Katrina Burk, an Omaha mom to two children, wrote this guest blog for momaha.
Related stories: “The mudslinging isn’t just by politicians” and “It’s my vote. I’ll do what I want with it.”
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Throughout the election, I’ve seen more people turn on each other than I could have ever imagined. People who have been friends for years are suddenly bashing each other over who they voted for. It reminds me of my 5-year-old and her best friend, when they fight over a toy and decide they can’t be friends any more.
What kind of example are you setting for your children when you throw out such terrible insults?
The back and forth Facebook insulting should be no surprise, considering it happens on non-political subjects all the time: To breastfeed or bottle-feed? To co-sleep or not?
What surprises me the most about the recent batch of insults is that children are getting brought into the mix. I witnessed two instances from each side of the political division that shocked and offended me.
The first was from a woman who voted for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and admitted to receiving food stamps and other public assistance. Several of her Facebook friends told her to take her son off assistance and just “let him starve” because she was such an “unfit parent.”
The other instance came from mean commenters on a pregnant woman’s status who wrote how she had voted for President Barack Obama for the future of her unborn child. She then got a reply telling her that if she is going to vote for “such a terrible man” she should just terminate her pregnancy “since he encourages idiots like you to get knocked up in the first place.”
This disgusts me, especially if these commenters are parents.
Do these mean commenters know all of the facts?
The single mom on food stamps is actually a fulltime college mom to a 3-year-old who got out of an abusive relationship. The expecting mom is another friend of mine who is nearly 30, has been married for 7 years, and has been trying to get pregnant for three years.
What have these children done to deserve these hateful messages? Nothing.
Why are people trying to “punish” them for their parents’ voting choices?
I do not care who you voted for.
I care more that you voted.
Have we forgotten why we vote?
I vote for my children. For their futures, for their rights and for their freedom. I vote because so many people have fought for their right to do so. So judge me all you want for not sharing who I prefer. I was taught by my family that it is rude to ask who you voted for, and I will not badger you to find out.
As “Bambi” taught me years ago, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
How have you handled mean comments or insults on your Facebook page? Do you hide the comment or un-friend the person making them?
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