I thought I’d be cheeky and just write “Politicians,” but that isn’t the only reason I hate the subject of politics. Yes, it is the main reason, just not the only one. You see, on the whole, I really hate conflict. At best it makes me edgy and at worst it makes me a nervous wreck. And politics, at its core, is just that: conflict. Conflict, debate, and a ginormous power struggle. Who the hell needs that? Oh, I know, some people thrive on it, and kudos to those who can stomach it, but not I.
In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve leaned towards both sides of the infamous aisle. Depending on the topic at hand, I lean Right and sometimes I lean Left. Occasionally, just for fun and confusion, I lean Both Ways. I guess that’s what they call the Middle.
What I find truly contrary is the fact that so many people, let’s call ’em Democrats and Republicans, seem to insist on labeling every effin’ body so that in the end, there’s a virtual line drawn in the sand: you’re either for us or agin us. Period. Yes, I note the irony of that statement; my apologies.
Politics are, of course, a necessary evil. I can’t get two or three of my kidlens to agree on what to eat for dinner, even when all of the options consist of fun foods, so I fully understand the need for debate when it comes to something as paramount — and icky — as the death penalty, war, or abortion.
As you can imagine, presidential election years are super sucky. I completely avoid watching presidential candidate debates. I admit to watching some rather colorful commentary on them afterwards, but I get the majority of my information from a mishmash of sources. Even after distilling all of the information, I am completely flummoxed when it comes to trying to actually pick a somewhat acceptable, if not entirely suitable, candidate.
Solidly one half of my friends identify as liberals and the other half identify as conservatives. And these are all beautiful people. I know they are because, well, because they’re my friends. These are good people. Smart people. Loving and caring people. They all want roughly the same things; in other words, they all want to end up in the same place. The big ol’ difference between them all is their opinion on how to get there.
My closest friends never discuss politics with me. I’m pretty sure it’s because they know if they open the Politics door, they give me leave to slam open the Religion door. And, nobody wants that. Or, perhaps the nervous and rather alarming tics and twitches I develop when the topic of politics arises is simply too unpleasant for them to watch. Like, on a gut level. They are my friends, after all.
Micki Allen 