No, I Didn't Watch the Debate... *GASP!*

I'm not gonna lie or hide the fact that there are two subjects I deliberately avoid talking about on my blog:  Religion and Politics.

Not because I don't have interest in either, but because I'm a person that doesn't care for confrontation - and I don't want to spend days on end defending my views, getting upset, and going off on tireless tangents.  The last time I did anything closely related to religion and politics (Chik-Fil-A), I ended up regretting it and crying over some of the nasty comments and opinions I read.

Not taking an issue on one side of the other, I can say that I get so amazed at how important it is for people to try and push their views on other people.

Take last night, for instance.  I didn't watch the Presidential Debate because I was at a football game with my kids.  While the country were tuned in to their TV watching what two men had planned for our country and attacking each other about who did and didn't do what and who will in the future, I was snuggled up on some bleachers with Jelly on my lap and Peanut and Butter by my side cheering on Peanut's boyfriend while he played football.

But, after getting home and taking a quick peak at Facebook, I realized I didn't miss much.  I could read the pages and pages of comments from people that did watch it and get their take on the situation.  Key words being "their take".  If I were a Romney fan, I could find 1000 people who commented that Romney won the debate and how he won.  If I were an Obama fan, I could find exactly the same.  If I was neither, I could read what thousands of people wrote and be swayed one side or the other.  Not really.  I have my mind made up, but I'm going with a generalized thought process here.  What I just couldn't believe was the amount of personal attacks made on people for their political beliefs. 

Our local new stations had posted questions asking people to comment on who they thought were winning the debate.  Many, many people answered that question with their own opinion and I was shocked at how many other people got pretty nasty with those that didn't agree with their opinion.

Did I, at some point in time, fall in to a coma and wake up in an alternate dimension where the word "opinion" has a different meaning?

Nope.  Apparently not.  I just Googled the definition of Opinion and it still shows me that opinion means:

1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.

2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

So, the word opinion is still tied to a person having their own feelings and thoughts on a matter.  Huh.

I remember a time, not so long ago, that if I were to ask someone who they were voting for I'd be chastised and told that it was none of my business.  I'd be told that political views and preferences were a private matter.  Mainly because the opinion of the voter was a private opinion - their opinion.  Not to be swayed by the thoughts and opinions of others.  

Oh, how far we've come from that.

Now, take a little trip on over to Facebook and you can pretty much see the political opinion of half the country.  And, if that opinion isn't your opinion, get ready to feel some wrath from it.

I strongly believe that people should take a presidential election seriously.  Look at the matters that matter the most to you, as an individual, and then find out what each candidate's stand is on that issue.  And, if you don't vote, that is also a personal opinion - or maybe it's not.  There are many situations where people don't have the ability to vote.  Those people are still allowed to have an opinion - but voter or not, they don't have the right to push their opinion on others.  That's my opinion.  

And, I know, before anyone says it, that a presidential election really does fall on nothing more than opinion.  Each candidate spends millions of dollars trying to sway people to vote one way or the other.  I get that.  But, what I don't get is the nastiness that can result from an opposing view.  My goodness, I saw complete strangers have a battle royale right on my Facebook feed over who was voting for whom.  Religious beliefs were attacked, nasty accusations were made, and I even saw one or two comments about 'Yo Momma.  

Really people?  This is the direction we're heading?

Call me naive, but the last time I checked, America was supposed to be a country that supported and encouraged the freedom to make our own choices.  You're supposed to be able to practice whatever religion you want, vote for whoever you want, eat whatever you want, and say whatever you want.  But, there are lines between each thing that are slowly getting more blurry.  You have the right to all those things, but don't expect people to sit back and allow you the freedom to not have their input on the situation - usually with some horrible backlash and personal comments made.  

So, really, what I'm trying to say here is IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHO ANYONE ELSE IS VOTING FOR, WHAT RELIGION THEY BELIEVE IN, ETC.  Everyone has a right to their own opinion.  And, if you are one of those people that attack someone else for their personal opinion:  SHAME ON YOU!!

That is all.