon. But the good thing is that we can discuss those things without fear of bloodshed or sleeping alone. What does this have to do with these and other comments today? Not a thing except to fill some space and hopefully bring a few things into focus.
Now I have never understood why or how people develop intense hate of a candidate for public office. Especially one they have never had physical contact with. Where does those feelings come from? How do they develop into such an intensity, that you would think the candidate had kicked the persons dog or something more sinister.
My Bride and I had discussed this on several occasions, without coming to any specific conclusions worth discussing here. But one thread kept coming up which maybe, just maybe requires some examination.
Fear.
Yet we cannot seem to understand where the fear comes from. Why a person so fears another they become so intense they refuse to see reason. Or at least cannot see reason. But the reasons for such fears completely alludes me.
Now I am aware just how much can change by the election of a single person, but also understand that things cannot change only by a single person. What we observed during the Clinton Administration was persons taking advantage of Clinton’s political beliefs and playing them for their own gains. We watched some things go from simple to confused. Political Correctness where a single individual could dictate actions over a large portion of this country.
Interesting note: Federal Laws pertaining to the building of Playgrounds with Federal Funds. One law requires specific safety substances around and under playground equipment for the protection of the children utilizing them. Hey, this is actually a great law. Accidents do happen on the playground, especially at swings and such, and a soft place to land can save a child from weeks of painful healing.
Another Federal Law requires that any Federally Funded activity be Handicapped Accessible. This puts it at odds with the Law mentioned above, because the substances specified for safety are such that a wheelchair cannot transverse to the swing or slide it is under and around. So what you have is a Playground with very few if any activities in which both the Handicapped and mobile child can use.
Now I am a firm believer in that every child should be able to enjoy a playground. But I think it is criminal to eliminate a single playground activity cause less then 10 percent of the local usage will be Handicapped. This puts things in a minority rule situation. This means it is possible that 99 kids cannot enjoy activities we did as children cause 1 child has the unfortunate situation of being Handicapped. This is not being Politically Correct, this is being criminally negligent by those we depend on protecting all of us.
Besides, Kids tend to take care of things. And unless the Handicapped child is a real jerk, other kids will find a way for him or her to enjoy the activities they may not be able to get right up next too. Also, let’s figure out what moron determined the wheel chair has to get close enough to a swing so the child can move from it to a swing. Did he also consider what will happen to the wheelchair afterwards? It sure cannot stay next to the swing or the child will find himself damaging it and himself fairly soon after the swing action starts. OH… wait… someone will move it out of the way. Yeah… and why couldn’t that same person carry the child to the swing in the first place?
OK… I’ve beat that about some. Just consider before you fire a shot at me, that I am a Grandparent. I’m not Politically Correct and don’t give me any ammunition to fire back at you.
Now, back to the reason why people hate so much again. Anyone have a thought on it? You do? Great, share it with us here. But consider this, I am not bashful in playing the Devil’s Advocate.
What worried me most about this past week’s election was not so much who won but the actions or reactions of those felt the election was not in their liking.
There are websites popping up all over the place claiming Bush stole this election also. Much in the same manner he was supposed to have stole the first one. Here is a thought. If anyone other then a Bush had been governor of Florida the first time around, then I doubt if the controversy would have been so intense over the outcome. But if you read enough websites you will find much of the same gibberish concerning the outcome of the Ohio results. Also the concern over electronic voting keeps popping up with people claiming Kerry had more votes but the electronic system kept deleting votes for him, thus giving Bush the election.
This goes back to the comments earlier in the year that is was Republicans who owned the companies that made the machines. Does it take into consideration that maybe not all of the employees were Republican? Just how many people do you have to threaten or bribe before you can keep a conspiracy quiet?
Give it a break people. We have watched aides to Congressmen and Senators leak out information for years. This does not discount the people within the various departments of government who has made sure documents best left in their desks get in the hands of the news people. Do you really think if someone sabotaged the election, it would not get out to ABC News?
