How Loud Will it Get Before November Elections?

How loud will it get before we finish the campaign season? Too loud. It’s hard to think sometimes when everyone’s slinging mud. These five hacks will help you figure out what to listen to.

This post is part of the Five-Minute Friday quick write hosted by Kate Moutang. Join us each Thursday night on Twitter (#FMFParty) for fun and fellowship, then grab a pen and start writing when the prompt goes live!

How Loud is Too Loud?

My daughter updated her Facebook profile with a frame announcing which presidential candidate she supports. And my dad left a boo-hoo face on the post. I call that a quiet kind of loud. The kind where we silently polarize ourselves and add bricks to our walls of beliefs. 

As the party conventions finalize their stuff, each party screams in loud accusations and throws dirt back and forth. One Facebook friend published a list of politician sex offenders—but only for one political party. Later, she updated her list to include politicians from the other party, too.

It seems like everyone wants to vilify the victims and turn vigilantes into heroes. Or do they vilify the vigilantes and accuse heroize the victims? Maybe both.

What really happens during the mudslinging? The loud soundbites and accusations cover up the real truth. Our country is in pain—a pain long suppressed and ignored by historians, teachers, parents, and politicians. 

I can’t change what happened in the past, but I can do my part to help the healing begin. What can I do to overcome the loudness of the lies dressed up like truths? As Christians, we must set an example for the rest of the world.

We should never base our votes on political promises. for example, a local politician claims in her campaign for STATE congress that she will save babies and let people keep their guns–two weighty issues NATIONAL politicians have the duty to enforce or change. I learned in freshman English class all about bandwagon rhetoric. A state politician can’t change a Supreme Court decision nor an Amendment to the Constitution. Don’t fall for that trick of advertising.

What CAN We Do?

Here’s what I want to do to quiet the loud so I can get down to the business of quietly healing relationship with people I know.

1. My grandma always said that if I didn’t have anything good to say, to not say anything at all. If you can’t like someone’s Facebook post, don’t go there. Emojis only go so far, and a misguided angry face can harm more than heal.
2. I don’t watch the news, and when I do read the news, I choose a news source that has no skin (or money) in the game. Check out the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) for middle-of-the-spectrum reporting of events happening in our country. What you read may surprise you. 
3. Avoid absolutes. Politicians, whether local or national, tend to use hyperbole to describe themselves or their competitor. Do question the politician’s reason for smearing the opposition. What does the politician hope you WON’T see?
4. Check out this free handy guide for thoughtful voting. We need to approach the way we select candidates thoughtfully, and not just listen to the loud claims one side makes against the other. 
5. Pray, and then pray some more. We don’t only wish for herd immunity from COVID-19, we wish for group affiliation—even if it means compromising our personal beliefs. Pray that the Holy Spirit guide you in your words, actions, and choices. Jesus was a rebel. Be like Jesus.

The only thing that will drown out the loud is love. Start with the person on Facebook who disagrees with. Let them know that you love them. Don’t mention politics. Just love.