They ask who are you supporting? They nod and you cant help but notice the deep resentment. It shows even through a smiling face. They dont ask so as to have an issue based discussion. Just seeking another reason to hate and add you to a list. Facebook is now so fractious that there is almost no middle ground or meeting point. The other day I told a duscussant all we want as Nigerians is good governance, right? No response. Its about whos about to move my cheese...even when you have none. Not even a small trickle. Its like me sitting here on an Ugborodo Island and shouting Chelsea for life when all Im doing is massaging an ego that is not even recognized by the West London football club. So maybe I buy merchandise now and then...who gains? Definitely not a mutual benefit in tangible terms. That is the political turf we now find ourselves. I remember after a 3 year break from Nigeria and I returned to read of people getting stabbed and viewing centres vandalized over premiership soccer rivalries. Making the connection wasnt hard once I got on Facebook and saw the level of passion that rivalry that following premiership soccer now evokes. Todays politics is worse folks. So much bitterness. People read posts with hair trigger fingers ready to punch out curse words at the slightest suspicion of your insinuation or true intent against their candidate. Just yesterday I posted a fact on local rail travel and I could see how, from a few responses, my intent was being second guessed. In this campaign season, I see only division and no learning from one another. You put up your candidates virtues or plans and all it does is sends a lance into a readers heart. Increases blood pressure and heart palpitations without opening a mind to think, question and compare on relevant issues. This is worse than premiership soccer folks. It is a big turn off for some like me. A long time before now I told myself I would recoil into my local politics of Lagos state. That is where I would be impacted more directly and that is where I can be immediately useful. Also, the Lagos gubernatorial candidates are not quite as storeyed as our main gladiators on the national scene. So there is opportunity for awareness and open mindedness even on social media. While I would continue to hold my political views and do what I can to promote and support a candidate of my choosing, I would not be on here headbutting with anyone and shouting down dense walls. For every made up mind and bias deafened folk on Facebook, there are at least 20 other simple and ordinary folk out there not yet suffering the infectious hate and unfounded bias social media now breeds. I wonder if the construction workers and security personnel in my estate are registered to vote...looks more like the fertile ground to me. Good day folks.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:53:40 +0000
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