So what are people so afraid of that they develop such a hatred for a specific person running for public office? Fear that their way of life will change forever? Certainly it will change. Even if their candidate wins, it can change in a manner which they never anticipated. Kind of reminds you of the old saying, “Be careful what your wish for; You may get it”.
Also came up the concept of guilt. A person may feel guilt about their life actions and feels that the public person they hate reminds them they are not the perfect person they would like to be. Ok… I’m keeping things simplistic, but then again, it has been way too many years since I was in my college Psychology and Sociology classes and since they were not in my actual major, hard to remember all the special terms and phrases they love to use to describe a persons or groups actions. I took an “A” in the classes, which was all that was important to me anyway.
What I would like for anyone reading this to do, is to set down and list exactly why the have such strong feelings. No need to list them as a comment to this, but for themselves. I seriously doubt anyone who stumbles on this blog is of the mental state they are not able to rationalize and reason through such feelings.
But here is something I have heard several times and read once or twice that I feel is important to understand. This is the concept of voting against one person instead of voting for the other. Make sense? Let me flesh it out some. A political pollster commented on television that according to his figures only 17% of the Kerry voters were actually voting for Kerry, where as the other 83% were voting against Bush. Now what kind of sense does that make to elect a President based purely on the dislike of one candidate?
I mean I did not trust or like Kerry. I do not believe he was the man for the job, but I voted For Bush not Against Kerry. Now I do not agree with everything Bush believes in nor do I agree with all of his decisions and policies, but I do believe he is the man for the job at this time in our history. But that is just my opinion, which like anal orifices, everyone has one and they mostly stink.
And for those who receive notification of each publication I make, I apologize for not having the comment blanks available for responses. I am still learning this system and shall endeavor to insure the proper box is checked so if you desire to make a response directly to the Blog site you can.
7 November 2004
“A friend understands the differences in his friends, where a good friend recognizes the differences and is not ashamed to point out when a friend is wrong.”
Now I have to admit I am ashamed of myself for not speaking my mind once I realized there was something I considered wrong. Remember, the phrase ‘I considered wrong’, cause this is always important in any relationship.
Even after 33 years of marriage I must recognize that there are things in which my bride and I shall never agree upon. But the good thing is that we can discuss those things without fear of bloodshed or sleeping alone. What does this have to do with these and other comments today? Not a thing except to fill some space and hopefully bring a few things into focus.
Now I have never understood why or how people develop intense hate of a candidate for public office. Especially one they have never had physical contact with. Where does those feelings come from? How do they develop into such an intensity, that you would think the candidate had kicked the persons dog or something more sinister.
My Bride and I had discussed this on several occasions, without coming to any specific conclusions worth discussing here. But one thread kept coming up which maybe, just maybe requires some examination.
Fear.
Yet we cannot seem to understand where the fear comes from. Why a person so fears another they become so intense they refuse to see reason. Or at least cannot see reason. But the reasons for such fears completely alludes me.
Now I am aware just how much can change by the election of a single person, but also understand that things cannot change only by a single person. What we observed during the Clinton Administration was persons taking advantage of Clinton’s political beliefs and playing them for their own gains. We watched some things go from simple to confused. Political Correctness where a single individual could dictate actions over a large portion of this country.
Interesting note: Federal Laws pertaining to the building of Playgrounds with Federal Funds. One law requires specific safety substances around and under playground equipment for the protection of the children utilizing them. Hey, this is actually a great law. Accidents do happen on the playground, especially at swings and such, and a soft place to land can save a child from weeks of painful healing.
Another Federal Law requires that any Federally Funded activity be Handicapped Accessible. This puts it at odds with the Law mentioned above, because the substances specified for safety are such that a wheelchair cannot transverse to the swing or slide it is under and around. So what you have is a Playground with very few if any activities in which both the Handicapped and mobile child can use.
