Stop the Political Madness Already!

   Our mailbox has been stuffed full, our phone seemed to be ringing non stop (until we got rid of the land line) and even YouTube has been airing political ads.  Facebook has become a "war zone" with friendships being torn apart, more "F bombs" being dropped,  etc.  Twitter is filled with so many hateful things being said.  It feels like a repeat of what we saw leading up to the Presidential election 2 years ago only this time it is worse and what makes it sad is that I thought it couldn't get any worse than it was then.  Thank goodness today is the "official" election day in my state. Maybe a small portion of it will stop.

   I was hoping that we would be getting a total break from all the madness tomorrow but I know that is not going to happen.  Every day it seems that there is something else going on.  Protests are far from "peaceful".  Trash is left everywhere after "marches" or "occupations" and cost taxpayers thousands, if not more, of dollars to clean up.  People are still being denied service at restaurants and chased down by other people who do not agree with their political views but who obviously have never been taught manners and that the quickest way to shut down any kind of discussion is to start yelling at someone and not be willing to at least be civil and act like a reasonable adult.  Name calling by all sides is childish and does not get us anywhere.  The hypocrisy is staggering!  

   Here's the deal...if you want something to change, then you need to do something constructive and not destructive.  Instead of protesting everything, get involved in your community feeding the homeless.  Take back your communities from crime...become a police officer, form a neighborhood watch association, don't protect criminals.  Communities can come together and raise money for scholarships to help young people go to college or trade schools based on merit and need.  Instead of feeling like you have to counter protest something, just stay away so that it does not get the massive media coverage that the group you don't agree with is seeking and bonus, that should lessen the violence and property destruction that seems to come with these protests.  Make your neighborhoods, towns and cities attractive to new businesses and support the local mom and pop places too.  Get to know your neighbors and find common ground, even if you do not agree on everything.  It's hard to hate on someone who you have shared a nice chat over the fence with, shared a meal with, and so on.  If you don't like a business for whatever reason, just don't patronize it. No need to stage a full out national boycott.  My husband and I have chosen not to support several businesses in the surrounding area with our hard earned dollars because of our personal beliefs and/or bad experiences with them.  We are not out there vandalizing them, screaming at people who are choosing to go there or surrounding and harassing them.

   Please please please people, for the love of all that is good, stop with the madness already!