Pro-Choice

This is NOT about abortion.  I have hijacked this term because I think it is high-time we understood a little bit more about being pro-choice.

We’ve just come off of one of the nastiest, meanest, most hateful election seasons I remember.  Of course it may be that I feel that way every election season but that does not make it any less true.  The candidates, their minions, and the folks they are minions of, have long engaged in mud-slinging and name-calling and fact-twisting.  Now we have the general public engaged in the very same thing towards each other!

Social media has given many folks an avenue to be mean and to be bullies that they didn’t have before.  May I remind folks that just because you can doesn’t mean you should?

Pro-choice technically means that I am in favor of and respect your choice even if I strongly disagree with it. We can disagree without being disagreeable and nasty.  My beliefs and choices do not mean I am stupid, evil, and kick small dogs for fun.

It is possible to state your opinion, your choice, your thoughts – to even try to persuade me you are correct – without denigrating those who disagree with you.  Never before have I been so disappointed with people I love and care about – on both sides of the political spectrum.  I finally had to remove the posts of several very dear friends and family members.  I don’t enjoy being told that because I support one candidate over another that I am stupid or part of the “slut vote” (yes that one came about yesterday – really?).

So yes I am pro-choice in that I respect your right to vote the way you feel is right, to speak out against injustice and social evil.  But I am not pro-choice if it means that I must also tolerate your viciousness against others that you do not even know.

There is something about civility, manners, and leaving private body parts out of the conversation that I miss a lot.  I was hoping we as a country could find it once the election was over.  I am still hoping.  And that applies whatever your national origin or race or color or gender or sexual preference or religion or disability or veteran status.

We’re all in this together and a house divided against itself will not stand.