Don't be a hater...

I have always had this weird ability to separate personal feelings from discussions or work or basically anything. I was able to evict my friend's daughter from a rental property I own and our friendship was never affected. In HR, I had a friend fired and still was invited to his wedding. And, I can talk about politics and still be friends with the opposition. And quite honestly, I don't get why others can't just suck it up and accept the fact that other people have other views and by God, that's their right.

My in-laws were here this weekend and my father-in-law has political views that directly oppose that of my husband. But, instead of just agreeing to disagree, my husband's head nearly exploded (and this occurred at a restaurant, so that would have been really unpleasant when mixed with my omelet and hashbrowns). My friend Homa, too, has opposing views from her boyfriend and they nearly broke up over his attendance at Sarah Palin's rally last Friday. I say if Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwartzenspelledwrong can make it work, why can't the rest of us? As Rodney says it... can't we all just get along?

I do not understand the need to prove each other wrong or get angry or try to convert people to our views. If Homa wants to vote for Obama and Ryan says McCain... isn't that the very basis of our political system? Shouldn't we applaud the fact that Homa and Ryan both have the right to their opinions, and more so, the right to act upon them? (Picture God Bless America being played by an orchestra right now). America is founded on the belief that the every day citizens know best how to run this country, and therefore we are given the right every four years to say this person or this party is going to run this country the way I want them to. And you have the right to say the other guy and other party will run the country the way you want them to. So Homa ought to be able to say to Ryan, "You know what... I think Barack Obama is my guy." And Ryan ought to be able to say to Homa, "Why?" And when they are done giving their opinions, they can both just stick with their guys and on November 4th majority rules... the relationship between them unaffected because they both did what their constitution (both internal and the paper one) told them to do. So what if they are different opinions? Its our God given right to believe any darn thing we please. In a relationship, be it father and son or boyfriend and girlfriend or just pals, why can't we have different views and love each other for it? Not even in spite of it but for it. Let's take a page from Maria and Arnie. If they can do it, so can we.