** PLEASE READ ** This is my pledge for the upcoming mid-term election season...share (or dont) as you see fit. This year I WILL NOT POST POLITICS on my Facebook timeline. Additionally, with few exceptions, I intend to stay out of political debates. My silence does not constitute consent or agreement with your cause - only that posting politics on Facebook does more harm than good and I do not want to be a part of it. The exceptions for my comments will be when information is untruthful or non-objectively sourced. Friends dont let friends post lies. We should all do this. I respect everyones right to free speech but that right does not extend to me having to endure insults to my values. If someone wants a given freedom - fine, make your case. But predicating that freedom by DEGRADING/DIMINISHING MY OWN FREEDOM IS ASININE and you will be unfriended. Every value/self identity system the world has ever conceived contains flaws and attacking these core values/identities - whether it is being Christian or being Gay, criticism will achieve absolutely nothing except piss people off. I humbly ask that before you start spamming posts from your favorite pro-left/pro-right websites that you do these things before hitting that post button. 1. READ THE CONSTITUTION...seriously. Every law, current or proposed, is based directly or indirectly on this document. It is what give us the basic right to agree to disagree. It will also provide a framework for others perspective. For extra-credit read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers. 2. THINK FOR YOURSELF. Regardless of what side you stand on a subject, recognize there are people and organizations on your side who want to use you to repeat lies. These people/organizations dont care about you as an individual - they are seeking their own ends and will use whatever means available to do it. These groups have a strong appeal because they say things you want to hear/believe and try to convince you to spam their talking points without any independent thought. This information may be something taken out of context or out right untruthful. Every year I see posts from all sides that are based on flimsy, out-of-context, or outright untruthful information. RESPECT YOURSELF and your Facebook friends. 3. YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT AN EXPERT. Copying/pasting/sharing other views does not qualify you to debate - do your own objective research. No one is asking you to change your position - just make sure that information youre posting about your position is truthful. Independent research not only makes you smarter on a given topic it provides a deeper perspective that allows you to constructively engage with others on the topic. This keeps the conversation at an intellectual instead of emotional level. Like #2 above, dont be a Sheeple. All it does is hurt your credibility and that of your cause. 4. Posting something to get someone you know who disagrees with it to say something so you can attack them is BAITING and its BULLSHIT. Posting contemplative constructive (truthful) comments on a given topic adds value to a conversation and allows others the opportunity to see it from another perspective. Snarky, inflammatory, venomous zingers alienate and piss people off. Try adding some balance to the topic and accept that regardless of how you feel, others are going to feel different and that is OK. If youre asking for a debate, you should be willing to see if from anothers perspective otherwise you come off looking like an ass-clown. 5. Has anything anyone ever posted on Facebook been enough to get you to change your position on a given subject? overwhelmingly WHAT YOU POST ON FACEBOOK IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYONES MIND except maybe unfriend you. A pro-life, gay, black, Jew is not going to change any of his/her characteristics by you posting a meme that goes against his values. Finally, and perhaps most important, for those rare opportunities where a post did change your mind it was very likely a well constructed, sourced argument that thoughtfully persuaded vs attacked your position. If youre not willing to take the time make this level of effort IS IT REALLY WORTH POSTING?
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 22:19:50 +0000
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