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Post by melanell on Sept 26, 2017 19:43:11 GMT
I will add, that despite my aggravation with some people on Facebook, I opt not to unfollow them. Because me venting about problems I see in my country to people who feel the same may allow me to de-stress a bit, but it doesn't do any good in terms of perhaps, once in awhile, getting someone with opposing viewpoints to actually consider a different perspective. And yes, occasionally it does happen. And that's a seed of hope in my eyes and in my heart. And so I will keep plodding along through the much in hopes of future opportunities to find common ground or some sort of understanding with people who at first glance I only seem to disagree with.
Some people toss out something, and if you make a rebuttal they just resort to name calling or scoffing, but every so often I find that someone will say "Yeah, i didn't think of that.", and those are the moments I feel help make up for all of the head-shaking I do when reading my FB feed.
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Post by keesha on Sept 26, 2017 19:58:52 GMT
My only answer for stuff like Facebook is just to unfollow people. They don't know you aren't following them and you don't have to see/read the crap that they post. Easy peasy and done. I haven't unfollowed people yet because I am dreaming of the day when they finally say "I regret voting for him"... and I can regain some respect for certain friends and family members. I know, I know.....
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MerryMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,538
Jul 24, 2014 19:51:57 GMT
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Post by MerryMom on Sept 26, 2017 20:46:06 GMT
In my entire life, I spent 5 days on FaceBook last summer and then quickly ended my account.
However, these words from the movie "The American President" say it best:
President Andrew Shepherd: [in the white house press room] For the last couple of months, Senator Rumson has suggested that being president of this country was, to a certain extent, about character, and although I have not been willing to engage in his attacks on me, I've been here three years and three days, and I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character. For the record: yes, I am a card-carrying member of the ACLU. But the more important question is why aren't you, Bob? Now, this is an organization whose sole purpose is to defend the Bill of Rights, so it naturally begs the question: Why would a senator, his party's most powerful spokesman and a candidate for President, choose to reject upholding the Constitution? If you can answer that question, folks, then you're smarter than I am, because I didn't understand it until a few hours ago.
America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free". I've known Bob Rumson for years, and I've been operating under the assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it! We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character. And wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and you scream about patriotism and you tell them, she's to blame for their lot in life, and you go on television and you call her a whore. Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob. She has done nothing but put herself through school, represent the interests of public school teachers, and lobby for the safety of our natural resources. You want a character debate, Bob? You better stick with me, 'cause Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.
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Post by epeanymous on Sept 26, 2017 21:00:23 GMT
I will be honest and say that while I am sure there are exceptions, I don't think I encounter a lot of people who think both "police violence against black citizens and racism in criminal justice are huge problems that require serious attention" and "these protests are terrible."
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Post by redhead32 on Sept 26, 2017 21:20:27 GMT
I promised myself I would not wade into the politics here if I came back. I'm not here to argue or tell you you are wrong. I'm just going to tell you why I and the military families I know are troubled by it. I've not heard a single one speak to whether the complaint/protest is valid, it's purely about the perception that it's a confusing method (genuflecting/kneeling is a sign of respect though Kaepernick said specifically, "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”), and that for those who have served in combat or who's loved ones came home from combat draped in a flag, it has perhaps a meaning or symbolism that others don't understand. And yes, it's not just having been in the military. This seems to be specifically to combat veterans or deaths. And I'm not going to come back to try to defend how I feel. It's how I feel. And I'm not making a statement on whether I feel any of them have a valid issue worth protesting. It's solely, for me, about confusion in the protest and lack of a return compassion. I think they're losing a sector of the population that gets their issue and would be very supportive of the complaints but is now somehow thrown under some other bus that equates to ignorance and racism because they object to their mode. I don't mean any disrespect against those who served but the military doesn't own the American flag - it belongs to the country and all it's people. This country shows far greater disrespect to those who served by not adequately funding the VA than football players kneeling quietly with their hands over their hearts. This is what I was trying to figure out how to say. I haven't served. But I don't think the Constitution belongs "more" to vets than to me. And, in my own way, I have done my best to be a good citizen. I've worked in public service offices my whole adult life. I am now studying to be a teacher, because I feel passionately that we need to educate the next generation to think critically and deeply about the world we live in. I haven't been in the military, but 15 years of my life have been devoted to making this world a better place as best I know how. I don't think my beliefs count for less than military members - and in no way is that meant to be disrespectful of military members. We are all doing the best we can.
