The Last Day of Early Voting

Before I share my story of leaving the voting booth last week I feel like sharing a few words of the current political environment.

Now I stay clear of political talk on FB and I really don't care to discuss politics all that much anymore at all. It just seems toxic. The news depressing and sad. I know what I believe and what is important to me. I can see what is going on with my own eyes and have a pretty good gauge of our community.

It really seems anymore that there are so many people who are so divided on some issues that simple discussions turn into name calling and personal attacks. To make things far worse if your opinion is different than someone else's they may try to twist what you have said to destroy you personally or professionally. We have all seen it. Years ago I had something happen to me like that. Thankfully a number of people stood up and spoke up and squashed it quickly.

But it isn't enough to disagree with you now if our view is different we must silence you, erase you, hurt you. This isn't how it should be. You are just as free to make your own mind up about things as I am. I am sure we might disagree on somethings but I am not going to hate you because of it. It certainly is my right to shop or go somewhere else but I am not going to try to get everyone I know to boycott your business and unfriend you. But this is where we are today.

It is almost as if you are not entitled to your opinion without the fear and possibility of attacks anymore. And yes there are issues that I might feel strongly about and I may hold a different opinion of someone if they didn't feel the same as I do. But isn't that what makes our country great? I am free to think for myself...form my own opinions based on my own experiences or is that only if I agree with what you think I should think? We all know how stories get twisted and he said - she said things turn out. So form your own opinions based on your own life experiences. If people weren't so close minded and really listened and talked I can almost guarantee there is common ground and a lot more of it too. This happens on both sides of our wonderful political world and it is really sad.

I have talked with people in the past and almost like a checklist I can mark the boxes on all the things we agree on. But there could be one or two issues that we may have a different opinion on. Does that make them evil and wrong or am I? Maybe we actually agree on a lot more than we disagree on?

Leaving The Polls

So last Thursday I was leaving a meeting and I figured I was going to run over and vote. It was the last day of early voting. I really love the early voting...it is so much easier. If I ride by and there is a line...I can come back. If one day doesn't work I can go on a different day. Or like in the case I can just procrastinate and go when it is convenient. In and out. I mean I walked in and voted and was on the way out.

But then I heard a man yelling at the top of his lungs. He didn't share the same political opinions as one of our political parties and actually hated them. I am going to spare you from the nonsense he was shouting. But as you exit the voting there are several tents set up. This older fella had parked his car right in front of one of the tents and was shouting some pretty nasty things at them. He had gotten out of his car and was getting pretty aggressive. I didn't think this was a situation that needed my help and decided to just steer clear of this or so I thought.

As I started to cross the roadway that divides the civic center from the parking lot two Wicomico County Sheriffs Deputies pulled up. I was kind of smack in the middle of him and them. Right then I hear tires spinning and the male deputy shouting at the man to stop and get out of the car. In my mind it was like slow motion and I started to hurry out of the way. Just then I am like I almost got hit but this nut. I walked over and a lady was videoing the whole thing. I said I thought he was going to run over me. She said I thought so too!

My heart was beating pretty good as I walked back to my truck when I happened to see a familiar face sitting in the truck next to mine. He must of thought I was inane. I just blurted out did you see that sh__? It was our Mayor Jake Day. He put his window down and I said did you see that? He said No what happened. I told him quickly as the Deputies had the man handcuffed and sitting in the car. I got in my truck and went on back to work.

I called Erica on the way and told her about it, got to work told everyone at the office about it too. Each time changing the story a bit to tell them how like Jackie Chan I jumped over the car and did a back flip. Seriously I am super thankful for the two deputies that took care of the situation.

Voter Turn Out

I will close out this mornings blog with this. A friend who is in the know told me that voter turn out is extremely low. This is just sad to me. I am not going to tell you who to vote for or share who certain groups tell you to vote for. I am not going to tell you who I voted for. But I will say vote for the individual candidates who hold the same values as you.

And to the candidates running remember why you are running and if you get the privilege of getting elected why you were elected.

David

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