Comments on: The Ugliest Time of the Year http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/ Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:52:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kylie http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-162034 Kylie Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:23:13 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-162034 I see that most everyone agrees that politics is getting rude and nasty and that we could/should be nicer. Me, too. I also think that Nate Oman is wise to point out that even being "nice" is not always what it seems--sometimes it's just being passive-aggressive or a sort of victim/martyr role. Interesting. http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2009/10/the-nasty-side-of-christian-ethics/#more-9975 I see that most everyone agrees that politics is getting rude and nasty and that we could/should be nicer. Me, too. I also think that Nate Oman is wise to point out that even being “nice” is not always what it seems–sometimes it’s just being passive-aggressive or a sort of victim/martyr role. Interesting.
http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2009/10/the-nasty-side-of-christian-ethics/#more-9975

]]> By: Amy http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161768 Amy Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:51:58 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161768 I have never been too fond of politics--I am always very uncomfortable with planned contention. But, we moved to Iowa two years ago and had the opportunity of caucusing for president for the first time. I figured it was my civic duty and showed up at our high school library with most of our neighbors from our quadrant of our city. We all sat down at tables there and then they went through each candidate and asked someone from the audience to speak on behalf of each one--telling why they liked the candidate. They said specifically that negative comments were not allowed. People were passionate about their candidates and very aware that their votes would strongly influence who became president of the United States. But, no one was contentious. No one was negative. After each candidate had been vouched for--no speech longer than a couple of minutes--we all wrote our choice on a slip of paper, put it in an empty trash can and turned them all in. They counted the votes and we were done. It was a totally remarkable night for me. Eye opening. Politics with purpose, but without contention. I guess it really can be done. I have never been too fond of politics–I am always very uncomfortable with planned contention. But, we moved to Iowa two years ago and had the opportunity of caucusing for president for the first time. I figured it was my civic duty and showed up at our high school library with most of our neighbors from our quadrant of our city. We all sat down at tables there and then they went through each candidate and asked someone from the audience to speak on behalf of each one–telling why they liked the candidate. They said specifically that negative comments were not allowed. People were passionate about their candidates and very aware that their votes would strongly influence who became president of the United States. But, no one was contentious. No one was negative. After each candidate had been vouched for–no speech longer than a couple of minutes–we all wrote our choice on a slip of paper, put it in an empty trash can and turned them all in. They counted the votes and we were done.

It was a totally remarkable night for me. Eye opening. Politics with purpose, but without contention. I guess it really can be done.

]]> By: ESO http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161752 ESO Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:06:40 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161752 I don't notice this in my community. At all. The only place I hear this incivility is on conservative talk radio. If there were liberal talk radio, maybe it would be there, too. But in the neighborhood and town? Nah. I don’t notice this in my community. At all. The only place I hear this incivility is on conservative talk radio. If there were liberal talk radio, maybe it would be there, too.

But in the neighborhood and town? Nah.

]]> By: annahannah http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161744 annahannah Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:46:41 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161744 I am with Justine and giggles. Cindy, me, too. I am with Justine and giggles. Cindy, me, too.

]]> By: Cindy http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161743 Cindy Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:21:33 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161743 I recently read an editorial in the New York Times that really struck a chord with me. The author was lamenting the extreme polarization of parties, but even more than that, the attitudes of the losing party after the election was over. He likened the current political climate here to the way things were in Israel before Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. (I should explain this more--he said that all it takes is one radical extremist who has heard enough hateful rhetoric to believe that it would be a good & beneficial thing if someone killed the person in question.) As I read the article I could see truth in what he was saying. Many of my family members are rabidly conservative. I don't have a problem with their political stance necessarily--everyone gets to decide where they stand and vote their convictions. But when otherwise rational, church and temple going adults talk like they would actually be happy if someone killed the man elected president of the United States, I am appalled. There are a couple of people in my life that I enjoy talking politics with. We have civil and interesting discussions and I feel like I have learned from them and understand more than I used to. But I refuse to talk politics with anyone else, because it is just too ugly. And I can get plenty of ugly from my 14 year old... ;) I recently read an editorial in the New York Times that really struck a chord with me. The author was lamenting the extreme polarization of parties, but even more than that, the attitudes of the losing party after the election was over. He likened the current political climate here to the way things were in Israel before Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. (I should explain this more–he said that all it takes is one radical extremist who has heard enough hateful rhetoric to believe that it would be a good & beneficial thing if someone killed the person in question.)

As I read the article I could see truth in what he was saying. Many of my family members are rabidly conservative. I don’t have a problem with their political stance necessarily–everyone gets to decide where they stand and vote their convictions. But when otherwise rational, church and temple going adults talk like they would actually be happy if someone killed the man elected president of the United States, I am appalled.

There are a couple of people in my life that I enjoy talking politics with. We have civil and interesting discussions and I feel like I have learned from them and understand more than I used to. But I refuse to talk politics with anyone else, because it is just too ugly.

