Tis the Season

So, ever since what seems like forever, but is probably more like January, I have been receiving all sorts of inflammatory, nonsensical emails from both the right (hi Mom!) and the left. I've had Obama's gay, back-of-the-limo tryst and McCain's faked POW stint come through my inbox. Like driving past a bad car wreck, I usually can't delete without taking a peek to see just how crazy things have gotten. Usually, I have underestimated the depths to which the forwarder will sink.

Then there's the TV coverage. The screaming. The distortions. The taking of things out of context.

And it's all starting to make me confused(er) and cranky(er). So what I want to say to all of you people that are making my life miserable is this:

It's not your POLITICS that I don't like, it's your BEHAVIOR that I have a problem with.

I am willing to hear anyone, with ANY point of view. I am certainly not going to think less of someone simply because they disagree with me. And I think we would ALL agree that these decisions we make this election season are important ones. But is it not possible to feel passionately without acting rude, demeaning and hateful? If you feel strongly, even fervently about one particular way of doing things or one candidate, can you PLEASE express it with dignity and respect for others? Human Decency 101. Hope you didn't cut class. We are all in this together, and I, for one, would like the finger-pointing and name-calling to stop. That's what I have my kids for.