Don't fight politics with politics

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for March 8, 2017)

Why has everything become political? It's a tragedy.

Politics drives people apart. It makes people miserable, angry, and sad. Politics makes people believe crazy things and gets them to defend the indefensible. It turns regular people into bullies and scapegoats. Politics distracts people from doing productive things and keeps them too occupied to do pleasant things.

I understand. It is said that even if you don't have an interest in politics, politics is interested in you. The same could be said of a mosquito.

It's a shame that politics, and those addicted to it, can't leave anyone unmolested. The hunger to control what other people do, even when they aren't harming anyone else's life, liberty, or property, is one of the most vile traits ever found in humans, yet is a most common failing.

I view politics as an attempt to live among people you don't like. When you like someone, politics isn't mistaken for a proper way to interact. You just get along, compromise, or agree to disagree-- and move on. With people you don't like, whom you feel a need to use politics against, you skip the civilized behavior and move straight to asking someone to use violence on your behalf against them. The more people you dislike, the more political you become.

Maybe you believe others should finance things you feel are important, but they won't do it voluntarily. Send in the guns of the State to force them to contribute, or suffer the consequences.

Perhaps they do things you don't like, but which don't actually "pick your pocket or break your leg", to use Thomas Jefferson's phrase-- so self defense isn't an option. Send in the guns of government to force them to live as you would prefer, or suffer the consequences.

This is as wrong as attacking them in person, although it has somehow become more socially acceptable.

When someone starts using politics against you-- and there's no other way to use politics than against someone-- it's only natural to be tempted to strike back. Natural, but there's got to be a better way than to fire "laws" back and forth in some never-ending "Hatfield versus McCoy" feud.

The next time someone you don't like does something you disagree with, or tries to use politics against you, why not try to deal with the situation in a mature way-- non-politically. Give it a shot and see if you can be the better person.

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