Agree to Disagree

Post on fb about guns (I love sporting clays and targets whilst hubby is a competition shooter and hunter), election year politics (I'm a devout Libertarian), or my support of Israel (as Christians, Israel is our heritage), and my Leftist buddies will offer hot debates or intellectual discourse and comments up the wazoo.  Post a personal note about my mom's battle with Alzheimer's or such and it's just not "that interesting" for them to comment or interact.

I'm not sniping at my Liberal fb friends, I'm really not, but it's amazing to me how people feel very free to let their political opinions heard on MY timeline as I post about things dear to me, but I look at their timeline and they're so lightly politically active there.  Maybe one or two comments or links, but mostly, like all of us, posting pics of friends, events, trips and anecdotes about their daily life.  Of which, I comment and "like."

They seem to have a radar about MY hot-button issue posts.  They zero in to admonish my beliefs with lightening speed.

I know, I know that sounds totally paranoid.  And, I'd have to agree with you...if I weren't living it.

I'm not upset about it, really.  Well, maybe a little miffed they aren't playing fair in their commenting more often on my timeline about politics than their own timeline.  

To ensure I'm not paranoid--and, because today's a holiday from school in our house so I have ample time--here are my stats.  Hubby says that facts are important because they take the emotion out of a problem by concentrating solely on the numbers.

For the numbers below, "Own" is the number of charged issues they posted on their own timeline, and "Mine" is the number on my timeline.  (For as far back as I had time today to go.)

Liberal Friend #1 

Own: 4  Mine: 8

Liberal Friend #2 

Own: 2  Mine: 10

Liberal Friend #3 

Own: 7  Mine: 6

Liberal Friend #4

Own: 3  Mine: 4

That's just with my top Libbies, and I've deleted some of the posts now because that stuff just doesn't need to be there.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate and encourage this discourse.  I love my Liberal friends, because they help me see the debate from the other side, so I can reassess and adjust my own beliefs and/or remain stalwart in them.  

Since I'm getting up in age, my beliefs are pretty firmly set, though.  This is not due to stubbornness, but rather due to a solid commitment to God and a multitude of experiences in a long and varied life.  It IS very true that you get wiser with age.

I just find it interesting that people on a whole would rather have a political fight to prove their right, than humble themselves to agree to disagree.  I have a cherished Liberal friend who often says that to me, "we agree to disagree." It's so delightful!  

At some point, we all must concede that no more words will make a difference.  And, that's what people fail to understand.  Sometimes you just have to realize that you can't see eye-to-eye and you must let silence settle over an unsettled issue.

Face Off with Facebook

I'm an admitted and addicted fb poster.  I go there everyday, multiple times a day, and probably post or share a minimum of 2 to 6 times daily.  It's consuming.

I am working on cutting down my fb time. I only have so many hours in a day and I really need to get the laundry done, or at least take out the recycling.  I would love to quit fb, but now it's part of my social calendar, too.  Can't have a meeting without an "events page," ya know.

I do see the lunacy in it.  Just because I'm in daily contact with a friend I haven't seen in 25 years doesn't mean we're close.  I know what she ate for breakfast and who she voted for in the election, but could we even survive a lunch together?  I don't know.

The election did me in, as far as posting my political views on fb.  It was a nightmare and I even ended up "unfriending" a recent addition to my friends roster.  She felt my timeline was her posting venue for all things far left, including wacky conspiracy theories.  She left link after link, but no real substantive debate.   

Even my waaaay liberal friends know that you comment, have a little discourse, and then you move on.  She never moved on, she moved in.  I tried the nice approach, explaining to her both publicly and privately the rules I have for my timeline, but she just didn't understand.  Or, maybe she didn't want to.  I'm not sure, but I am sure that I don't need more of that.

There's only room for one conspiracy theory nut on MY timeline, and it's me!

I have a love/hate relationship with fb.  I couldn't live without it, I'm sure.  How would I know what events to attend without the event calendar?  How would I know what Mahayla fixed for dinner?  Or what trending cartoon Bob just posted?  And, let's face it, we all love the kittens.  Bring on the kittens.