things you know that you know... but surprise you anyway

i know that this country is one of diverging ideas.
i also know that i'm in an isolated area, where liberal minds get together and bush-bash all we want without much interruption.

so when i see instances of the opposite, i know in one part of my mind that this is how half of america thinks... yet i'm surprised anyhow.

i guess it intrigues me to see how people come to their conclusions.
their rationales... their hopes or fears... their homelife that gives them certain motivating factors... geography... education... etc. etc.

it's kind of a frustrating process at the same time.
things that seem so painfully obvious to me are completely lost on them while things they see as completely logical baffle me.

but i'm glad for these moments of reality checks. it makes me more vigilant.
being in ithaca sometimes gets me so lazy. i forget that there is a LOT of work to be done, especially if i want change in this world. it motivates me to be vocal and articulate about what i believe and why i believe in it.

the problem is, though, that few people are interested in a real dialogue. everyone seems to believe what they believe and refuse to be swayed by anything that may come across them. this election has been a test of my patience. i just wish people would talk, instead of being obstinate.
i mean... both sides have to be right about SOME things, as each must also be wrong about somethings, right? what's right for one person can't possibly be right for everyone... so how can anybody just simply assert "he's right. this is the way"??? come on... are we so overcome by catch phrases, propaganda, campaign slogans, and theme songs that we can't sit down and think for ourselves? with different information at hand? from multiple parties, not just your own?

it goes both ways too. as much as i hate the fact that some conservatives ONLY watch fox news and claim that it's the best fair news source in the world, i'm equally annoyed by liberals who solely rely on mother jones for their political insight.

this is a country of CHOICES... but with those choices, we have a responsibility to filter out the bullshit and figure out what resonates with us. i'm sick of party loyalism. i'm sick of those damned tv ads. and i'm REALLY sick of those campaign managers who spin EVERYTHING until what was actually said is completely forgotten.

in some way, i wish november would hurry along so we can get this debate out of the way.