The morning after...

On this day after the Presidential election I have spent the morning reading an endless number of ranting, raving, complaining, vicious, crying, boasting and gloating facebook posts from friends venting after the election.

Admittedly, I am in a state of shock with feelings of anger, disappointment, and dismay bordering on despair.  So many things are going through my head that I have resisted the temptation to let it all hang out and write an immediate post dumping all my feelings into a passionate diatribe.  I have decided not to do that.  Rather, I will let it all sink in and when I think I have calmed myself down enough, I will attempt to pull all my thoughts and feelings together and then write a blog about it.

I would like to comment on one thing, however:  One of the threads running through the posts I’ve read this morning is the threat to, or an admission of, “unfriending” because of disagreements over political positions or beliefs.  There are many bad things about social media—you know them all, bullying, hate, threats, lies and on and on.  But, on the plus side, social media has offered a means of instant communication between people that never existed before.  It provides a way for the immediate exchange of ideas whether you agree with those ideas or not.

Obviously, those of you have read my facebook posts and blogs know I have been clear and outspoken about my political leanings and opinions during the campaign.  There have been many heated exchanges between me and friends ranging from mildly nasty to somewhat mean to downright vicious. I have never unfriended anyone regardless of how unpleasant an exchange may have been and I never will.  Cutting off a dialogue, no matter how heated or unpleasant, does not resolve anything.

Hopefully that idea will prevail after Trump takes office.  During the Obama years, the Republicans and Democrats had very little dialogue.  The danger now is that with the Republicans wielding total control of the Presidency and Congress, there will be no dialogue at all.