Public life brings a certain amount of scrutiny that is hard to escape. People who sign up for it need to know it up front. I suppose on a smaller scale, the same goes for authors, although generally the criticism is more about the 'writing' than the person's character.None are more prone to character assassination than politicians. It makes you wonder why they bother ...
I got thinking about this last week when a well known Canadian politician, Jack Layton, passed away after his fight with cancer. Layton was the leader of the NDP (a left wing political party) and as of the last election, he was the official leader of the opposition, making NDP and Canadian history. I was struck by how sentimental everyone was - including myself - as the media focused on Jack's life and legacy. The really interesting thing is, not very long ago, many of these same folks were happily slinging mud at poor Jack.
Despite this fact, I can't help thinking how much more civil we are here as compared to our neighbors to the south. (Sorry to all my American friends, but you've got to admit it's true!) When I watch political news from the US, or read commentaries about politicians - EVEN FROM SO CALLED CHRISTIAN SITES - I am often appalled! To some, you'd think Obama was the devil incarnate, while others have placed him so high on a pedestal that if he ever slipped he might never land!
I'm a middle of the road person myself. I like to think there is room for more than one opinion, which, by the way, is the great thing about living in a democracy. People who shout from their own soap boxes don't garner a lot of respect from me. Perhaps that 'soap' would be better used cleaning up their own dirty laundry ...
In any case, I'll end this installment of 'The Issue' with this thought: "Politicians are people too!"
I'm in the UK, and at the moment, there is a very real divide. Whichever party is in opposition just completely slates everything the Government do. Sometimes it may be just, sometimes not, but more often it is picked up by average Joe on the streets, where it descends into personal attacks from people who don't really understand the economic nature of politics. :)
ReplyDeleteSo, whilst I can't comment on what happens on the other side of the Atlantic, that's how it goes here.
Hi Tracy ~ Stopping by via the Campaign - Romance/Contemporary Romance/Sweet Romance/Historical Romance Group (2)...
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post. I'm from the United States, and I'm so tired of the rhetoric that spews from the news shows/candidates/politicians/newspapers. It's never a clear picture of what is really going on. I've found that there's the left's side, the right's side, and then there's the truth somewhere in the middle. We, as a nation, (not everyone, but in general) have abandoned an old principle - Respect. You don't have to like someone, but it's a wise person who shows respect to everyone.
Looking forward to seeing you during the Campaign. ~ Nadja
Nadja - that is SO well said. Respect is certainly what seems to be missing.
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by allie - it is disconcerting when people get swept along ...
Well, I think politicians know what they're up against when they're running for office. I'm not much into politics myself, and I guess that comes from the way I was raised. I vote and everything, but, politics...never had a whole lot of respect for that because politicians can be two-faced. HOWEVER, they are necessary and once in a while, I'd imagine you get a genuinely GOOD politician that really means a lot to the people.
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