Politics Aside

By Rose Ann Goodwin

Do you think if we never asked one another about our politics, if we just kept it to ourselves, that we would get along better? I have had a couple of brief encounters lately with people I am sure have very different views than me when it comes to who should be running things in this country. If I hadn't made an effort to talk to them about other things we had in common, I might have spent my time in their presence making assumptions and judgments about their character because they obviously would have voted for the other guy.

This way of thinking is a relatively new phenomenon for me. Before 9/11, I had never given politics much thought. I let it be whatever it was without considering if it had any bearing on my life. I voted (most of the time) and didn't study much about the candidates I voted for or cared if they had a D or an R after their names. I was indifferent. I didn't think it mattered.

But after 9/11, I had an awakening. I realized that my children could (and would) be affected by our politicians' choices, not just in going to war but in all matters that came before them.

I was suddenly aware and quite ashamed of the way some of these people treat their fellow human beings, whether they are American or not. There seemed to be a more kind party than the other one.

My recent encounters, though, tell me that we can be civil to one another. We could probably even have a civil discussion about politics if we just took the emotion out of it and agreed from the beginning that we all love this country, are equally patriotic, and we want our children to grow up in a place that is safe and where their freedoms are protected. At least I think we would agree on that.

While in line at Costco recently, there was a gentleman standing to the side with only a few things in his basket, so I offered him the place in front of me as I had more items, and I was not in a hurry. He declined but stood there next to me as we waited. He was wearing a hat that said "0% Liberal." He also commented that this was nothing compared to the commissary on payday "back in the day" when he was in the service, so I asked him what branch. I have found that most veterans are willing to chat a little about their service, and since my husband and my son were in the military, I have something to offer to the conversation. He was nice, and we chatted a bit. In those short few minutes in line, we were fellow Americans talking about something we had in common. We both walked away feeling okay about one another; although I went home and watched the PBS News Hour, he probably went home to Fox News. That's okay. Some of the people I love most in the world are Fox News fans.

The other two were gentlemen at a dog park way out in the country from where we live. I needed to be out of the house a little longer with the dog while it was being cleaned, so we went to one attached to a horse ranch in a town called Elverta. The first guy, I would guess, is probably just a couple of years older than me and had a beautiful German Shepherd puppy named Rio. He was in camo pants and had a blue-collar look to him. Very friendly and willing to talk. Shortly afterward, another man with a mechanical leg and an Australian Shepherd puppy named Sadie arrived. He had the kindest face, cherubic. He was a little less talkative to me, but I didn't feel like I was butting into his time with his friend. Again, they seemed the age to be veterans, and I have to admit that the loss of a leg led me to make that assumption. When I asked them if they were veterans, he didn't answer. The first man, Rio's owner, said he was in the National Guard – kind of like it didn't count, but I think it does. Sadie's owner kept a sweet look and a little twinkle in his eye but just asked me if I was a veteran. I told them no, but that my husband was, and then I decided that if I talked to them more, we'd stick to talking about our dogs, as that was an obvious common denominator.

My point is that we always have something in common we can discuss, and we don't have to go to the effort of finding our differences. Ultimately, they don't matter in our day-to-day connections, but remember that they do matter regarding the voting booth. Choose wisely, and remember that this country cannot remain a democracy if we become complacent or indifferent about who our leaders are. There are decent human beings on each side that can keep us safe. Let's be sure we are getting them elected rather than the ones that stoke our worst fears about one another.