And I can get plenty of ugly from my 14 year old… ;)

]]> By: m&m http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161730 m&m Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:05:05 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161730 <i>And I find that I actually now read the mailings that pile up in my mailbox</i> I have tried to do more of that, too. Loralee, when I asked about voting records, I was thinking more about local politics. Hard when a new person shows up. Sometimes they ride on their newness, which means also trying to distinguish themselves from the incumbents, which usually leads to cutting the opponents down, which.... Heather, no tv is an awesome life, we have decided. Except sometimes on game days. We may also get TV for the two weeks of the Olympics. ;) And I find that I actually now read the mailings that pile up in my mailbox

I have tried to do more of that, too.

Loralee, when I asked about voting records, I was thinking more about local politics. Hard when a new person shows up. Sometimes they ride on their newness, which means also trying to distinguish themselves from the incumbents, which usually leads to cutting the opponents down, which….

Heather, no tv is an awesome life, we have decided. Except sometimes on game days. We may also get TV for the two weeks of the Olympics. ;)

]]> By: Heather O. http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161717 Heather O. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:30:35 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161717 Ah, incivility in politics is nothing new. Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, and Senator Sumner was beaten with a cane on the floor of the Senate. At least nobody beat up Joe Wilson when he shouted at the president. So sadly, it's not so much the decline of civility, it's just now that the media is going 24/7, we get a closer view of it. We don't have a tv, and I have found that I don't miss the news, either. We get our political news from the newspaper and the mailings of the candidates. I know the newspaper is biased too, but it's easier to filter through the written word, and at least nobody is shouting. And I find that I actually now read the mailings that pile up in my mailbox, because it's usually the first I've heard of the candidates. It's a refreshing change from the constant punditry we used to listen to every Sunday morning when we had 1001 cable channels. But it's always a relief when election day comes, and it's all over. My question always is this: how many landfills do all the old lawn signs take up? Ah, incivility in politics is nothing new. Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, and Senator Sumner was beaten with a cane on the floor of the Senate. At least nobody beat up Joe Wilson when he shouted at the president.

So sadly, it’s not so much the decline of civility, it’s just now that the media is going 24/7, we get a closer view of it.

We don’t have a tv, and I have found that I don’t miss the news, either. We get our political news from the newspaper and the mailings of the candidates. I know the newspaper is biased too, but it’s easier to filter through the written word, and at least nobody is shouting. And I find that I actually now read the mailings that pile up in my mailbox, because it’s usually the first I’ve heard of the candidates. It’s a refreshing change from the constant punditry we used to listen to every Sunday morning when we had 1001 cable channels.

But it’s always a relief when election day comes, and it’s all over.

My question always is this: how many landfills do all the old lawn signs take up?

]]> By: Sage http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161716 Sage Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:19:25 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161716 We had stake conference today and a new patriarch was called. My husband talked to him after the meeting, asking what kind of direction he received on how to give blessings. One of the things was to completely remove themselves from contention. I found that interesting and perhaps telling about how all this political backbiting truly causes spiritual distress. I think it is hard to know who to vote for, but know it is important to do it. Guess I'll just keep trying to do the same thing you suggested and vote for the nicest candidate. We had stake conference today and a new patriarch was called. My husband talked to him after the meeting, asking what kind of direction he received on how to give blessings. One of the things was to completely remove themselves from contention. I found that interesting and perhaps telling about how all this political backbiting truly causes spiritual distress.

I think it is hard to know who to vote for, but know it is important to do it. Guess I’ll just keep trying to do the same thing you suggested and vote for the nicest candidate.

]]> By: Merry Michelle http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161711 Merry Michelle Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:55:51 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161711 I feel the same way and can't stand the silly, arguing channels for that reason. I really believe exposure to media in general can cause us to soak up relentless negativity (contention, violence, sex, fear, etc.). Yick! Enough! I feel the same way and can’t stand the silly, arguing channels for that reason. I really believe exposure to media in general can cause us to soak up relentless negativity (contention, violence, sex, fear, etc.). Yick! Enough!

]]> By: Giggles http://segullah.org/daily-special/the-ugliest-time-of-the-year/#comment-161696 Giggles Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:37:37 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=4737#comment-161696 I much prefer the candidates who talk about what they stand for rather than simply how bad their opponent is. Tell me about yourself, not your opponent!! My fiancé has strong political opinions in one direction. A good friend of mine has strong political opinions in the other. When the two of them get together it very often comes up. But it is so interesting to watch because they both completely respect the other. They frequently start conversing about politics at parties and everyone else just watches in amazement at how civil they are about it. They have researched their sides and aren't just repeating things they've heard elsewhere. It never turns ugly between the two of them. And that always surprises those around them. Wouldn't it be nice if a civil political discussion wasn't surprising to people? I much prefer the candidates who talk about what they stand for rather than simply how bad their opponent is. Tell me about yourself, not your opponent!!

My fiancé has strong political opinions in one direction. A good friend of mine has strong political opinions in the other. When the two of them get together it very often comes up. But it is so interesting to watch because they both completely respect the other. They frequently start conversing about politics at parties and everyone else just watches in amazement at how civil they are about it. They have researched their sides and aren’t just repeating things they’ve heard elsewhere. It never turns ugly between the two of them. And that always surprises those around them.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a civil political discussion wasn’t surprising to people?

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