The Cost of Independent Politics

Partisan politics has always been a problem for me.  I spent most of my life hearing my own parents play "It's okay if my party does it" and never understood the logic.  My own politics is some kind of mutated hybrid of ideals, but it is built on my own critical thinking.  I've even been known to change my mind during a civil discussion. 

The most recent presidential election has fanned the fires of partisanship to a degree I would have believed impossible.  I've lost, and am apparently losing, friends on both sides of the road.  I don't think either the orange man (sworn in as POTUS) or the society matron (who tried to be POTUS) is a good person.  I don't think either of them is Evil Incarnate.  I will defend either one from hatemongers.  I will call either one on shoveling manure.  

I can sit here and tell you there are a dozen punk children in the yard. What if there are actually 13?  If I were a party politician, the opposite party zombies would shout "Liar" and  "Schmidt calls all children punks".  My own zombies would defend me blindly.  No one would look at the context.  

Use of context clues tells us a great deal.  How, exactly, is punk defined in my hypothetical quote?  How, exactly, is children defined?  Was this a casual comment or something official?   For that matter, are we counting the sidewalk as part of the yard?  What was my tone of voice and facial expression?  This is critical thinking, folks.

If I lose friends because I prefer to think before forming opinions, so be it.  I refuse to drink the proverbial Kool-Aid no matter what flavor it might be. That stuff will make you go blind.  

Observations, Unconnected

It's that time of year.  Prom Season.  What do you associate with Prom?  Romance? Expense? Dancing?  How about sex and guns?  From the look of social media (and even one politician's campaign ad) it's become the norm to meet your daughter's Prom date with a gun.  Far too many people seem to see this as acceptable.  I've even seen this nonsense applied to everyday dating.

Mind you, I'm not talking about the jokers.  Let's get that out of the way.  We all fear our children being hurt and most of us joke about what scares us.  But the joke is lost on a certain demographic.  Some of us still believe a virgin daughter is still a valuable commodity and not a person.  Some of us never teach our daughters about these things and then wonder why they aren't safe.  Some of us even think sex on Prom Night is some kind of obligation.

I would say "And they vote" but they probably don't. They do, obviously, breed.

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If you were born before 1967, you're a senior?  I'm pretty sure 50 qualifies as middle-aged.  Or did the definition of that change, too, like "entitlement" and "white"?  An entitlement is something you're entitled to, that you've earned, or at least it used to be.  I can remember a time when the only white people were those with ancestry in the parts of Europe that didn't touch the Mediterranean.  Italians, Spaniards, and Greeks were a category in and of themselves.  There used to be a distinction between biological sex and "gender".

I understand, and have even argued in defense of, the evolution of language and Common Usage.  Maybe I'm just showing my age (apparently I'm a senior) but those things are supposed to happen slowly.  Day-to-day conversations between people speaking the same language shouldn't require a translator.

Mind you, I really don't care how you label me.  White, old, female, whatever.  I shrug at you.  But stop confusing me!

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And my last unconnected observation for the day: Stop assuming the worst about total strangers and mere acquaintances.  If I see one more person fumbling to explain they meant no offense to someone who won't listen...  Jeez.  Seriously.