It has arrived.
A dreaded month. The only holiday is reserved for people in relationships (a fact which would make the original St. Valentine weep, but that is a discussion for another day) and spring is still several weeks out. Admittedly I have not stayed true to my workout as I would like. The workout was skipped a couple days and I seem to be struggling to wake up at 8:30 am. I still have few shifts a week, which leaves me fairly bored. I finished 4 books in one month (although the Shel Silverstein was an easy read) and have a couple more picked out besides.
I could go on about other things in regard to my resolutions (apparently I make incredibly shippable characters) but I would rather wax a bit philosophical. The Iowa caucus is tonight. People are working on what candidate to support as I speak, so naturally it's in the front of my mind. And there's one particularly thing I've noticed. People are stupid. Not for their political views. But because they equate political views with intelligence.
These days Facebook is filled with jokes and memes that mock the opposite side's intelligence. Republicans are idiots that don't understand climate change or the first amendment. Democrats are idiots that don't understand economics or the second amendment. Sanders is a communist. Trump is a fascist. The Democrats apologizers will be our downfall. The Republican bible thumpers will lead us into a new dark age.
All of that is stupid.
I'll admit to sharing my own comics mocking Republican stances, but lately I've seen how it comes across from the other side. If you share those things or say those things, you don't look like an intelligent social observer. You look narrow-minded. You look like you can't handle the other side's argument. In short, you look unintelligent. Mocking someone's stance has never been an effective tool for changing their mind. If anything, it convinces them they're in the right.
Do you have to agree with the other side? Of course not. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But never equate opinions with intelligence. Just use the golden rule. If you don't want someone to call you a anti-abortion bigot, don't call them a baby killer. If you don't want someone to call you a lazy-ass welfare recipient, don't call someone a greedy capitalist pig. There's a difference between an attack and returning fire. If you can't handle the war, don't fire the first shot.
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