(Untitled)

[rowena524]

OK, I understand frustration and disappointment - maybe even anger - at the re-election of Bush, but I do NOT understand the seething rage that people are directing at the people who voted for him. (For the record, I did not vote for him OR Kerry. They both sucked.) I don't understand how some people can think the way they do, myself, but they

Comments

[starlessdragon]

::Chuckles:: Yeah, I didn't vote for either of them, either. I don't really like either of them, but I don't hate either of them, either. Wow, how many times can I use the word "Either" in a post? Hehe. They both have some very good aspects, and some very bad aspects, but I, too don't really understand people getting completely furious with those who vote. Get mad at the man, or his decisions or policies, sure, but allow other people their opinions and their vote. It is sort of the basis of living in a so called free country after all! ::Petpetpet::

[rowena524]

*nodnods*

[sarkiran]

Erf, anger like that isn't good. I don't hold anger or rage for the outcome, or blame anyone for the results. I am just hoping those who hold those emotions don't get out of control and result in action against them. As the results sink in and time passes, hopefully the emotions will cool.

On a sidenote, I'm excited by one thing that this election has shown, and that's the huge voter turnout. It's had a surprised outcome - A lot of people are predicting 'great things' for the Republicans. They've got the House and Senate, and the mandate the election has handled the Repulican Party by such a huge turnout and victory is one already going down in history. But 'great things' could easily turn sour.

[rowena524]

A LOT of people I've come across are just really upset about the result. I guess, as someone who didn't want either candidate, I'm just sort of neutral about it. The only really BAD thing is that this likely means several conservative appointments to the Supreme Court. :/

The voter turnout WAS awesome. I guess the 2000 election FINALLY Drilled it into people's heads that their vote DOES matter!

Yeah, I'm not sure about 'great things' for the Republicans. :p There are more than a few things that I'd rather they not accomplish in the next few years.

[jlc]

They are certainly permitted to have those opinions, but I am equally permited to question just how they came by those opinions. The fact is that I can't even uderstand why people who I know voted Bush (parents, couple of friends, etc) voted that way.

Oh well. Go Badnarik. He's less a fucktard than either of Bush or Kerry.

[rowena524]

Did I say you couldn't question how people come by their opinions?? No. I said I don't understand people being just plain fucking pissed off to the point where they're going beyond the point of questioning and simply cursing people who voted for Bush and whatnot. I'm pretty sure my parents, aunt and uncle voted for Bush and I KNOW why. Quite frankly, as screwed up as it is, they agree with him on a lot of things. I've talked with them about why they feel the way they do (downright argued with my uncle over gay marriage one night) and while I STILL don't understand the reasoning behind their particular opinions, I'm prepared to LET them have them and agree to disagree. Now, if they voted Bush for no apparent reason and had ever expressed contradictory opinions to his policy and beliefs, then I could understand confusion or frustration over their refusal to educate themselves, but not outright ANGER

[jlc]

People are cursing because they're human and therefore prone to letting their emotions get the best of them. And this isn't the least bit helped by the fact that for many people, this election represents a serious assault on their struggle for equal rights before the law. Too many states passed equivelents of the gay marriage amendment. Bush may well view this as a mandate. To the people that this really matters to, voting for Bush is like voting for a canidate who promises to repeal voting rights for women. And, finding that that sort of man won the election, I dare say to ask people who really take these positions to heart to not be angry is a bit too much.

Live and let live is good, though. I'm sure that's how it will be after a day or two of venting. That's the way America is supposed to work; sometimes we manage to pull it off, too.

[rowena524]

You, of all people, should KNOW that I don't care a bit for the administration's views on gay rights. Nor do I like a LOT of their other policies. Like I said, I UNDERSTAND the rage/irritation/frustration at the RESULT. I just DON'T understand being PISSED OFF at people for voting the way they believe, simply because it runs opposite what someone else believes/wants. I'm not HAPPY with the outcome of the election myself, but I think it's more than a LITTLE unfair for people to be angry with each other for voting their conscience.

As for the 11 states that passed a gay marriage ban, shame on them.

At least the people I see venting are primarily people who DID vote. Few things irritate me more than people who don't bother to vote but LOVE to complain about politics. If you're going to complain, then by the GOD(ESSE)S get out there and do what you can to CHANGE things.

[rowena524]

I can understand that reaction. It makes me more than a little sad that so many people in this country are content to be bigotted assholes, also. On a related note, it makes me more than a little sad that so many of the people I know who are not necessarily BIGOTTED assholes refuse to vote.

[rowena524]

Mmm, it might give you some small relief to know that it's only 51% of the 60% of the population that decided to vote that are necessarily proven to be hate-filled bigots. SO, about 30%? Only 10% of the electorate was people between 18 and 24, and those are probably the voters most likely to vote on the social issues rather than economics/foreign policy. It's unfortunate that more young people are not interested at all in politics. There should be more of them like jlc up there. For all that he can go overboard with it, at least he's passionate about the process and such

[shelbystripes]

I'm mostly angry at the people who list gay rights as very high on their issues of importance and then voted for Bush anyway. Bush is, blatantly, leading the attack on gay rights in this country, and it's very difficult to understand how someone who cares so much about gay rights could not only not vote against him, but actively vote for him. It makes no sense to me.

[rowena524]

*shrugs* Those are people who don't make sense. Maybe as important as gay rights IS to them, there's something else they're MORE concerned about? I just fail to see what gay marriage really has to do with the stability of the country. OMG, 2 people of the same sex want to spend their lives together, our society will UNRAVEL!!! *rolls eyes* What the hell ever.

[sky]

It boggles my mind that anyone could vote for either Bush OR Kerry and list gay rights as important to them.

Yeah Kerry wasn't for an amendment. but when asked "Yes or no, Do you support gay marriage." They both answered no. Sure Kerry put caveats of letting states decide and talked about seperate but equal. But other than title 39 is there anything where seperate but equal worked?

They're both a bad choice for supporting gay rights. One is just more up front about it than the other.

[shelbystripes]

Kerry's position was basically the smart one: Don't push for gay marriage now nationally, the country's not ready for it yet, but go ahead and allow civil unions, and allow states that want to decide to allow gay marriages to allow them.

Seperate but equal worked in that it was a bridge from no rights whatsoever to equal rights. The idea would be that eventually, people would get so used to the idea of "civil unions" that they would be struck down as "seperate but equal" and therefore not, and gay marriage would then be pushed forward as legal... but by then, everyone would be used to the concept, and it'd just be giving it a different name.

In contrast, what Bush and the GOP are doing not only involves denying gay marriages on the state level, but denying any form of union between gays on the state level (with most Defense of Marriage Acts worded so strongly that they prohibit even civil unions or any form of domestic partnership, and even prohibit governments from providing employee benefits to gay employees' partners), as well