West Side Stories

A Tosa resident for almost 20 years, Karen is a mom and freelance writer, addicted to playing tennis. When not on the tennis court, she spends the fall and winter in the stands at Green Bay Packer and Marquette basketball games.

Karen is the author of “Grab a Bite,” a dining out column and the former community columnist for the Wauwatosa NOW newspaper.

There's got to be a morning after - the Facebook chronicles.

Politics, Packers

"I'm not blue, I'm just sad."

"Well, that was a good thing to wake up to."

"Do better next time, Wisconsin."

"It's OK, Mitt. I didn't get elected either. In fact, most people didn't."

There you have just a smattering of comments from my friends and family on Facebook this post-election morning. As you can tell, some people are happy that President Obama was reelected and Tammy Baldwin beat Tommy Thompson, others, not so much.

If you are a regular on Facebook, you know that these past few months have been nothing short of ugly. This past weekend, I blogged about voter fatigue (which got me an interview with ABC News that never aired - dang.) But quite a bit of the election battle was waged - for good or for bad - on Facebook. People felt called to sway their Facebook friends toward their voting preference, usually with poor results.

Articles and videos were posted. Organizations were "liked." Statuses were argued. People spoke openly of wishing for a political "filter" so they could escape to Facebook from the daily grind of robo-calls and campaign ads.

Alas, I knew that when I signed on Facebook this morning, it would be a mixed bag of celebration and dismay. What concerns me are the ugly comments calling for low expectations and promises of doom and gloom.

If you're sad this morning, remember we're Americans, people. We can do more together than we can on our own. Let's focus on what we have in common, instead of our differences.

And if you're happy this morning, my friend said it perfectly: "I am calling upon all my friends who are celebrating right now to provide spaces of grace for all those who will react negatively to the results of tonight's election. In doing so, you will bring honor to your country and to yourself."

Now it's time to get back to what's really important in Wisconsin - The Green Bay Packers. Let's go, Pack!

This site uses Facebook comments to make it easier for you to contribute. If you see a comment you would like to flag for spam or abuse, click the "x" in the upper right of it. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use.

Page Tools

Advertisement

Archives