I get it – there are political views that we all get fired up about, and there is no fault in being passionate about something you firmly believe in. That being said… when you listen to a politician speak, I ask that you do something to help the world around us in a small way. Remember that this person is stepping up to the podium out of a desire to help our country (at least, the majority of the time) become better than we currently are, and are subjecting their families and loved ones – not just themselves – to the constant scrutiny of the media and any of us who find fault in something they do or say.

Take a moment and examine how you would feel if your child came home from school in absolute tears, having been bullied because someone made a meme of you from the debate the night before and it managed to go viral overnight. How would you react if you found your spouse melted into the couch sobbing after someone defaced their vehicle while they were at the grocery store shopping for your family? The things that are encouraged by so many of our neighbors as gut reactions to the political climate continue to do much more harm than good, and we need to be vocal about the need to address it.

We love to jump behind the walls of our computer screens that we think exist, but the way we react to the actions and statements of politicans tell society just as much about ourselves as it does the ones starting the conversation. Instead of rushing to use hurtful words that we may not necessary mean (i.e. someome is racist, something-phobic, etc.), take the time to listen with your individual compassion with just as much effort as your intellect. More than likely, the person running for office has a stance on that issue because of something personal that happened to them – and if that isn’t the case, I hope they are honest with themselves and with the general population in how they logically came to their conclusion. 

This request of mine comes from the mindset of mine that the two party system in our country is doing much more to separate us rather than unite us. We are better than this current state of affairs, and we can show that – one charitable response at a time. Taking the time to fully listen and process before responding has gone out the window in dialogue today, but that doesn’t mean it can’t make a comeback. Empathy is a beautiful thing – it doesn’t mean that we are going to convert everyone to our opinion, but it will help foster an environment where people feel more comfortable both opening up about how they truly feel and making positive suggestions as to how we can improve our world together.