A Bone To Pick

(Originally written right after the recent federal election)

Now that the election is settled I have a bone to pick.  Mainly with the anti-Harper camp.  But before I get into it, let me be clear that this isn't an attempt at gloating.  I simply want to vent my frustration.

Let me start with full disclosure.  I voted for the Conservatives and probably will for the rest of my life.  That being said, I'm not a huge Stephen Harper fan and Jack Layton had some really interesting things to say.

I don't like the way Stephen Harper seems to make sweeping decisions and avoids any sort of accountability for his actions.

I liked some of the ideas that Jack had for government, like abolishing the Senate.

It was Elizabeth May's desire to have a more polite and professional atmosphere in the House of Commons.  This would include the abolishment of smear campaigns.

(Here is where my vent comes in.)

As soon as an election was called there was a mad flurry of activity online.  Especially amongst social networks.  People began picking their sides and promoting their own agenda.

However, I was taken aback by the cruel and hateful stances people took against the Conservatives, specifically Stephen Harper.  There were reports of the Conservatives hiring people and/or employing bots to search out any non-conservative blog, article, tweet, or Facebook status and hijack it.  I personally saw numerous people resort to name calling: robot, dictator, evil, etc.  I was personally attacked as being one of these alleged Conservative puppets when I encouraged people (especially young people) to get out and vote (a traditionally NON-Conservative demographic).

Looking back I find it rather ironic.  Liberals often accuse Conservatives of being hateful (or at least discriminatory) of visible minorities.  But this time around it was the liberals who were prejudiced and hateful in their speech & actions.