It must be election season, because I see more and more political bumper stickers popping up on cars, and signs in yards.

I am uncomfortable pasting a sticker on the back of my car, announcing who I am going to vote for, or whom I am supporting in this (or any) election.  On one hand, I understand why people do it- they are excited about their candidate(s), and want to make a statement. 

But on the other hand, I realize that some people take elections very seriously, and it kind of scares me if I would happen to come in contact with someone who, let's just say wasn't supporting the candidate I was.   

There is that old saying, never to discuss politics or religion, and I understand why.  Politics is one area, where people just have strong feelings, and a lot of times it is in black and white- no middle ground.  The attitudes I have found more likely than not, have been if you are voting for X, you are "right," but if you would even consider voting for Y, you are "wrong."   

I have had very few political conversations with people who support their candidates strongly, but can understand why someone else would want to vote for the other person, or the other side.  It doesn't matter if we are talking Democrat or Republican, Independent, or Libertarian- it happens in every political party.

If I put a bumper sticker on my car for the candidate I believed in, there are going to be people who don't think that is the "right" choice.   Would my car be vandalized in a parking lot?  I have had my car keyed a few times, for a lot less than having a political bumper sticker on my car.  Would I be subjected to road rage?  I don't know.

Another issue for me, I don't want to have my political beliefs become a barrier between the people I know.  I am guilty too, of doing what I just wrote about above.  I met a really nice lady the other day, and we happened to be pulling out of the same place, at the same time, and I saw her political bumper sticker on the back of her car.   Five minutes before that, the thought of which presidential candidate she was supporting, hadn't even crossed my mind, but now I found myself thinking about it.  If I had, had the opposite candidate's sticker on my car, what would she had thought about me?  Would it, present a barrier in us becoming friends?  I don't know. 

If feel this way about bumper stickers, then you can probably imagine that I would never in a million years, put a political sign in my front yard!  What if none of the neighbors supported my candidate?  Would I be the neighborhood outcast?  Would my house be vandalized?  What if the candidate someone was supporting didn't win?  Would they remember my house displayed the "wrong" candidate's sign?  Would I be compromising my family's safety?

I live in mid-size town, and every election year, there are reports that political signs get stolen and vandalized.  It happens to signs from both political parties.  Unless it is just a bunch of kids, not knowing what they are doing, obviously some Republicans are damaging and removing signs from yards supporting the Democratic candidate, and vice-versa.  What would it take, for this to go one step further?  I don't know. It just isn't a risk I want to take with my family, my house, or my car.

Finally, call me old-fashioned, but if you have read this far, you have probably noticed that I haven't said which candidate at this point, I believe I will vote for.  And I'm not going to.  Not in this post, or in any post.  I firmly believe that everyone has a right to decide for themselves, and they are capable of making that decision, on whom they are going to vote for.  I don't think it is anyone else's business, whom I am going to vote for.  That is the whole reasoning behind casting a secret ballot- you don't have to tell if you don't want to.

Chances are, you know or have a pretty good idea who you are going to vote for.  I doubt revealing who I am probably going to vote for, will change your mind, and I don't really see any great things coming from telling someone who I am going to vote for, only to find out they are going to vote for the opposite person.  Awkward at best.

So now you know that I am a definite No, on sporting political bumper stickers and signs, what do you think?  Do you have an Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin bumper sticker on your car, or a sign in your yard?  Or are you like me, and would never do this?

(Originally posted on A Mama's Blog)