"I'd like to buy the world a Coke"

I miss my friend B__. I was reading her blog and it reminded me just how much I do. We realized early on in our friendship that we shared many commonalities: Political interests, educational interests (a fellow BYU poli-sci grad and aspiring MPA), two kids who will someday marry, a hatred for a single professor (grrr.), husbands who weren't around, Manchester Village memories, etc. Now she lives in California and her husband is around a bit more, but we're still going to get our kids together someday.

I have wonderful amazing friends from our various travels, but I was reading B's blog and it jogged some thoughts of my own regarding our current political "situation."

(Begin the humming of the peace promoting Coke advertisement)

If there was one thing I learned from my graduate school experience (other than how to balance a multi-million dollar budget and various families of tax policy - all of which are very useful to me now that I only balance my family budget and we hardly make enough to even pay taxes) it was how to look at other peoples' views, no matter how different from my own and sincerely respect them.

We can appreciate other opinions whether or not we agree with them. This is a lesson that has been very difficult for me to apply lately with all of the political rhetoric being tossed around as if anyone knows what they're talking about. I can't stand the Democratic nominee (you know who I'm talking about). I still respect him. I respect him for his efforts and his talent at swaying a huge group of Americans into believing he has any ability to do the task at hand. I appreciate his views as HIS, not mine (another post on another day). I'm sure he has thought about what he believes and truly thinks his way is the best way.

What if things don't go my way in November (get out and vote for McCain, PLEASE!)? I'm not going to move to Canada - as I threatened to do as a 7th grader when Clinton got elected - (see how well that turned out, people?). I will deal with it.

I appreciate that the candidates were chosen according to a democratic process that I hold very dear to me. As a student of democratization of other countries, I have come to truly love the process and freedoms that come to us as consenting citizens. (Not to get all Socratic, but we do consent to follow whichever leaders are chosen simply by being here and participating in the services provided by the government.) I also appreciate the fact that a stable democracy cannot be taken for granted. We need to work together, regardless of which side of the aisle we've chosen to sit, to ensure that our disagreements do not undermine the foundation of this nation's government. We are not invincible (I could get into one of my favorite books (The Third Wave) on democratization, but I won't).

I guess the point I'm trying to convey through all of this rambling is that we can disagree. We need to be civilized and respectful of those opposing our views. That is the only way all of this is going to work out.

(You can stop humming now)