I've been asking my wife, my children, my best friend and his family for a word or a phrase that captures my perception of a new type behavior that closely resembles the bigotry, sexism and phobias of past generations.
This new irrational hatred or fear is not based on some physical characteristic, sexual orientation, race, religion, etc. It is solely based on an individuals political party.
Both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of this affliction.
There was no word or phrase to firmly implant this behaviour in the lexicon of uniquely American descriptors. These include Baby Boomer, Gen X, Dead Head, Racist, Sexist, Bigot, Homophobe, Right Wing Nutjob, Left Wing Looney.
Here is my attempt:
Poligotry - contempt, hatred, rage toward another person solely based on their political preference. It causes intelligent people to say hateful, hurtful, stupid things about people simply because they do not agree with them politically.
I was having a discussion with my very good friend Liz, who I genuinely love. I was asking her about a word that describes this hatred. I brought up someone who is hated by Democrats, but is extremely accomplished - Condelezza Rice. I said she is given no credit for attaining her position as a Repulican woman. Even though the discussion was about the word I was looking for she spat out "Condelezza Rice is an idiot". I pointed out she was the Provost of Stanford, highest ranking black government official ever (at the time), woman, etc. But it did not matter, she was just another Republican idiot. I said, this is not a political discussion but a discussion about a word that is about politics. I could not get her back on track. Every time I mentioned a person who was accomplished who was a minority, she got very agitated and started blasting the person I was using as an example. I was staring at the soul of poligotry.
Oprah Winfrey refuses to have Clarence Thomas, a Supreme Court Justice, a black man, a best selling author on her show because he is a conservative Ditto Sarah Palin - her face should be in the Wiki for poligotry (Sarah I mean).
The left wings refusal to give kudos to Elizabeth Dole, Condeleza Rice, Alberto Gonzales, Sandra Dey O'Conner, Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell (until he endorsed Obama) for their accomplishments as minorities, simply because they do not agree with them politically.
The right wing refusal to to give kudos to Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, Al Gore, Rosie O'Donnel for their accomplishments , simply because they do not agree with them politically.
Remember the infamous statement by Pauline Kael, writer for the New Yorker, after Richard Nixon won 49 states in a huge landslide over McGovern, when she said “I don’t know how this happened, I don’t know anyone who voted for Nixon.” I love that quote, it says so much about our polarization.
Intelligent people are looking at the world and not even remotely seeing the same thing.
As I read through my daily round of blogs I am struck yet again by the stark differences in liberal vs. conservative views of the world. Not just differences of opinion about what SHOULD be, but differences of opinion about what IS, each side being convinced that the other is delusional and hating them for it.
Poligotry is an ugly word and ugly behaviour.
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