The one where I come unhinged...

So, typically I refrain from making huge statements of any kind of importance for "fear" of offending, confrontation, whatever.  It's really not a fear.  It's more like a "oh, just keep your mouth shut and keep the peace".  I'm a big proponent of that, especially within family circles.  However, today I will get on my soap box, while sitting on top of my high horse and I will even use naughty language.  Why?  Because I can.  Because this is something that has bothered me for years and I see it NOT changing at all if ever.  IF it ever does it will probably be long after I am dead and buried.

**WARNING!  IF YOU DO NOT LIKE STRONG OPINIONS, SOAP BOXES, HIGH HORSES, OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE WITH A HINT OF POLITICS, OR IF YOU JUST LIKE THE IMAGE OF A NICE, QUIET GIRL NAMED ALICIA, PLEASE STOP READING NOW!!**

I usually don't comment on anything I see in social media that pertains to anything that could cause great debate because, well, I just don't want to get into a debate with anyone.  My opinion is my opinion and yours is yours and we can agree to disagree and maintain our relationship.  Actually, debate isn't the issue.  I would love to have a good debate but it never turns out that way.  It always turns into an attack.  When something is posted on social media everyone and their brother feels compelled to say something, it seems.  Good or bad news meets with positive and negative comments.  Which would be ok if they were respectful.  Or even tasteful.  But they aren't. 

I think everyone has forgotten that we are all entitled to opinions and we each have our own personality and we don't have to be clones of each other.  I do not have to like what you like.  You do not have to like what I like.  We can agree to disagree and the world will not come to an end.  Because I have a different opinion than you, or because I might differ from you in party lines does not give you the right to personally attack me.  ESPECIALLY IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

I was reading a news article on Facebook the other day regarding the government dropping off children illegally entering our country from other countries.  They are being bussed into our state and dropped off.  Obviously this is a hot button topic.  It is also very politically charged.  Of course I read the comments.  First, let me point out that, as someone in education it makes me extremely sad that most people can't spell correctly.  Not talking typo's here people.  I digress... where was I?

Oh yes.  It was obviously very politically charged since the article talked about how the federal government was just dumping these kids here in Arizona.  Republicans chimed in, Democrats did the same, everyone blamed the Tea Party.  And it got ugly.  U.G.L.Y.  If someone blamed either party someone from the opposite party called them horrible names.  It was a personal attack straight out of the gate.  Because someone said something that was "republican" in nature they were douche bags.  If someone said something more "democrat" they were assholes.  So I scrolled through the comments, each making me cringe.  And here's the worst part.  Even the ones that were trying to keep to the point of "what do we do with the children" were being attacked.

It has happened to me before, this personal type of attack, for simply stating an opinion or responding to something that someone else disagrees with.  Hence, the reason I usually refrain from tossing my hat into the ring.  And the audacity surprises me that the attack is immediate and vicious.  It gets intense!  Because it's "anonymous" and they aren't in the same room with the person they are being nasty towards, they feel they have free reign.  Most people (my hope anyway) would never look someone in the face for stating an opinion and shout "oh yeah, you must be some kind of fucking libtard to make that kind of statement", or "only conservative republicans would be stupid enough to think this shit is ok". 

So here is what happened today.  If you live in AZ you are probably familiar with the news story of the two priests that were recently attacked and one killed.  Yes, the one killed was shot.  With a gun. Yes, a gun.  (there's a point, I swear I'll get to the "gun" point soon).  The other priest was beaten and I believed possibly stabbed but I'm not too sure about the stabbing part of it.  Early this morning police made an arrest.  It was on Facebook that it was still early yet to give too much info because they had none, but rest assured, an arrest had been made.  One comment quickly popped up.  It said, "It's a shame the republicans insist on arming every scumbag on the streets..." by someone named B Thomas Cooper.  I couldn't help it.  I responded.  I know, I know.  Here is my response:  "No, it's really just a shame that there are evil people that will harm and or kill just for the sake of harming and killing."  So then there was this by the same B Thomas Cooper: "Alicia Heaster Yeah... there will always be some coward attempting to deflect the blame..."

There was no response from me so I guess maybe it irked him some and he felt the need to add to it:
"A Phoenix police spokesman said that investigators arrested a 54-year-old man with a history of aggravated assault and misconduct involving weapons... and of course, he had no problem getting his hands on a gun... yes I blame the republicans for causing the proliferation of handguns."

So I'm a coward attempting to deflect blame because I don't agree with you?  I'm a coward?  I wanted to respond.  I truly did.  I wanted to tell him he was very hostile.  I wanted to tell him he must be a lot of fun at parties.  What I actually did was take a peek at his FB page.  Sure did.  And I saw what I expected.  Mostly left wing propaganda aimed at Republicans and taking on every hot button topic he possibly could by way of meme and sharing (oversharing) every "clever" statement he deems funny and or appropriate to bash someone else.  Personally, it wouldn't matter if he was a democrat or a republican.  An asshole is an asshole.  Oh, sorry, was that me personally attacking someone?  It was at that point of looking at his page (mind you I only looked at the first 10 posts, it was enough) that I decided to NOT respond to his personal attack, that I let it stop bothering me.  Because there is no "win" there.  Not that I would expect to win something on this point, but it had quickly gone from a comment of evil is evil with a gun or a knife to name calling and trying to engage someone else in a verbal sparring match.  No thank you.  The most awesome thing about all this?  We have a mutual friend in FB land.  Oh yes, we do. 

Here's my point though.  Had we been face to face would he have called me a coward?  Had we been face to face and he called me a coward would I have responded with the huge fuck you I wanted to say?  I honestly think I would have been too shocked to say anything that would have made much sense, shocked that someone would say that to my face because I disagreed.  And then I would have been mad because I was speechless.  And then I would have probably wanted to go off on the mother fucker.  But wait, would that be a personal attack?  Yes, it would. 

And in the end, the entire point was missed by all of us (save one person, but I'll get to that in a minute).  The point is that two men were attacked, one lost their life.  The point is that the evil man that did it was caught.  The point is that this has attack shook the community to it's core and you, B Thomas whatever your name is, are focusing on the wrong part of the sad, sad story.

I could go on and on.  I will possibly go on and on in another post about how social media is ruining our ability to have face to face time and our ability to debate openly and civilly with others. 

Until then....