I don’t want to get off on a rant here, but … No really, I DO NOT WANT TO GET OFF ON A RANT … but … I have a friend. I’ve known him for more than 40 years. We are of differing political persuasions. I am a left leaning centrist and he is an off the charts, er, something else. At times in our lives we’ve been closer, or farther apart, but we’d always maintained a genuine affection for each other. And then came Facebook. At first we just ‘liked’ each others’ dog and family photos and encouraged each other in our writing and other pursuits. That’s what friends are for, right? But we are who we are. I like to think of myself as a Defender of Truth. Your politics is yours and I will respect that as long as it is consistent and based in truth. If it is not, if you use data that has been cherry picked or otherwise manipulated, or if you fail to see the irony of supporting the underlying principle of a cause in one instance but are vehemently opposed to the same principle when applied elsewhere – I’m gonna call you on it. I feel so passionately about this whole truth/consistency thing that to do elsewise would be the same as denying my being. < But that’s what I see when I look in my own mirror, mirror on the wall where I am the fairest of them all. I’m not quite so self-absorbed that I don’t understand how others might see my actions differently. Nor am I blind to the idea that I may be, well, blind … to my own flaws, to my own gullibility, to my own errors in logic. If you are my friend, I expect – no, encourage – you to point them out to me. Friends don’t let friends be the Empress Who Is Wearing New Clothes. And I thought my friend wouldn’t want to be the Emperor. But I guess I was wrong. It’s been building slowly. I think it started with something Benghazi related and really heated up over a discussion about public shaming a year ago. Since then my friend and I screech at each other at regular intervals. He feels the comments I direct toward his posts are personal insults. Though others who (through the magic of FB) observed these exchanges thought the insults were flying on his end too, I chose to believe they were just conversation – or gonads and strife – whatever. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee! (Don’t click the link if you are under 18 or offended by totally inappropriate language/images, guys.) I’m not so sure it’s just conversation lately. Actually, I’m no longer as certain about anything where this man is concerned. And that’s sad. Because, in a world without politics, he is a straight up, A grade, number one good guy. An excellent father, son, husband, a decent citizen, an honest business man, a guy who takes in stray animals – a man I trusted to take my young kids out into the desert (and not leave them there). I don’t want to lose him as a friend. To that end, I started trying to pull the reins in a few weeks ago. I decided to only post when I agreed with him – or didn’t disagree. This, if you know me at all, is harrrrd for me to do. It is the grandest gesture I can manage and the largest compliment I can pay to my friend. I guess it’s still not enough. This morning I commented on a post of his, not disagreeing, just pointing out a comparison of two friends at opposite ends of a very long rope, and how their words can sound so much alike. I thought it was funny. ha ha. He responded by saying I was ignorant, an ass, and suggested my employer was a “ghoul” who was out to exterminate my future grandchildren. What? Huh? Where am I going with this? I don’t know, unless maybe it’s this: I wish he would post more pictures of his dogs. albinoblacksheep/flash/weeee
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:52:57 +0000
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