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EASTERN SHORE UNDERCOVER EDITORIAL: POLITICS DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE US ALL ENEMIES
Politics has become such a hateful discussion and has changed so much over the years. I remember growing up in Baltimore and hearing my grandfather and my next-door neighbor having conversations on the front porch of my grandfather's house about politics and who they were voting for.
They disagreed with everything, but at the end of the conversation, Mr. Reggie, the neighbor, would shake my grandfather's hand, laugh, and tell a quick joke, then walk across the yard, go home, come back the next day, and do it all over again.
The difference now is if you disagree with someone about politics, you are the enemy. Why is that? We are seeing such hatred during this election from everywhere, and that is very unfortunate. We could learn a lot from our elders if we just paid attention and listened.
We see sides of campaigns flat-out lie, some using deception to gain a vote and some candidates doing all they can to keep others from running.
This isn't just on the national level; this is happening right here on our beloved Eastern Shore.
Take a look at what is happening in Wicomico County, Maryland. You have a County Council that didn't get its way in many ways and doesn't like having full decision-making powers. So instead of trying to co-exist with the County Executive, they are attempting to just get rid of the people's voice in the County Executive position by placing the question on the ballot and wording it in such a way that it confuses voters, in hopes of once again regaining all the power in Wicomico County.
That same County Council has aligned itself with a group of individuals who have started a social media page and are using a public access channel in Wicomico County to spread lies and misinformation. This group sent a misleading mailer using a Presidential candidate as a figurehead placement and deceptive information about law enforcement being against the County Executive.
This action led to the Wicomico County FOP issuing a formal statement saying that the lodge members unanimously voted not to support Question A. The key word there is "unanimously"! This shows the Law Enforcement supports having the County Executive position, contrary to what this other group would want you to believe, and attempted to mislead voters with their mailer.
Then, if we look to our east, within the Town of Ocean City, we have a political situation where a candidate, Mrs Leslie Smith, attempted to run for City Council. However, the City Council, who she is running against, voted and decided that she isn't eligible to run against them.
It is a horrible look that a City Council decides who can and can't run against them in politics. I commend sitting City Council member John Gehrig, who will be running for re-election and publicly expressed his opinion on the matter in the recent council meeting, saying, "I'm a candidate, and now I'm voting on basically a competitor."
If we allow the current council, at any level of politics, to decide who can and can't run against them, does anyone think they will eliminate themselves from their position?
When I read some of the comments on various people's pages about this matter, again, much like what we mentioned earlier, the hatred and arguing that takes place is mind-boggling. I saw people who were once friends now arguing over politics!
While politics is a necessary evil in our society, it doesn't mean that people with opposing opinions and views must be enemies. Just because you stand on one side doesn't mean you must hate those on the other.
We are supposed to be role models to our kids and our future generations, but the previous generations, our elders, some of whom have long left us, would be very disappointed in how we act as a society regarding politics.
They disagreed with everything, but at the end of the conversation, Mr. Reggie, the neighbor, would shake my grandfather's hand, laugh, and tell a quick joke, then walk across the yard, go home, come back the next day, and do it all over again.
The difference now is if you disagree with someone about politics, you are the enemy. Why is that? We are seeing such hatred during this election from everywhere, and that is very unfortunate. We could learn a lot from our elders if we just paid attention and listened.
We see sides of campaigns flat-out lie, some using deception to gain a vote and some candidates doing all they can to keep others from running.
This isn't just on the national level; this is happening right here on our beloved Eastern Shore.
Take a look at what is happening in Wicomico County, Maryland. You have a County Council that didn't get its way in many ways and doesn't like having full decision-making powers. So instead of trying to co-exist with the County Executive, they are attempting to just get rid of the people's voice in the County Executive position by placing the question on the ballot and wording it in such a way that it confuses voters, in hopes of once again regaining all the power in Wicomico County.
That same County Council has aligned itself with a group of individuals who have started a social media page and are using a public access channel in Wicomico County to spread lies and misinformation. This group sent a misleading mailer using a Presidential candidate as a figurehead placement and deceptive information about law enforcement being against the County Executive.
This action led to the Wicomico County FOP issuing a formal statement saying that the lodge members unanimously voted not to support Question A. The key word there is "unanimously"! This shows the Law Enforcement supports having the County Executive position, contrary to what this other group would want you to believe, and attempted to mislead voters with their mailer.
Then, if we look to our east, within the Town of Ocean City, we have a political situation where a candidate, Mrs Leslie Smith, attempted to run for City Council. However, the City Council, who she is running against, voted and decided that she isn't eligible to run against them.
It is a horrible look that a City Council decides who can and can't run against them in politics. I commend sitting City Council member John Gehrig, who will be running for re-election and publicly expressed his opinion on the matter in the recent council meeting, saying, "I'm a candidate, and now I'm voting on basically a competitor."
If we allow the current council, at any level of politics, to decide who can and can't run against them, does anyone think they will eliminate themselves from their position?
When I read some of the comments on various people's pages about this matter, again, much like what we mentioned earlier, the hatred and arguing that takes place is mind-boggling. I saw people who were once friends now arguing over politics!
While politics is a necessary evil in our society, it doesn't mean that people with opposing opinions and views must be enemies. Just because you stand on one side doesn't mean you must hate those on the other.
We are supposed to be role models to our kids and our future generations, but the previous generations, our elders, some of whom have long left us, would be very disappointed in how we act as a society regarding politics.
