Free Speech

Today a man –in my own home, over a cup of coffee, while Jackson 5 played in the background- went off on an anti-Obama rant.  There were a lot of things wrong with the situation:  1.  It was 9:15 in the morning.  2.  I met this person about 30 minutes before the rant.  3.  He didn’t even know my name (Trent’s name was printed on the forms from the alarm company; he was fixing our alarm.) and he certainly didn’t know my political leanings.  4.  Rush and Tate were standing next to me, and that’s just not the way we talk around here.  5.  He was otherwise a nice, pleasant person. 

I was born patriotic.  It’s a scientific fact* that being born on November 7 in the height of election season makes you especially in love with America.  And guess what- I like President Obama and his family.  I’m not getting into politics; I’m saying I want them to come to my house for dinner and we can sit on the back porch eating chips and hot sauce.  President Obama –like every other person who lives in DC- can vent about how sick he is of going to the Air and Space museum every time family comes to visit.  Sasha and Malia can be Rush and Tate’s favorite babysitters and we’ll order pizza when they babysit.  Michelle can be my workout buddy and I’ll in the best shape of my life because when I want to give up on bicep curls, she’ll encourage me to keep going.

It’s a shocking thought –gasp!  horror!  how dare she!- but it’s okay to like the president of your country.  Free speech doesn’t mean you have to gripe all the time.  If Romney had been elected, I wouldn’t be bad mouthing him all over town.  I would be finding his picture in the newspaper and pointing him out as the president to Rush and Tate.  I would be saying, “If President Romney invites you to dinner at the White House, are you going to spit food on the floor?” when we eat dinner.  Yes, the first amendment allows you to bash the president if you like, but that’s not the way I want to live.

The things this man was ranting about weren’t the topics of an informed person; it wasn’t about how we as the American people can improve the quality of life for our fellow citizens.  I’m as annoyed as anyone that Houston didn’t get a retired shuttle, but I don’t think it merits comparing the president to the emperor in Star Wars.  And I’m pretty sure that the federal government isn’t responsible for the New York fountain drink sizes.  And again, I didn’t even know this person.  And IT WAS NINE FIFTEEN IN THE MORNING.  There’s not enough coffee in the world to make it okay to say some things that early, or at all, ever.

In this stage in my life, when I’m trying my hardest to raise two responsible, well mannered American men, I welcome one style of political discussion in my home and one style only.  My friend Nick can come over and we can argue about legalizing drugs.  We’ve had the discussion before; we have opposing views.  When we talk about it, we both know we’re not out to change the other’s mind, but to hear another viewpoint and by speaking our own minds, learn to better articulate our own beliefs.  If you can meet those standards and be respectful of others as actual human beings, then we’ll talk.  The rest of America, if you want to bash the president, and I mean any president, Democrat or Republican, now or in the future**, take it to Facebook.  Shut your apple pie holes in my house. We’re preaching a gospel of love around here. 

If the internet is good for two things, it’s giving people a place to rant and vent publically and seeing pictures of cats sleeping in cute positions.  So let’s make it two for two.

*Source:  My brother-in-law, also a November 7 birthday, was a political science major and spends election night coloring in states on his computer as their votes are confirmed.

**I’m optimistic enough about the American people and separation of powers to assume we’re not in danger of electing a Hitler or a Voldemort.