We need to get the vitriol out of politics. [View all]

[OceanEcosystem]

We need to get America to the point of having rational, calm, civil, reasonable, friendly discourse that is based off of listening and being understanding, rather than spewing one's opinion and then immediately closing one's ears off to the opposing side.


We need to get America where, to borrow a saying, people focus on what is right rather than who is right.


Both sides need to stop ridiculing each other.


Both sides need to learn to give each other the benefit of the doubt.


People need to apply the Golden Rule - "Would I want the opposing side (i.e., conservatives) to say the same things about me, that I am saying about them?"


We need to move beyond politics where people care more about defeating the opposition, than about advancing the benefit of the country.

Both sides need to get beyond stereotyping those who disagree with them. Conservatives need to stop viewing liberals as lazy, radical, impractical leftists waiting for a handout. Liberals need to stop viewing conservatives as hateful, greedy, bigoted, and ignorant. It's the Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have others do unto you. This sort of stereotyping must stop if we are to have civil discourse.


For those who would say, "The vitriol will stop as soon as conservatives go away," - there are several problems with that notion.

First of all, conservatives are most likely never going away. They just aren't.

Secondly, conservatives are probably thinking the same - "the vitriol will stop as soon as liberals go away."

Finally, as long as this attitude persists, no progress will be made. One side must take the first step.



We all need to be more understanding. People need to think of their opponents as people - people just as human and quirky as they are - instead of as some nameless, faceless entity. The more people relate to each other, the less likely they are to spew hateful speech about each other.


Finally, we need to realize that whether liberals or conservatives, left-wingers or right-wingers, we're all Americans.


There is almost no limit to what America can accomplish if we can simply lay the finger-pointing and blaming aside.