FROM THE DOGTROT: Glad it’s over

By DIANE JOHNSON

I heard a lot of, “I’ll be so glad when this election is over.” I felt the same way.  Election excitement and passion brought out the best and worst in people. The expression of these passions was the problem.
    I like to listen to talk radio. I listen to all kinds of talk radio, not just programs that fit with my ideals.  Listening to various points of view helps me to establish my own set of beliefs.  I like to believe that additional information assists in firming my beliefs or assists in modifying them.  Recently while listening to a local talk show, a fellow named Dale phoned in.  He indicated that he was from Maryville, Tenne., and was lamenting that his Mercedes had been hit by a Mexican. I found it interesting that he didn’t just say that his car had been hit, but wanted to be certain that the listeners knew his car was a Mercedes.  I inferred from both his tone and additional comments that the person he was speaking of was not only Mexican by birth, but somehow good old Dale knew he was illegally in this country. His implication seemed to be that all Mexicans were illegal. His further comments were about one presidential candidate and how racist black people were for voting for that candidate. He stated that they were only voting for this candidate because he was black. I found myself becoming increasing shocked at things he was saying. I kept waiting for the radio station to cut him off. Then I realized that Dale was showing us exactly who he is. Let him talk, I thought. In my mind, I renamed him Dale the Dumb for this was exactly how I viewed his narrow, biased, racist thought process. He was making decisions based upon emotions rather than facts.  He didn’t make the correlation that if a white person voted for the other candidate it was because of skin color.  He went further to indicate his belief that white people needed to stick together and keep this a WASP nation. He then told the audience what the acronym meant and went on to assail the Statue of Liberty and his desire to return it to France. He felt that immigrants needed to be sent back to their home countries.  I’m certain that the cut-off date for return would be after his ancestors arrived. Poor Dale. As we say here, bless his heart. His passion has impressed me in a negative way. Hate speech is just that.
    I met another man of passion. He has focused his belief into something positive. He felt passionately about this presidential election and decided to give of his time and energy for his candidate.  After discussing the commitment with his wife, it was decided that he would volunteer a considerable chunk of his time to work for that candidate. He would take a leave from his job and go where they could use his services. He came to this area from Rochester, N.Y., and works long days volunteering. I was especially surprised to learn that he has personally, taken care of all the expenses associated with his passion. He pays for his hotel, meals, gasoline, and additional expenses. No stipends here.  It all comes out of his and his family’s pockets. That is real passion and it certainly impressed me in a positive way.
    I observed people becoming involved in various ways during this presidential campaign. Some based their decisions on sound, rational thinking. People were volunteering like never before.  Yard signs, bumper stickers, and lapel pins may seem like small things but for many showing their passion by openly displaying their choice is monumental.  They are willing to disagree with friends and neighbors.  And they saw that disagreeing didn’t have to end friendships or mean anything more than indicating who they thought was the better candidate. They didn’t have to resort to mean spiritedness to support the candidate of their choosing.
    To paraphrase the words of Leonard Pitts: It is unfair to make the election about race. It is more about Americans, of all stripes, who have had enough of politics of addition by division as practiced by Karl Rove and his disciples, enough of the free floating anger, the holiday from accountability, the nastiness masquerading as righteousness, the sheer intellectual dishonesty that has characterized the era of American politics that now ends here. 
    Thank goodness the election and all the hoopla is over. Now begins the task of working together to make things better for everyone.