Now I am a firm believer in that every child should be able to enjoy a playground. But I think it is criminal to eliminate a single playground activity cause less then 10 percent of the local usage will be Handicapped. This puts things in a minority rule situation. This means it is possible that 99 kids cannot enjoy activities we did as children cause 1 child has the unfortunate situation of being Handicapped. This is not being Politically Correct, this is being criminally negligent by those we depend on protecting all of us.
Besides, Kids tend to take care of things. And unless the Handicapped child is a real jerk, other kids will find a way for him or her to enjoy the activities they may not be able to get right up next too. Also, let’s figure out what moron determined the wheel chair has to get close enough to a swing so the child can move from it to a swing. Did he also consider what will happen to the wheelchair afterwards? It sure cannot stay next to the swing or the child will find himself damaging it and himself fairly soon after the swing action starts. OH… wait… someone will move it out of the way. Yeah… and why couldn’t that same person carry the child to the swing in the first place?
OK… I’ve beat that about some. Just consider before you fire a shot at me, that I am a Grandparent. I’m not Politically Correct and don’t give me any ammunition to fire back at you.
Now, back to the reason why people hate so much again. Anyone have a thought on it? You do? Great, share it with us here. But consider this, I am not bashful in playing the Devil’s Advocate.
What worried me most about this past week’s election was not so much who won but the actions or reactions of those felt the election was not in their liking.
There are websites popping up all over the place claiming Bush stole this election also. Much in the same manner he was supposed to have stole the first one. Here is a thought. If anyone other then a Bush had been governor of Florida the first time around, then I doubt if the controversy would have been so intense over the outcome. But if you read enough websites you will find much of the same gibberish concerning the outcome of the Ohio results. Also the concern over electronic voting keeps popping up with people claiming Kerry had more votes but the electronic system kept deleting votes for him, thus giving Bush the election.
This goes back to the comments earlier in the year that is was Republicans who owned the companies that made the machines. Does it take into consideration that maybe not all of the employees were Republican? Just how many people do you have to threaten or bribe before you can keep a conspiracy quiet?
Give it a break people. We have watched aides to Congressmen and Senators leak out information for years. This does not discount the people within the various departments of government who has made sure documents best left in their desks get in the hands of the news people. Do you really think if someone sabotaged the election, it would not get out to ABC News?
So what are people so afraid of that they develop such a hatred for a specific person running for public office? Fear that their way of life will change forever? Certainly it will change. Even if their candidate wins, it can change in a manner which they never anticipated. Kind of reminds you of the old saying, “Be careful what your wish for; You may get it”.
Also came up the concept of guilt. A person may feel guilt about their life actions and feels that the public person they hate reminds them they are not the perfect person they would like to be. Ok… I’m keeping things simplistic, but then again, it has been way too many years since I was in my college Psychology and Sociology classes and since they were not in my actual major, hard to remember all the special terms and phrases they love to use to describe a persons or groups actions. I took an “A” in the classes, which was all that was important to me anyway.
What I would like for anyone reading this to do, is to set down and list exactly why the have such strong feelings. No need to list them as a comment to this, but for themselves. I seriously doubt anyone who stumbles on this blog is of the mental state they are not able to rationalize and reason through such feelings.
But here is something I have heard several times and read once or twice that I feel is important to understand. This is the concept of voting against one person instead of voting for the other. Make sense? Let me flesh it out some. A political pollster commented on television that according to his figures only 17% of the Kerry voters were actually voting for Kerry, where as the other 83% were voting against Bush. Now what kind of sense does that make to elect a President based purely on the dislike of one candidate?
I mean I did not trust or like Kerry. I do not believe he was the man for the job, but I voted For Bush not Against Kerry. Now I do not agree with everything Bush believes in nor do I agree with all of his decisions and policies, but I do believe he is the man for the job at this time in our history. But that is just my opinion, which like anal orifices, everyone has one and they mostly stink.
And for those who receive notification of each publication I make, I apologize for not having the comment blanks available for responses. I am still learning this system and shall endeavor to insure the proper box is checked so if you desire to make a response directly to the Blog site you can.
7 November 2004
