To think that sometimes we forget that most people are essentially decent

[Tryingtokeepalidonit]

I, and my family, completed Walk the Wight today, a 26 1/2 mile charity walk for the Island's hospice. An amazing and exhausting day shared with hundreds of thousands of other people and over 400 dogs. It was a day of shared blisters, tea and laughs. Going by the Island election results a large % must of been Conservative/UKIP voters but whilst last week we were divided by politics ( Labour voter here) today we were united in supporting a common goal. Surely this proves that whilst people have differing politics most of us want the same, a fair and decent society. I was just uplifted by today, also knackered and in bed already!

I agree, OP . We hear so much of the bad stuff that we forget all the good stuff.
I really can't see why people get so upset by the way others vote. I like a whole cross section of friends. We all have the same information and we all come to different conclusions. It irritates me no end that people have to be 'right' and anyone who comes to a different decision was conned or mislead!
Thankfully we don't have the 'thought police' who make decisions for everyone.

I have a group of friends. We all vote differently, but I wouldn't be friends with them if we didn't have a lot of values in common.

Most peoples hearts are in the right place. But I agree with a pp above, that most people won't put themselves out too much. It is more likely if they see or know people personally. It seems more real then. I think we see and hear so much bad news on tv, that we have become hardened to peoples suffering and switch off unless we are forced to face up to it by seeing it ourselves.

I have seen a spate of people who stop following on Twitter or defriend on FB because they vote differently- all seems very narrow minded to me.
I am used to people on here getting uptight if children or DH dare think differently, but getting uptight with friends seems a step too far!
Much healthier to befriend all sorts. I have some friends with views I find totally batty, but I like them.
I don't tell anyone how I vote and since I only finally made my mind up on the day they can't possibly know.

Mehitabel - Many people have "friends" on facebook that arent real friends. Would be ridiculous to do this to real friends, but not someone you have friended just because they are in the same facebook group as you

Lovely thread.

I have always believed that most people are essentially good and care about others.

A particular couple of occasions that always come to my mind happened on the same loooong car journey with me and my two boys.
My youngest was just turned 5, eldest was 7, and we were driving back home after visiting my sister and her family; youngest got travel sick and threw up all over himself so we stopped in a services car park to clean him and his car seat up. A lovely woman saw me from across the car park and came over with wet wipes and helped me sort him out.
Later on the same journey he was going to be sick again, so we pulled in at a car park and he started throwing up in the bushes - there was a group of teenage boys hanging around in the car park, but I paid them no attention - until they came over to see if I needed anything. Without being prompted, they brought him and my other boy a drink of water, and got a load of napkins and bags for me to use as sick bags for the rest of the journey.

Small things, but hugely appreciated by me, and I never forget how nice strangers can be.

Tbh, I find charity fundraising for things like hospices very tedious, sorry. Don't even get me started on those trek the Great Wall of China subsidised holidays fundraising things.

I'd rather just pay more tax to fund hospices. In fact, I'd be fucking delighted to pay higher taxes for health/social care, education etc like in Sweden. I don't like paying tax so government can subsidise tax-avoiding corporates who don't pay a living wage.

addtobasket people chose to vote for their own interests.

I don't really agree, OP. I think some people are decent, some people are selfish or unkind and some people are one on the other depending on context.