These debates have been showing the ugly side of politics and there doesn’t seem to be any chance of that changing as long as these politicians are doing well in the polls and are being elected into office. Politics has always been a blood sport and it just seems to get worse and worse each cycle.
The name calling is ridiculous (bullying) and I don’t care which side you support! It should be about the issues not about how much louder one can be over the other!
The pandering is vomit inducing and so transparently obvious that it amazes me that people are still actually considering voting for these people!
The lying is on such a scale that we, as the voters, should require that they all strap on lie detectors and then participate in the debates!
We get the government that we deserve and since we are voting for these people we can’t get to bent out of shape when we have half the country disgusted and the other half jubilant. How we bridge the divide is the biggest challenge and threat to our nation. If we can’t figure out some way to join together, we’ll only grow further apart which will cause further divisions and incredibly heated debates if not worse.
Is it too much to ask for that when we look at our fellow country men and women, that we can see that they’re Americans, too? Yes, we do have disagreements but shouldn’t we try to see it from the opposing side’s point of view without berating them for having that opinion in the first place?
Political correctness is actually damaging the discourse in our country probably more than we even care to realize and this stringent word policing is actually infringing on our first amendment rights! If you can be persecuted and prosecuted for voicing your beliefs, whether they are in the minority or majority, how is that not infringing upon the 1st amendment? To refresh your mind it says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. That even means people saying things that offend and disgust you!
I should be able to say whatever I want to, with very few exceptions, regardless of whether you like it or not. We will never always agree, that’s just an impossible thought, but we must be civil in our discussions on topics that may be uncomfortable and right now we’re doing a very poor job of that.
Gina Olson 