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Post by peasapie on Sept 26, 2017 22:59:29 GMT
All interesting points and I appreciate reading them. Thanks for the responses.
Hey, I'm military 101 here: my dad, FIL, and husband are USMC. They served in WW ll, Korea and Vietnam respectively. Meanwhile, we have a POTUS who made fun of a POW, disrespected a gold star family and shirked military service telling us what patriotism looks like. I just don't get how anyone can support him.
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PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,739
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Sept 27, 2017 0:23:07 GMT
I don't mean any disrespect against those who served but the military doesn't own the American flag - it belongs to the country and all it's people. This country shows far greater disrespect to those who served by not adequately funding the VA than football players kneeling quietly with their hands over their hearts. This is what I was trying to figure out how to say. I haven't served. But I don't think the Constitution belongs "more" to vets than to me. And, in my own way, I have done my best to be a good citizen. I've worked in public service offices my whole adult life. I am now studying to be a teacher, because I feel passionately that we need to educate the next generation to think critically and deeply about the world we live in. I haven't been in the military, but 15 years of my life have been devoted to making this world a better place as best I know how. I don't think my beliefs count for less than military members - and in no way is that meant to be disrespectful of military members. We are all doing the best we can. I hear you. They sacrificed and I appreciate it. But I fall back on (again) if you haven't walk in everyone else's shoes how do you get to judge them for being/doing the best they can, peacefully. I personally, can say I have always stood. But I come from a place where I have yet to have no reason not to. And I have wondered why everyone wouldn't stand. (and then I make up scenarios in my head) I haven't stood in their shoes. They come from a different place, and while they have benefited from the military, they may have other circumstances more pressing in their lives to overcome. Hell, for some to literally live. They are seeing from a total different perspective. They can respect and appreciate the military yet their life experiences have had more immediate and pressing matters to overcome. They, too, are fighting their own battles and deserve respect. Why does it have to be either/or if both are done with good intentions. I don't get it.
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tracylynn
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,861
Jun 26, 2014 22:49:09 GMT
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Post by tracylynn on Sept 27, 2017 4:53:56 GMT
That's your opinion. I think willful ignorance doesn't help the issue. But that's my opinion. I'm taking the high road and thinking you are talking not about me personally since you don't know me, but the people in general. With that I am out of this discussion. Sorry, was away from the board the rest of the day. You are right, I was not talking about you specifically. In general.
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eleezybeth
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,784
Jun 28, 2014 20:42:01 GMT
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Post by eleezybeth on Sept 27, 2017 13:36:57 GMT
What I find interesting is that FB isn't about listening. It's about getting your point across. Nobody listens. If we listened we would be having a conversation.
That said, this military family supports kneeling. My Gold Star mom friends support kneeling. So, there are people on all sides of this issue
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MizIndependent
Drama Llama
Quit your bullpoop.
Posts: 5,836
Jun 25, 2014 19:43:16 GMT
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Post by MizIndependent on Sept 27, 2017 15:40:20 GMT
I did not say that. You need to check and not misquote me. Sorry, Anna*Banana , I really don't know how that happened. I promise it wasn't intentional.
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Nink
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,947
Location: North Idaho
Jul 1, 2014 23:30:44 GMT
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Post by Nink on Sept 27, 2017 15:48:23 GMT
I did not say that. You need to check and not misquote me. Sorry, Anna*Banana , I really don't know how that happened. I promise it wasn't intentional. There’s been a lot of misquotes on here recently it seems. I think there’s a weird glitch in the board.
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Post by disneypal on Sept 27, 2017 17:14:20 GMT
I was just thinking today that I wish FB posts were flagged the way way 2Peas threads were flagged - if they were marked "political" then I could skip right over them if I chose to do so. Then again, I probably wouldn't have anything on my FB feed anymore.
I have just taken a small break from FB - there is just too much nastiness out there right now with all the politics - I miss the older FB days when it was mostly photos of my friends and family and not a lot of controversy.
I still check FB about once a day, but if there are not any fun notifications from my family, then I just get off - I'm usually on/off in about 2 minutes.
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