Click Here If You Hate The Election Circus

As you all know I am Australian but don’t live in Australia. Therefore I haven’t voted in any election for years. I do however keep up with what’s going in Aussie politics and although we can’t vote, my family is still affected by what goes on in Australia because we own a house and Rob works for an Australian company.

Having said that, I think who you vote for is a personal thing and although I will be interested to see who wins this years Federal Election, I absolutely detest the process of getting there.

Amidst the circus that was Australian politics this week, various social media websites became a platform for some of the people I follow – who are normally intelligent, articulate, kind and supportive Mums to morph themselves into angry, vitriolic, opinionated witches who can’t help themselves from slagging their social media co-habitants for having a differing opinion.

I find it distressing to the point where I had to lay low for a couple of days.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good debate if it’s open to discussing both sides of the argument. But when one side is unable to accept the others basic human right to another opinion then it isn’t a debate, it’s misguided arrogance.

I feel very strongly about one of the leading parties in Australia. I talk about it with close friends and my family but I certainly don’t feel the need to take to social media to broadcast my views and publicly slam anyone who doesn’t agree with me. It’s not only unfair but it’s bigoted, shameful and downright rude.

I will never understand why politics turns some people into giant assholes. Where in the law of humanism does it say it’s acceptable to bully anyone elses views on how a country should be run? What is it about politics that riles people up like it does?

So bring on the federal election in September I say. I am sick to death of the hate campaign already. It’s un-Australian and embarrassing.

And for anyone guilty of the above who may be reading, what makes you think it’s acceptable to belittle others for having a differing view they are absolutely entitled to? I don’t know about you but my parents taught me better than that.

How would you feel if your kids went off to school and behaved in that way?