It’s an interesting phenomenon: the tendency that some folks have to forward politically-charged or opinionated e-mails to everyone in their address books, whether individual recipients are known to be receptive to the message or not. Democrats. Republicans. Libertarians. Greens. Whigs. Bucktails. Know Nothings. Free Soilers. Communist Workers. Aren’t we all united by the fact that we’ve been forwarded e-mails that espouse positions to which we are opposed? I know I’m not the only one.
On Nov. 17, within the span of two hours, I received two very different e-mails expressing displeasure with a certain television network for very different reasons. The timing of the e-mails and the common target of their complaints are telling, I think.
We face serious challenges that will require cooperation to confront and overcome. When considering these two e-mails, I’m reminded that we are still very divided when it comes to the issues that push our buttons, or at least what compels us to push the button that says “forward.”
