Speaking as a political science major, there is nothing that excites me more than seeing citizens involved with politics, whether it be at the town, state, or national level. However, with that being said, there is also nothing more aggravating than seeing someone spew information about a topic when it is so blatantly clear they are not prepared to back up their claims.
This isn’t an article in which I plan to convert you to believe in what I believe. And it isn’t an article in which I am going to try to convince you to vote for the presidential candidate I believe is best. Because quite frankly, who do you choose when the options range from “bad” to “really bad?" Instead, I would like to take the time to explain why I am so beyond tired of seeing *insert random social media friend’s name here* post about politics on every social media account possible.
1. Maybe I am generalizing, but these people who seem to be so vocal on social media sites during times of high political activity (aka the race for president) are nowhere to be found during lesser elections.
2. People seem to spout whatever information sounds good and benefits their argument without actually fact-checking prior to sharing it.
3. Sharing political views on sites like Facebook, as much as I have witnessed, has never led to a civilized debate or conversation.
4. Seriously, have you ever witnessed a post starting with “Donald Trump/Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders is a horrible choice for president” and watched a civilized debate unfold from it? Usually, this sort of thing turns into an argument of some sort in which both parties are trying to convince the other of why they are right.
5. Which brings me to this point: the odds are against you that you can actually successfully change someone’s views via a Facebook post/ Twitter poll.
6. If you were actually looking to make a difference in a political election, there are plenty of ways to get involved which will actually make a real impact. These include volunteering for the campaign of the candidate you support.
7. Posting on social media about elections has become a sort of comedic opportunity now rather than actually sharing relevant information about the elections/candidates. I can’t even begin to count how many different posts I have seen along the lines of, “If *insert political candidate* wins, I am moving to a different country."
8. Along the same lines, I cannot begin to count how many jokes are made at the expense of candidates based on irrelevant things like their looks. Since when does weight, hair, age, or gender affect an individual’s capabilities to run a country? It is the ideals of the individual we should be worrying about.
9. Suggesting that you would move out of the country if the candidate you love doesn’t get elected doesn’t exactly show that you have much faith in your country to elect the right person as president. Slandering candidates for things completely irrelevant to his/her abilities to act as president also doesn’t say much about the type of person you are, either.
10.) At the end of the day, if you are engaging in politics on social media in ways that do not foster a safe place for intellectual conversation, you shouldn’t be engaging in politics on social media in the first place.
America is founded on many principles, and one of these is the idea of a country run on democracy. If the candidate you love doesn’t win the nomination from your political party, or the actual presidency in November due to majority vote, you have two options:
1. Move out of the country, as some of you have already suggested you will,
2. Show the appropriate amount of respect to the newly elected president regardless of your opinions (as so many people before you have done when the candidate they want fails to secure the presidency).
At the end of the day, he/she is still the newly elected president and deserves the respect of the country he/she holds power of, until it he/she proves otherwise.
