First Impressions

You who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so become yourself
Because the past is just a good bye
--Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

I've long held that during election cycles, and particularly during presidential campaigns, people revert back to child-like behaviors, such as attending 'rallies' to support their 'team', posting their particular affiliations on their sleeves (or in today's situation, in their yards, on their cars, etc), and the like.

But where do kids learn this behavior? In circular fashion, perhaps kids learn vicariously, by watching adults parade through their rituals during election time.

For example, by watching us, there's a good chance kids might learn the following:

-->Do what you can to discredit folks on the other side, including methods of parody and satire.
-->When making an argument, present and consider only your side of the story.
-->Communicate in a manner that intrudes on the privacy of others.

Viewed through this lens, such a cycle is likely to perpetuate until adults change their behavior.