Political Hysteria

So here's the deal. Recently I found myself in the midst of a rather heated political discussion on a friend's blog, and I have decided to pull back and refrain from commenting any more over there. But I wanted to post something here, knowing that some of her readers also visit my blog on occasion, and it's better for me to continue my discussion on my own blog rather than take up so much space in the comment section of hers.

I actually do count amongst my circle of family and friends some conservative people - conservative politically, conservative socially, conservative religiously. And I respect them and (I hope) they respect me, and we have several topics on which we agree to disagree. And that is just how it should be.

What bothers me in a discussion is when the arguments veer off from facts and rational opinions. And yes, I do know that the word "rational" is subjective. I accept that. So you may not always agree with what I consider rational, but in my mind rational does not include lies, personal slurs, or exaggerations which defy logic.

Examples:
I don't agree with many of Mitt Romney's religious beliefs = rational
Mitt Romney wants to legalize polygamy = irrational

I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman = rational
If gays are allowed to married, polygamy and beastiality will quickly follow = irrational

I disagree with Obama's position on abortion because I believe abortion for any reason is wrong = rational
Senator Obama feels it is ok to let babies that have survived an abortion to be placed to[sic] a closet and to be left to die, they are alive and he is a twisted man = irrational



I found a site which had an article about "political hysteria" and read it with interest as it seemed to capture much of what I am trying to explain here.

Here's a portion of what that article said:

"Political hysteria" is when emotional forces serve a political, ideological purpose. . . .
In "poor reality testing" emotions overwhelm accurate perceptions and assessment of objective reality, resulting in poor judgment, denial of obvious facts and evidence. Reason has no effect. "My mind is made up. Don't confuse me with the facts." . . .
It is essential to address fears in effective, specific ways that reassure and correct misperceptions. McCain did this when reassuring a woman that Obama was decent and she didn't have to fear his presidency.

I am happy to agree to disagree. I understand and expect and count on other people having different opinions from my own. I learn a lot from others' points of view. But I get upset when I believe people to be propagating dangerous exaggerations or lies. I feel dark and clammy and heavy inside, and I want to just move away from the source of that feeling. Because really, there is nothing I can do about it except take a deep breath and move on.