I Get It!

I Get It!

“Like and share if you love Jesus.” “Keep scrolling if you love Satan.”

“Obama is a Muslim, non-American and only wants to destroy this country.”

“Obama is the answer to America's prayers and has done more for the country than the past x number of presidents combined.”

“Share if you love your wife or husband or sister or brother or aunt or uncle or cousin.”

“Share if you know religion is a farce and anyone who's religious is a throwback or a naive ignoramus.”

“Guns are GOOD!” “Guns are BAD!” “Ban guns!” “Require guns!”

“Democrats stink.” “Republicans stink.”

“Ship all the rotten illegal aliens back to wherever they came from.”

“Make all the illegal aliens American citizens.”

“Christians against Obama”. “Christians for Obama.” “non-Christians for/against Obama.”

“Share this if you're a REAL American. If you don't, pack up and move out!”

Do you recognize any of the above statements from Facebook or your emails? Or possibly a variant of one of them? Do they prompt you to forward or share the message or do they make you want to unfriend the sender? Do you agree 110% with the sentiment of some of them or are you vehement about your opposition to them?

I get it.

I got it back a few years ago during the political campaigns when you expressed your preferences. And then did it again. And again. And numerous times daily. And continually since the elections. I figured out your allegiance after checking out the first couple of them. Here's a question back at ya. Did you think you were going to change my mind by your postings? Did you think you'd steer me away from the “error of my ways” by your sharing all the vitriol on the Internet that was available for sharing? Even the ones that had been proven incorrect a LONG time ago? Or were you just venting, just expressing your rights by belittling the “worthy” opposition?

I hate to burst your bubble, my friend, but your continual haranguing on the negative aspects of the running candidates did absolutely nothing to change my mind insofar as the support of my candidate. I picked my man quite a while ago and ended up voting for him no matter how virulent your pronouncements were.

Now don't get me wrong. You ARE my friend. You may have diametrically opposing ideas on a bunch of things from what I do, but you are STILL my friend. You wouldn't be on my friends list otherwise. I do NOT friend anyone who I don't consider a friend. With maybe a couple exceptions, folks that I friended in a weak moment. Or to maybe just keep tabs on someone. But the vast majority of my friends on Facebook ARE my friends.

And to all my devoutly religious friends and family: Thank you for your concern about my well-being and my immortal soul. Seriously. Your thoughts and prayers ARE much appreciated. I may or may not share your particular beliefs but I'm very pleased that you're a believer, whatever the flavor of that belief may be. My only complaint, if you may call it that, is the absolute choice some of you like to give me on your FB postings. Some of you like to give me the old “you're either with me or agin me” choice. And, in your mind I'm sure you believe that there actually IS only that single choice, only that specific flavor of belief. Only black or white. And I'm sorry if I offend you, but I see LOTS of shades of gray in LOTS of areas of life. That may be a curse or a blessing, but it's me and that's where I'm at now.

Back to the politics. I honestly do try to examine most of the examples you might put forward to explain a stance or position. Sometimes I see your point and on others I draw a blank. To be honest, I don't mind those postings. They generally require some study and some reflection and I'm usually willing to do that. But I do want to tell you I'm not very fond of what I call the “straight hate” postings; the ones that say “I hate so-and-so, now and forever, in every aspect of his life, for every thing he's done and for everything he wants to do.” Excuse me, but I'm going to skip over those posting and try my hardest to not dislike you for them. They trouble me and I don't need to be troubled.

Also understand, my friends, that there are issues that we will never see eye to eye on and which I'll never agree with you. That's just the way it is. I will probably always be pro-this and anti-that. If that's in opposition to your stance, so be it. Badgering me for my beliefs is an exercise in futility. Better to let it go and agree to disagree.

Or post some funny cat pictures.

Please also look up the definition of jingoism if you don't know it already and understand that there are ALL KINDS of Americans. All colors, all religions, all kinds of backgrounds with all kinds of beliefs. And the VAST majority of them are GOOD Americans, from the Navajo woman on her reservation hand crafting a silver ring to the turbaned Sikh in Detroit praying to his elephant god. From the rabid liberal newscaster to the rabid conservative newscaster (you fill in the names). From the demonstrating hippie in 1969 carrying the anti-war sign to the begrimed Marine close to the Vietnam DMZ during the same year. From my close friend “A” to my close friend “B”.

All good Americans.

Please also note that fervency is not a necessary requirement for citizenship or emblematic of your patriotism. There are a lot of laid-back souls who don't jump up and down when the patriotic music starts or who don't carry signs at demonstrations. Lots who show their patriotism and their love of country in quiet, unobtrusive ways. Doing this or that “under the radar”, quietly serving in the military and then not strutting about their patriotism, patiently supporting a candidate with time or money, thanking veterans for their service, flying the flag.

Be aware that I see your Facebook posts and I know where you stand. I see who you like and, way TOO often, who you hate.

I get it.

You know, I originally intended this blog to be one where I would scream and carry on about the dumb postings and closed-minded pronouncements of the folks on my friends list. I planned to holler about their shallow meanness, their blank-minded membership in whatever organization that they professed involvement in. I'd lambast them for not checking Snopes out before posting an item that was totally wrong and proved so. I planned to express my mild to profound distaste for most of their mindless postings. I really did.

But then I decided that wasn't right.

Why couldn't they post those messages? Why couldn't they believe what they believe? Why couldn't they shout their mottoes and their credos and their passion in high fidelity and living color? What made me the arbiter of what they could or could not say?

What made me sure they were wrong?

As a matter of fact, I'm sure there were a LOT of people who read those self-same articles and pronouncements and said, “Right on, brother!”

So, if you carry anything away from this blog, from this small rant of mine, carry this. If I don't forward your messages, if I don't comment my approval, if I don't profess my undying support of your brand of faith, don't believe for a minute that I don't support it. Or that I do.

If I don't profess my undying love for whatever item you've put forward for my perusal or don't forward same, don't think I'm not for it. Or against it.

If you absolutely need to believe something about me, believe this:

Some things I'm for and some things I'm against, but for the vast majority of things that go floating through my Facebook pages I'm far more likely to be simply ambivalent. And I'm just not very demonstrative. And I'm truly sorry if that offends you.

But if you want to know a secret, I'll tell ya one! If you want me to share one of your postings, if you want me to comment on it or tell all my friends, just make me laugh. Just be clever or just make me think.

I'll share those in a flash with a great comment!

But for the rest?

I get it!