Politics is just so political
This entry is so overdue. I’ve been wanting to talk about it for a while. Since the Taiwan elections and now the US elections, I’ve observed a lot of behavior from friends, colleagues and even myself of how sensitive people get when discussion turns to politics. In one minute, everyone can be happy and can play in the same playground, but when the topic is politics, heated debates ensue. I’ve seen friends and colleagues adamantly state their opinion and won’t let anyone else say otherwise. Some colleagues even jokingly put down others of an opposing political party. Then there are those who stay quiet and do not speak up at all because they don’t want to be dragged into the heated discussion. I’ve actually done this myself once during a Taiwanese politics discussion because I knew the view I sided with was opposed by my friends. But I still see this today with a colleague whose pointed out to me that he purposely stays quiet during discussions that two or three other coworkers are having because he doesn’t like seeing how rowdy people get. But the thing that surprises me the most is when I ask people which political affiliation they actually belong to, because even the answers from some of my closest friends have surprised me.
So having witnessed myself and others staying quiet during political talks, I feel that everyone are entitled to their own viewpoints. However, I think it’s one thing to educate and point out the issues and argue your point to others, but when you are vehemently forcing your point on others and causing others or bystanders to feel uncomfortable, then you should become more aware of the fact that others are uncomfortable and learn to stop.
This morning, I hopped into a guy’s car in the casual carpool line. He was driving a two seater corvette. (Not sure if it was safe for me, but obviously nothing happened, so I am able to write this entry.) He had NPR news playing and since it’s cutting close to election time, NPR has been all about political topics. Halfway on the Bay Bridge, the guy turns to me and asked if I was voting. I said, “Definitely.” Then he asked if I was voting for the casinos. I said, “No.” Then he asked if I was voting for a couple of more propositions. Then…finally, the big question: “Who are you voting for president?” I said, “Kerry, no doubt about it.” Of course I had to ask him. He said that both Bush and Kerry are weak so he will probably vote for the independent candidate. And then he turned to me and said, “Bush had no control over the Iraq war. Our society is geared towards war so no matter who the president was, war will always happen. But who would have thought that the United States would be susceptible to terrorism.” To his point, I told him that I am very anti-war. He said that woman usually are. I told him that there’s no classification of who is anti-war or not, but that there are ignorant people out there who support the war just because the president supports the war and that during the onset of the Iraq War, if you didn’t support the war, you were considered unpatriotic and that was just not right. And he said he totally agreed with me. What I realized during the car ride is that I really like to state my opinion on things.
So here it is:
-To the guy’s comment about our society geared towards war, sometimes it is sad but true. But, I don’t think the general citizens of the country are well-informed of the decision process that the government makes when they enter our country into war. Even I wonder, yeah, on a superficial level, we are told that Iraq is hiding WMDs or we are peacemaking or we are saving Iraqis from tyrant Saddam Hussein or Iraq is harboring terrorists, but I really want to know is, what were the actual deciding underlying factors and proofs that warrant a war because there has to be more to it than what we are told. And also, all the government officials are elected and appointed and they are fully vested with the power to enter into war for the nation, but who’s best interest do they have in mind. With war comes the repercussion of innocent lives being taken and of more hatred and revengeful acts from those people whose lives weren’t taken but had to witness their loved ones being killed. I know I live in my own idealistic view of the world, but to me, I think education should be a substitution for war.
-Everyone should vote. (Although I think you should vote for Kerry, but if you’re going to vote for Bush or Nader or someone else, that’s okay with me…Just vote)
-I have to say I am such the Democrat because of my beliefs for all the issues the party supports (higher taxes, the environment, pro-choice, welfare, education) and the people the party supports (minorities, seniors, welfare recipient, children, and most importantly woman). Hillary Clinton was referred to as “anti-family” just because she supported the right for women to have a choice as to what they do with their careers. I think women have come a long way, and we are just that much stronger because we can choose to have it all: a family to rely on us and a career to show the world what we are capable of.
Okay, this entry contained tons of babble with no central main point…but hey…it’s politics…and it’s just so political…(But there are coworkers who think I like talking and writing, just so I can hear my voice…puha ha)
