March 29, 2024
Columns | Bureau County Republican


Columns

Sick and tired

I'm so ready for Election Day to come and go.

Not because I'm looking forward to a new president, but because I'm so ready to stop hearing and seeing all the negative, slander talk about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

I'm ready to log-in to my Facebook and not be bombarded with posts and articles talking about how ridiculous and unfit the candidates are. I'm ready to scroll through the national news and not read a negative headline about one of the elections. I'm ready to not have to hear about the newest inappropriate remark Trump made at a debate or how Clinton needs to be in jail for her email scandal.

I'm officially tired of it all.

I know what you're thinking. If you don't like it, just ignore it. But, honestly in this day and age with social media and whatnot, how can I ignore it?

I don't go searching for the negativity; the negativity is brought to me the moment I step out my front door each day — actually, the moment I wake up and check my Facebook to see updates from my family and friends.

I feel this campaign for our next president has been brutal, and I've never seen such hatred things being put on Facebook about the candidates. I know people have the right to express their opinion, and I fully defend their right, but boy, citizens really have some evil things to say about the person who will be leading our country in just a short time.

I'm seen so much hatred surrounding this presidential campaign. I've watched my own family members verbally attack one another over what one candidate said or did; I've seen friendships break apart because one friend stated their reasoning why they will vote for a candidate, while the other friend responded with how wrong and crazy his opinion was. I just got back from vacation on Monday and saw an announcement was sent out last week from Bureau County Sheriff Jim Reed reminding citizens that stealing and vandalizing election signs is a crime.

Really? People were stealing and knocking down election signs? I'm so embarrassed to say Bureau County has this issue, and people who live here actually wasted precious time tearing out signs. How ridiculous!. What is going on?

Another sad part about this election is that more and more people are saying they will not be voting this year because they don't agree with either candidate. That is also shameful. While I also don't feel Clinton or Trump are fully suited to be President, I will still be at the polls on Nov. 8.

In fact, right after reading Sheriff Reed's email when I came back to work, I also came across a letter to the editor that was published in a recent edition of BCR called "You Still Need to Vote" written by Cam Johnson of Princeton. In the letter, Cam suggests that despite the not-so-great choice we have this election year, we still need to do our homework on the candidates and cast our votes. I can't agree more. It would be a shame to waste our chance to exercise our right to vote.

I'm desperately hoping after Election Day, the fire storm with news headlines and social media will sizzle out. The passionate citizens will go on living their normal lives and not fill Facebook with hatred over the candidate they oppose. And I will be able to walk out my door and not be reminded that our country is on the verge of being doomed because of its next potential leader.

BCR Senior Staff Reporter Goldie Rapp can be reached at grapp@bcrnews.com.

Shaw Media Staff Writer Goldie Rapp can be reached at grapp@bcrnews.com.