Diffusing nonsense in the election

I’m actually spending a lot of time on that right now, talking with people around me (in-person) as well as (gasp) on Facebook. Why? Because it’s important and actually makes a difference. I will also be helping at a polling booth on Saturday, and crutineering.

Several decades ago there was a party in The Netherlands with a sneaky fascist agenda. The initial approach was to ignore them. They grew. Then the approach changed: now they were addressed head-on, disassembling every bit of their dangerous nonsense with simple logic and human decency. They disintegrated.

Sometimes I indulge. Someone posted this rant (about the Greens)

GREENS R SHIT SAME AS LABOR!!!! U R ALL BACKWARDS AN OBVIOUSLY DON”T WANT THIS COUNTRY TO GO ANYWHERE!!!

I couldn’t resist, and replied

I want my daughter to get a decent education, free of religious bigotry and fascism.
So far, she’s doing great. At the mere age of five, she can write as well as type, and has already learnt to only use caps on the first letter of the first word of a sentence.
She doesn’t know about the apostrophe and double-quotes yet, but she expertly uses a single exclamation mark where appropriate.

I reckon that comments such as the one quoted are the most compelling reason for having the most excellent education. It so clearly shows the need.

When you vote tomorrow, please remember that your ballot paper only allows you to vote for someone, not against. The person you vote for will use your vote as an endorsement for them, their party and its policies. Choose wisely. It’s valuable.