Nationwide attitudes of acceptance provide hope of ending gridlock, fighting
After being bombarded on social media by extremely negative and inappropriate comments and attacks on the re-election of our President, it is time for us to take some time to reflect collectively on this election. I really don’t know how much more I can take of these frequent and ugly displays of divisive opinions. Despite this, there really is a lot to be proud of from election night.
Think about it. The future of our country is bright. Social attitudes are changing and becoming much more accepting. Women are making monumental gains in the Senate and showed up in droves on Election Day. American views on marijuana seem to be relaxing and can be seen as voters in Washington and Colorado have voted to legalize the recreational use of the drug in their states. In addition, both Maine and Maryland became the first states to legalize gay marriage by the popular vote.
The victory and concession speeches, given by both President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney respectively, called for not only cooperation but for reaching across the political aisle to get things done. And they’re right. We need to come together politically and end the polarizing social media circus.
Now in no way do I believe that political arguments and partisan battles are going to end, it’s just not a realistic view of the world. I would much rather see logical expressions of opinions about issues that affect us all, issues that we can all rally behind in a pursuit to figure out the best solutions to illegal immigration and the fiscal cliff we’re headed towards.
The ironic thing about this election is that it was a “status quo” election: there was no more change you can believe in, just so much more to be concerned about. At the same time, there is so much hidden potential for our politicians to come together and actually try to get something done. No more time can be wasted trying to make President Obama a one-term wonder. The world will not end, pigs will remain firmly planted to the ground and if any of the politicians in office right now have any respect for the reputations that they make for themselves in Washington, then they will come together to affect change for the better.
We will have to be positive if we want to achieve that change. There is nothing that you can do now to get rid of the president, so we will have him for the next four years and we cannot afford to act so nasty and divided. It just isn’t good for the health and future of our country. I have a good feeling about the next four years, and that’s the surprising thing about waking up the morning after the election. I feel optimistic about both parties, and I think that this election and the business of the coming months really could be the perfect time for bipartisanship.
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