{"id":6840,"date":"2016-11-03T06:44:35","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T10:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=6840"},"modified":"2016-11-03T07:04:45","modified_gmt":"2016-11-03T11:04:45","slug":"wanna-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=6840","title":{"rendered":"wanna fight?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"photo-1470936972859-25f4c18b7479\"<\/a><\/p>\n

What should we fight about?<\/p>\n

C\u2019mon\u2026 what should it be?<\/p>\n

Cubs\/Indians? Indians\/Cubs? (\u2026 although for the time being, that\u2019s already been decided\u2026 Congratulations, Cubs’ fans\u2026)<\/em><\/p>\n

How about Clinton\/Trump? Or Trump\/Clinton?<\/p>\n

Or how about how one has so much more integrity than the other?<\/p>\n

Friends, stop. Could we agree to quit fighting? Because if we can\u2019t agree \u2014 and if we can\u2019t agree to respect the person who thinks differently than we do \u2014 what do you think is going to happen next Wednesday \u2014 when the vote is done? Do we honestly expect the outcome to silence all dissent? Should it? Should we actually rationalize not listening to another?<\/p>\n

By this point, most people seem to have made up their mind (\u2026 well, not this semi-humble current events observer \u2014 but I do have until Tuesday\u2026).<\/em> Each person\u2019s vote is valid, no less. Each person’s…<\/em><\/p>\n

Because each person’s vote is valid, we face disagreement. Unfortunately, many of us then also face fierce attempts to silence us or shut up. Let\u2019s be clear: those attempts don\u2019t further dialogue; they don\u2019t build solution; they are not wise or respectful; and by no means do they equate to loving your neighbor well.<\/p>\n

For those who are voting based on party platform, policy, or potential Supreme Court justices, the vote is clear. May they exercise their right to vote and sleep well on Tuesday night. For those whose vote is based on character or the perceived integrity of the candidates, the choice is more ambiguous. Note the most recent\u00a0ABC News\/Washington Post poll released Monday morning; 60% of\u00a0voters view Hillary Clinton unfavorably; 58% see the same in Donald Trump. We are bothered; there are good people<\/em> who are seriously, soberly\u00a0bothered by the thought of a President Trump \u2014 or<\/em> \u2014 \u00a0of another President Clinton.<\/p>\n

We are bothered by the so-called \u201cOctober surprises\u201d \u2014 these incidents and events that are announced or occur in the month before the election, often making one candidate look especially bad\u2026 like George W. Bush\u2019s announced DUI (that happened 24 years earlier)\u2026<\/em> like Pres. William Howard Taft\u2019s 1912 reelection ticket, when his Vice Presidential candidate died one week prior to the election\u2026 or like in 1840, when federal prosecutors charged \u201cbig Whigs\u201d opposing Pres. Martin Van Buren with fraud in the preceding weeks.<\/p>\n

This year, we\u2019ve been \u201csurprised\u201d by Donald Trump\u2019s 2005 crude comments about women and Hillary Clinton\u2019s ongoing, criminal email investigation. We hear more claims that we can’t tell if they are true or untrue from WikiLeaks. Again, good people are bothered. Different things bother different people, but the bottom line (from my very limited vantage point)<\/em> is something along the lines of: ugh… the perceived lack of integrity is dripping.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yet here\u2019s the inherent challenge. One of the above two candidates \u2014 barring something unforeseen \u2014 will become the nation\u2019s 45th President. While no candidate has an unblemished ethical record, most of us will still choose to vote for one of the above. In other words, most of us will choose to vote for someone \u2014 whether we personally hold the same belief or not \u2014 whose integrity is in question by unprecedented multitudes.<\/p>\n

And so here is my plea\u2026<\/p>\n

Remembering that each is perceived as something less than ethical, let us stop fighting and refrain from judgment.<\/p>\n

Just like the Indians and Cubs, there is a time to stop fighting, shake hands, and congratulate the other.<\/p>\n

Can we do that?<\/p>\n

Can we further dialogue, build solution, be respectful, and truly love our neighbor well?<\/p>\n

I know it’s hard… even among good people.<\/p>\n

Respectfully\u2026
\nAR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What should we fight about? C\u2019mon\u2026 what should it be? Cubs\/Indians? Indians\/Cubs? (\u2026 although for the time being, that\u2019s already been decided\u2026 Congratulations, Cubs’ fans\u2026) How about Clinton\/Trump? Or Trump\/Clinton? Or how about how one has so much more integrity than the other? Friends, stop. Could we agree to quit fighting? Because if we can\u2019t … <\/p>\n

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