This Irritates Me

I have spent much of my life bucking the tide. If people went left, I often went right. For a while it was just a rebellious way to show my independence. At some point during my teenage years my father sat me down to discuss what it meant to have my own opinion and whether it was necessary to act out to prove it.

I don't remember exactly what was said, but I remember the real message. It was encouragement to continue to try and think for myself and a reminder that if I was really secure in my beliefs I wouldn't find the need to broadcast them. It made a lot of sense to me then and it makes sense to me now. Which leads me to my point.

I find it disturbing to see so many people turn off their minds and jump on the bandwagon so that they can say that they were part of "it" whatever "it" may be. In the current climate I find it distasteful to watch so many Americans jump up and down in agreement whenever "Europe" complains about the war.

They seem to think that by agreeing with them they make themselves to be more worldly and culturally aware. It is just daft.

It is no secret to "long time" readers that I have no compunction about bashing Europe, but then again I haven't any problem bashing the US or any other country/continent either.

The fact that so many people dislike Bush is not in and of itself significant enough to warrant agreement. Your vote should not be given to someone because you like them and it should not be withheld just because you do not. The decision should be based upon their ability to do the job.

Can they get it done more effectively and efficiently than others and do you agree with their policies. Personal issues should be left out of it.

Along those lines I maintain that it is not critical for a person to be eloquent as long as they can effectively communicate their message. And even more important then the quality of their voice/elocution is what they say. Is it meaningful, is it important, is it significant.

We waste so much energy on stupid criticisms that are truly meaningless and often nonsensical.