Every four years a, magical time envelops the United States, where freedom of expression frolics throughout the fields of liberty and truth.
All nature resounds with sweet tranquility as the placards, TV advertisements and slogans breeze through the air. Small children warmly smile at their parents as they have (what they assume) intense conversations of the most important nature.
So either I am talking about a Norman Rockwell painting or a completely and utterly serious view of the presidential race.
You guessed it, it’s an election year.
Before you condemn me as just another college liberal who knows not a single iota of true politics, let me assure you that this column is not about a political agenda, a party, or an issue dominating this race.
No, every four years an even greater plague consumes not our health, but on the contrary, our Facebook news feed.
As any typical day on Facebook, it can become a drag to sift through post after post after post of meaningless (for a lack of better words) garbage. Nevertheless, during this magical time of year, Facebook users seem to think it would behoove their companions on Facebook to inform everyone of their political ideology and why their views are unequivocally right.
That is completely fine, but animosity often arises as other people chime in on these posts.
Stop looking at the post for about four or five minutes and return to it. You will find that the number of comments on the post has exponentially increased. Political discussion should be encouraged, but through the veil of Facebook, people begin to say things that normally would not be said in everyday conversation.
So what is my point? Facebook is a great medium for communication that has revolutionized the lives of millions of individuals. Nevertheless, extended posts trying to convince others of your own vehement, personal political dogma rarely, if ever, convinces anyone.
It can be easy to become angered and frustrated with others on Facebook in these scenarios. If you do decide to engage in political or any kind of discussion on Facebook, be aware that your words still hold equal bearing as they would in other social settings.
Without a doubt, politics are an essential and necessary thing for the cultivation and thriving of the United States of America, but please (as my 7th grade English, Mrs. Byrne, told me), do not get any blood on the carpet.
C.J. Skok of Valparaiso is a sophomore at Indiana University in Bloomington. The opinion expressed in this column is the writer's and not necessarily that of The Times.
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