Most Damning...

First – I acknowledge that there are angry, bitter, foul-mouthed, and even violent people on both (all) sides of the political spectrum.  There are ignorant Republicans just as there are ignorant Democrats.  This is not intended to be a blanket description of all conservatives/republicans etc…  Nor do I intend to say that all republicans/conservatives share these hateful sentiments.  And further I do not intend to imply that all liberal/democrats behave more respectfully.

I saw this photo shared on Facebook by a friend.  And then shared again, and again “liked” by other friends.  Never mind the fact that it’s a poorly Photoshopped picture– it’s just plain offensive, and I have a very difficult time understanding how my friends – my Christian friends – can share or like this kind of venom. 

The picture was followed by comments (not from my friends, by the way…) like these:

 “he deserves to be HUNG!!!!!”
“My dreams for Obama go further than this…”
“[he] needs to be in orange or a zebra suit”
“What he ‘deserves’ is a noose!”
“all I want for Christmas is a big eared Muslim in cuffs and shot by the USMC firing squad”

It’s not that I believe that political discourse in our time has sunk to new lows or that previous elections were more dignified.  Our electoral history is filled with rancor, mudslinging, fraud, slander, libel, and even violence.  But cannot understand how we let ourselves sink so low over and over again. 

I believe in reasoned discourse – even passionate discourse.  And since most of my friends are in the conservative/Republican side of the political spectrum and I tend towards the left, (even the Socialist far left…) I have had frequent opportunities in recent months to discuss and even debate the various merits or flaws of the candidates and their plans. 

But I am always disappointed when I see this kind of hateful material shared by friends – on either side.  It’s hateful. It’s not helpful.  And, most damning – it is in no way appropriate for those who claim to be followers of Jesus.