We Really Are The Ones We’ve Been Waiting For

Maybe we lost our way long ago. Maybe the ground was already established for the vitriol many of us now experience. Someone on social media that I’ve been friends with for a while became snarky with me when I commented on a news article. The person apologized, but it’s so upsetting when it happens. I have no problem with someone who disagrees with me, but to be an ass is unacceptable. Personal attacks have no place in intelligent discourse.

Sadly, however, liberals are still arguing over Hillary versus Bernie. And now a book is coming out by a long-time Democratic campaign operative that has resulted in even more arguing. You’d think liberals would be united about the clear and present danger in the White House. Instead, they’re going after one another. I don’t know if what the operative alleges in the book excerpt that was released is worth talking about or not because it seems as if it was common knowledge already so this feels a little agenda-oriented. But it would be better if we could all discuss it rationally instead of pointing fingers, behavior more typical of the current administration. And why emulate that?

There’s too much at stake to turn on each other now. That said, if further autopsy efforts are necessary, if only in the interest of simply knowing what the fucking hell happened, then we have to do it, no matter where it takes us. From where I sit, the very foundation of our country is at risk. I admit that I don’t particularly like the idea of political dynasties and when there’s more than one person in a family seeking the same office, I wonder if it’s always the best choice to make. I didn’t like it when the Bush family did it and I wasn’t particularly comfortable when the Clintons did the same given Bill’s eventual issues while in office. A tone is set, I think, and it’s one that the eventual candidate has to deal with, whether its influence is positive or negative.

But we live in a country where anyone can theoretically become anything, so to have a rule that prohibits other family members from running for office doesn’t make sense. Besides, in the case of Hillary Clinton, I believe her experience, as well as her intelligence, made her eminently qualified for the job, so there’s no reason why she shouldn’t have run for president and it was why I happily voted for her. I didn’t vote with my vagina or anything else. As a very smart Samantha Bee suggested on her show, I voted for the smart girl because I happen to be a smart girl.

Since the election, however, this conflict has overshadowed our unity and I’m sick of it. People I know have no qualms about hurting others and no one seems interested in civility anymore. The nastiness alone has become too much to bear. I realize I feel this stuff more than others but I can honestly say that it wouldn’t matter one way or the other. What’s going on between people is unnerving. And if it doesn’t stop soon, we may be unable to find our way back to each other.

The way to peace is through a unity of purpose, not through divisiveness. And it also happens to be the way we’ll save our country from the lunatic currently at the helm. So how about we stop pissing on each other and get back to the business of winning the next and future elections. It may seem trite, but we really are the ones we’ve been waiting for.