What the Trump is Going On?

I've noticed something interesting happening in my Facebook feed lately: People who usually don't discuss politics are going there. Big time. And the folks who do commonly discuss politics are RAGING.

I like seeing people get fired up. I enjoy seeing the people I care about passionately express their views. Even when I don't agree with them.

I have a lot of Facebook friends who are conservative, who are Christian. I might not I hang out with them on a regular basis, but they are people I like and respect. I am not Christian and I consider myself liberal but contrary to what you may think, I do have quite a bit in common with those friends. We all believe in a higher power, we believe in showing kindness and love to others. We understand that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go round.

I usually don't chime in on political discussions on social media because I don't want to argue. I once ended up in a heated debate with a friend of a friend over the use of antibiotics so I can only imagine how I might get if the subject was a bit more "touchy." Occasionally I'll comment on a discussion, but for the most part I read what other people write and process that on my own.

Over the last couple weeks I've seen a comment more than once that has struck fear in my heart and made me realize I need to speak out. The comment went along the lines of "I'm disgusted with all of the candidates so I'm not going to vote," and was followed by a "Me too" and a "Me three" and so on. These particular folks were discussing the Republican candidates so I can feel their pain, however I don't think not voting is a solution.

I didn't say that on my friend's post. Now I wish I had, but it seems creepy to scroll back three weeks and comment. I saw similar posts from other friends, including comments about the Democratic candidates. I've had a real life discussion with an acquaintance who admitted apathetically "Oh I don't know that I'll even vote. I don't know enough about what's going on."

I didn't speak up to any of those people. I'm going to blame it on the fact that I'm a writer! I function better when I can take time to process my thoughts and express myself in writing. So here it goes:

Come on people, get your shit together and vote. If you're disgusted with all the candidates, write in the one you think would do the best job. If you "don't know what's going on," educate yourself. Every candidate has a website, go to it and read their positions on the issues. Do research. If you don't vote, you're perpetuating the problems.

The reason it's easier to be apathetic is because otherwise you need to look inside yourself and say "How do I truly feel about this particular issue (abortion, healthcare, war, drones, gun laws, etc,) and which candidate is closest aligned to my view?" It's not easy and I know I haven't done it about every issue but I took some time to look and said "Okay, now I know what they stand for so I'll think on it." 

Apathy is not the answer. Throwing your hands up and saying "Everybody sucks" doesn't change anything. I've realized that my saying "I'm going to stay quiet and not give my opinion" is a different version of that.  So let's talk about it.

Good Grief

The news of Alan Rickman's death, announced a mere three days after David Bowie's, sent me reeling for the second time this week. Although I've never met either of these men, my life has been affected by both of them through their careers.

I was raised by music loving parents through the 70's and 80's. I don't recall a time in my life when I didn't know who David Bowie was. I can't pinpoint the first time I saw Labyrinth or heard Let's Dance, I've always known them. From the posts I've seen on Facebook, I know there are scores of us with vivid memories of The Goblin King from our childhoods!

Similarly, there's now a whole generation of people who have grown up with the Harry Potter world and Rickman's embodiment of Severus Snape.

Personally, my favorite of Alan Rickman's film roles is that of Harry in Love Actually. It's one of my favorite movies of all time, despite the fact that I'm not generally a RomCom type of gal. When I was starting out on my own after my divorce, I watched that movie so many times. I connected with each of the characters in some way, as I navigated through cycles of hope and grief. It's a beautiful story that shows all sides of love and loss, whether it be romantic or family or friendship. If you've never seen it, please watch it this weekend. If you've seen it before, watch it again this weekend. I know I will!

I received the news of the passing of both of these great men from Facebook posts. (Whether or not it's a healthy habit to have, I check my Facebook first thing in the morning while I'm still lying in bed.)

For all the negative press social media gets, and Facebook in particular, it cannot be denied that it is a place of unity, a place where we come together in times of crisis, or joy or outrage, to share our opinions and connect with like-minded souls.

I know people who say "So what? Celebrities are people just like the rest of us. No big deal." I both agree and disagree with this line of thinking. Yes, celebrities are people just like us, but they are a big deal and we are all a big deal. Maybe it's not on a global scale or Harry Potter level but we all affect each other every single day.

As I've scrolled through my social media accounts, and read posts from people who knew David Bowie and from fans who never met him, I was struck by these strong connections. Then I saw it again in regard to Alan Rickman. If you haven't already, you need to read this post Daniel Radcliffe wrote about working with Rickman. That's powerful stuff. I'm sure it brought Daniel comfort to be able to share those feelings with his fans.

Social media has changed the world in many ways. Some can be viewed as negative but the frivolous uses of it so often over shadow the positive, loving uses: connection, finding your tribe, sharing your thoughts with the world. Previous generations didn't have the opportunities that we do when it comes to this so I hope we are not wasting them.

Connect with someone you love today. Or better yet, more than one person. Tell your friends you love them. Then tell your favorite singer/actor/writer you love them as well! When we fill The Universe with those loving vibes, there's less room for the negative ones!