Why It Sucks?

[greenstorm]

It sucks because as soon as the results came in, everyone started beating on each other-- some in relief, some in fear, whatever. So Canadians started trashing Americans, half of the Americans started trashing the other half, and vice versa. Before the election at least people seemed to try to be civil to each other, but not anymore.

Civility is important to me. :P

So I'm kinda emotionally trashed, because everyone I know has been hit hard emotionally by the event (predictable) but then many of them have lashed out at someone on 'the other side' really hard. I have trouble with that kind of response; I really think it is a nonviolence thing for me. I've spent a lot of my life learning not to lash out at people verbally when I'm hurt, because I don't really believe that my pain should translate into me being in pain + another person being in pain. I've never been quite as ugly as some of the things I've heard, either.

The situation is hard on my faith in people. Not 'hard on my faith in Americans to choose a good government' (though it is, that) or 'hard on my faith in Canadians to be thoughtful when presented with something they have issues with in the states' (though it is, that) or whatever, but everyone is acting in a reactionary way.

Now, I holed myself up here yesterday and didn't talk to anyone, and I hope it's passing, and eventually I'll stick my head out and interact a bunch again and maybe people will act normal. There's something in me that's a little less trusting, now, though.

Ahwell. Gonna try burying myself in building on Chia for a bit.

Comments

[silverseastar.livejournal.com]

Don't worry hon, us Canadians need to take the limelight off of our own apathy in our country, so we choose to focus elsewhere ;)

Four more years...

[(Anonymous)]

And I'm NOT referring to the length of Bush's term. You guys gots some oil up in Canada. Hyuk. I give you four more years of British Dominionhood before Georgie decides to create a 51st state. ;) So, while I believe civility is a good trait, I suggest you bash away before you get assimiliated under a neuveau-constitution. Enjoy. (And for those of you going my route, drinking and being politically irresponsible, I suggest a good bottle of Stephen Ross)

Alf

Not really

[koppermoon.livejournal.com]

Before the election at least people seemed to try to be civil to each other, but not anymore.
I spent the last 5 days of the campaign in the States, and from what I saw and heard, civility was not much in evidence, from the personal to the party level.

Example #1: My sister belongs to a Democratic women's club. Until relatively recently, it was a women's voters' club, but the disagreements were so severe, that in her town, Democrat and Republican women cannot or will not meet together in the same place.

Example #2: My hosts in the Boston area were working to support the Kerry-Edwards ticket in too-close-to-call New Hampshire (since Mass. was sewn up for Kerry). Late in the campaing, they were helping to set up a new office in an "undisclosed" location, because a Republican operative had managed get the phone bank lines jammed in the "official" office. There police had laid charges, but the damage was done. My host shook his head as he told me about this, saying "It's like Watergate all over again."

Example #4: Pretty much any televison ad by either major party.

I hope that you voted. Thoughtful people need to have their say.

Re: Not really

[greenstorm.livejournal.com]

In my public spaces, internet communities and the like, the experience was different. I wonder if it's the difference between 'normal' people getting into it instead of just 'politically active' or something?

That's pretty nasty, though. *sigh*

No, I didn't vote. I would have been in California, so one vote more for popular support but not a difference in outcome. I'm not sure if that in any way mitigates it.