Sunday, December 13, 2015

Bah Humbug

"I don't have pet peeves; I have whole kennels of irritation."

My commitment to be realistically optimistic has been sorely tried these past days, what with news from and about San Bernadino, Chicago, and Baltimore.  So I'm taking a break and venting.  Hoping that by doing so, the air from my balloon of discontent will be released.  My "kennels of irritation" include:
drivers who pass on the right
private conversations held in public
commercials in which anyone is demeaned in the name of humor
this excruciatingly long and nasty political campaign
political candidates who don't answer the questions asked of them
interviewers who let them get away with it
people who demand respect while being disrespectful to others
opinion masquerading as fact
diatribe posing as debate
the atmosphere of extreme polarization 
sweeping generalizations 
hearsay repeated as truth
rights without responsibilities
assertions without evidence
labeling that diminishes and isolates

But most of all,I am distressed by the current hate and fear mongering that brings back the horrors of Joseph McCarthy and HUAC - and the knowledge that too many Americans know very little about this period of our history and the damage that was done to individuals, our trust in our government, and our reputation in the name of protecting America.  Am I just showing my age?