Why has this election been so nasty and divisive?

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Yesterday I participated in the www.elvesandmore.org http:>Elves & More charity bike ride in Montgomery” TX. This is a great organization that provides bikes for over 25 000 needy children in the Houston TX metropolitan area.

While riding 60 miles of rolling hills and beautiful scenery and excruciating leg pains on the steeper hills I began reflecting on the election. Why has it been so nasty and divisive? I started putting blame on the mean spiritedness of the leadership of the right wing faction of the Republican Party for their continuous attacks on all dissenters whether republican or democrat. Ten miles to the finish as the pain of the last few hills and the complete lack of energy (I should have had my Wheaties) began to eat at me I came to the correct realization. It is our fault. It is the fault of the masses. We have chosen to believe the spoken word of our leaders at face value. They have realized this and have used it to divide us along false lines.

Texas is decidedly Bush country and this area is overwhelmingly republican. Though I never asked most of the nice and friendly people I spoke to their political persuasion one can assume that they were likely predominantly republican. At this event neither religion nor politics were discussed just a great sense of camaraderie. People were all eating BBQ Sloppy Joes and chicken wings.

While driving home and still under the influence of the endorphins I went into one of my periodic philosophical states. It would be great if we could put all things in their proper perspective. Do some personally need a religious perspective to their life? We all have the right to worship pray and enjoy religion however way we want to. Do you have some political inclination? You have the right to vote. We live in a democracy. So what is the problem? It is that we are attempting to take it to a wrong level. Some of us are no longer trying to just live our individual lives. Some of us are attempting to force our beliefs and aspirations on others that are not willing to accept them.

Maybe we should all get a bike and start riding in the countryside. Take a couple friends and talk about things that really matter. Talk about working together to solve specific problems. Listen with an open mind. Be willing to change your opinion if you find a better one. But most of all do not allow yourself to be deceived by those that would simply expunge issues to divide.