Political Emails

For the most part, I avoid blogging about politics because I inevitably end up writing something that would offend people of a different political persuasion than mine, or at the very least, I end up feeling like a snot for saying it. But with the upcoming presidential elections, I feel like I need to vent a bit. Just so you know, you're warned if you choose to keep reading.

When it comes to politics, there are two things I absolutely hate. The first are pundits like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Al Franken. I don't care what side they're on, all they do is make me feel angry and I've got better things to spend my emotional energy on. I also hate the emails that always seem to come with the presidential elections. You know, the ones intended to make the other side look like idiots, whether it be through less-than-flattering photos or assertions about the other side, like claims that George W. Bush was the only candidate in 2004 with an advanced degree (I guess Kerry's law degree doesn't count) or another one that says Hillary Clinton never passed the bar exam (failed in D.C., but passed in Arkansas).One "favorite" this year is an email that suggests several notable Democrats were all born nine months after the infamous UFO sighting near Roswell, implying that they were all the offspring of aliens. The list includes Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer, and Hillary Clinton. Apparently the email has also been reworked to include Republicans such as George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfield, Condoleeza Rice, etc. Even without a visit to Snopes.com, both lists are clearly too convenient to be true, and isn't it obvious that there's a wide range of ages in both lists? Most of the emails I see tend to be anti-Democrat because most of my friends and family are Republicans, but I'm also not a fan of anti-Republican emails of the same shape and flavor. I am unbiased in that sense; I hate them all.

Unfortunately these emails are always sent to me by friends who assume that because we share the same religion, we also share the same political views. If I know that my political views are different than theirs, I usually avoid the topic entirely because I want to keep them as friends, which explains why they often aren't aware of my political leanings. The problem with these emails is that I can't leave them alone. Suddenly I morph into a rabid fact finder, putting my life on hold until I can figure out the truth, which thanks to Google and Snopes usually doesn't take too long. Most of the time, I can't help but respond to the sender, either with a link to Snopes or with other info that debunks the rumor. While I'd like to believe that I'm just fighting for truth, justice, and the American way, I know that I'm nothing more than an obnoxious know-it-all who can't take a joke.

As for the emails with the authentic, but ugly photos, those really tie me up in knots. They make me angry, but I don't know what to do about them. Really, is there any nice way to say, "please don't send me political emails"? As nice as I hope to sound, I can't get around the fact that it still feels unfriendly. Take out one word, and it's "please don't send me emails."

Of course all this ranting isn't to say that I don't appreciate a good JibJab cartoon, political cartoon, or The Daily Show. I'd like to say the difference is that this second group tends to poke fun at both sides, but the truth is I'm probably just a hypocrite. Anyway, I feel better now and I hope you'll all continue to be my friends despite my strong opinions.