Letter to the Editor: Put the boring back in politics

In light of recent horrific events, I have one wish. That wish is for politics to become boring again. In the last decade and a half, our politics have gone from being mostly boring debates about policy issues to becoming more like violent sporting events where everyone has a team and the opponent is to be defeated at all costs. Heck, we even buy more and more political team gear now to wear and display at our homes and on our vehicles like never before. Whatever happened to just slapping a bumper sticker on your car and that was it?

Now, everyone has access to cable news and social media, of which, in my opinion, about 99 percent is pure garbage. Turn on any cable channel, open up X or Facebook, or the other internet sites, and you are bombarded with the nastiest, most ridiculous mess of misinformation, lies, and conspiracies imaginable. Most people recognize it as the nonsense it is, but too many believe it, share it, and live their lives around it.

How about we just stop the madness and go back to arguing about boring tax policies and how to go about improving roads and schools and workplace safety and having better access to healthcare?

How about we stop making cable news and social media the focal points of our days and go back to talking about the weather, or anything besides politics?

I’m tired of feeling compelled to pick a side and cheer for one team over another and demonizing the other team and its fans. Aren’t we all fed up and exhausted with talking politics all the time with everyone we know?

Yes, boring sure would be nice for a change, wouldn’t it?

John Moore

Newton