JACK HUBER, AUTHOR, BLOGGER, PHOTOGRAPHER & FULL-TIME RV'ER
  • Home
  • About
    • Press
    • Interviews
    • Contact
  • Writing
    • Pat Ruger Series >
      • Cape Corruption- A Patreon Serial
      • Book 1- For Hire
      • Book 2- Caribbean Shuffle
      • Book 3- Native Species
      • Book 4- Children's Reprise
      • Book 5- Seattle Reign
      • Book 6- Oblivion Highway
      • Book 7- Music City Mayhem
    • RV Life Happens
    • Blogs/Reviews >
      • Jack's Blog
      • Reasons to be Happy - Patreon
      • Travel Blog
      • RV Park Reviews
      • Travel Videos
      • Affiliated Blogsites
      • Product Reviews
      • Book Reviews
    • Poetry >
      • Poem of the Week
      • Today's Earworm
  • Jack's Podcasts
    • Podcast
  • Photos
    • Photo of the Week
    • Galleries >
      • Past Photos of the Week
      • Wild Birds
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Vermont
      • Virginia
      • Washington State
      • Wyoming
      • Canada
      • Caribbean Sea
      • Great Britain
      • Remembering Lucy
  • Shop
    • Imagekind
    • Zazzle Store
    • RV Products

Travel Blog

Topics on Rv'ing, Touring and Jack's Travels

How to be Apolitical in a Campground

9/28/2020

2 Comments

 
PicturePhoto Source: Suzanne Moore via Twitter
Scene:  Competitive brothers-in-law live next door to each other on a suburban street, so when one puts Christmas lights outside his house, the other responds with a bigger and brighter set, unleashing a war of twinkling light-bulbs and neon displays which threatens to ruin both families.

Now, change Christmas lights to national Presidential campaigns, MAGA flags and Biden-Harris signs and you have the makings of a campground battle royale, and not very pleasant for other camping neighbors.  Yes, you might be living full-time in your RV and don't have a sticks-and-bricks house in the suburbs to announce your allegiances.  Yes, you have a right to post any political statements you want in your space (unless the campground rules prohibit it).  Yes, you may well be smarter than everyone around you.  And, yes, you might be a jerk.

Just because you can be a political animal in an RV resort doesn't mean you should.  You must realize that friends and neighbors don't want to judge you; they want to have fun with you.  In this polarized political climate,  it makes no sense to alienate half of the people around you for no justifiable reason.

That being said, there are people who just can't help themselves, so I'm here to help them.  Here h are some tips for staying out of the political fray:

1.  No campaign signs or logos
Not much makes me angrier while traveling than to see décor from opposing candidates from those I support.  I can easily ignore the local election materials, since obviously I don't have a dog in that hunt. But regional or national campaigns can be the tipping point for many American travelers.  In a campground, that is magnified because of limited space and the unknown mix of out-of-state allegiances.  Just say "no" to any political signs, flags or bumper stickers.

2.  Have a small list of non-political topics handy
The weather usually makes a great topic for campground conversation.  It's one of the subjects that most RV'ers can relate to and have stories about, along with black tank comedies and wildlife experiences.  Perhaps a couple of poor experiences in other resorts would be interesting.  If someone brings up a political issue, refer to your mental list and change the subject, stat!

3.  Keep your TV volume down
Yes, you love the debates and your favorite news network.  But why go to all the trouble of becoming apolitical in your park and then let the cat out of the bag via TV?

4.  Avoid judgement
There are plenty of points of view to go around, and you don't have the corner on the market.  If you, by chance, figure out that someone backs a party that's not yours, fight the urge to think poorly of them.  Everyone has reasons for the way they think and for whom they support, and many people are single issue voters.  Your party might not have that answer for them.  Judge not lest you be judged.  Believe me, it's much easier to talk sports or cooking with someone you don't think of as a moron.

5.  Avoid becoming a political evangelist
I know what I think when I see a well-dressed couple coming to my door with a Bible in their hands... where can I hide?  The last thing I want is a religious discussion at my front door.  The campground should be a place of safety and comfort, in my opinion, and no travelers should be subjected to religious, political or marketing discussions that they want no part of, especially as members of a captive audience.  Social media has given people a completely safe political space to preach to their heart's content.  Your neighbors in the park can't just "unfriend and block" you in the non-digital world, so be kind and prevent the necessity.

So, I'm sure there are many other strategies you can think of.  Please feel free to leave your suggestions as comments below.


Picture

Share
2 Comments
Carina U. Atherton-Childress
9/28/2020 03:09:26 pm

OMG, we were camping just recently and a parade of golf carts went by with a HUGE flag hanging off one of them, emblazoned with a certain political name and 2020. My husband and I were incensed! It was an assault to our senses while we were CAMPING, having a relaxing weekend with friends! To be fair, even if it was a flag for "someone else", we would have still been appalled. A campground should be neutral territory!

Reply
Jack Huber link
9/28/2020 03:34:02 pm

I feel your pain. It's happened to us quite often this year.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Jack Huber is a novelist with 7 mysteries published, along with several books of poetry and photography.  Now retired, he and his wife, Nadyne, are free to travel the country in their 32' 5th wheel and 1-ton Ford pickup.

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Picture
Become a Patron!
Mysteries by Jack Huber
Picture
Click to set custom HTML
  • Home
  • About
    • Press
    • Interviews
    • Contact
  • Writing
    • Pat Ruger Series >
      • Cape Corruption- A Patreon Serial
      • Book 1- For Hire
      • Book 2- Caribbean Shuffle
      • Book 3- Native Species
      • Book 4- Children's Reprise
      • Book 5- Seattle Reign
      • Book 6- Oblivion Highway
      • Book 7- Music City Mayhem
    • RV Life Happens
    • Blogs/Reviews >
      • Jack's Blog
      • Reasons to be Happy - Patreon
      • Travel Blog
      • RV Park Reviews
      • Travel Videos
      • Affiliated Blogsites
      • Product Reviews
      • Book Reviews
    • Poetry >
      • Poem of the Week
      • Today's Earworm
  • Jack's Podcasts
    • Podcast
  • Photos
    • Photo of the Week
    • Galleries >
      • Past Photos of the Week
      • Wild Birds
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
      • Vermont
      • Virginia
      • Washington State
      • Wyoming
      • Canada
      • Caribbean Sea
      • Great Britain
      • Remembering Lucy
  • Shop
    • Imagekind
    • Zazzle Store
    • RV Products
​