Within a red, white, and blue sea of fierce patriotism lie the two traditional opposing sides to the 2012 presidential election: the republicans and the democrats. Here in America, we forever believe in “freedom of speech”- until someone disagrees with us, as is prevalent within the two political parties of this election. We live in a nation founded upon the liberties of both freedom of speech and expression, yet controversy, prejudice, and aggression overcome the peoples’ minds with full force. We are a beautiful, confused nation of blinded hypocrisy, self-mutilation, materialistic aesthetics, and self-destruction.
In this presidential election, representing the Democratic Party is our current president who is re-running for office, Barack Obama. Serving as the Republican Party candidate is the former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney. In the minds of many Americans, each political party can only represent one side: good or evil, right or wrong. With two distinctly adverse sides, is it possible for both to be good? Is it possible for both to be right?
Many do not believe so. To too many, a simple label, either “Republican” or “Democrat,” is more important than the sum of its parts. Decidedly, only one party can be correct, and it is up to each individual to decide which. To some, there is simply no gray area- it is either black or white. I believe in shades of gray. Just like with individuals, there is good and bad in everyone because no one is perfect. No one is fully good, just as no one is fully bad. We, as the human race, are a mixture of everything. We embody every aspect of ourselves, both good and bad, and that has transcended into our man-made political parties.
I agree with the man who said: “Political parties will be the downfall of this nation.” Ironically, it was our very first president George Washington who first said those words. Perhaps we should have followed Washington’s wise advice. Political parties can turn into propaganda, which then turns into the bandwagon effect, ultimately snowballing into ignorance. Ignorance will be the demise of our nation. Unfortunately, ignorance now seems to be a prerequisite of voters in this 2012 presidential election.
Some may say that it is ignorant not to vote—that it is a privilege to have the right to vote. I agree that voting is an incredible privilege, but how many ignorant voters are there out there who are voting simply because it is their natural-born American right? How many unsure, undecided U.S. citizens are blindly going into this election voting to support one of two candidates that they know nothing about other than what they have been bottle-fed?
We should first get educated. Secondly, we should be sure not to define ourselves by which political party we support, but by how we may best pursue our beliefs, follow our values, keep our morals, and maintain respect for each other regardless of difference of opinion. To have freedom of speech and expression is a privilege; to have respect is a necessity.
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