Just yesterday, a family member of mine posted on Facebook how the GOP needed someone better than Trump or Palin. Of course she was referring to their appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC.
In my comment to her post, I asked what specific issue she had with Palin. One of her other FB friends and I started a back-and-forth about politics in general. One of her friends agreed with my post that too many people dislike Sarah Palin, but when pushed, cannot give a reason why.
My family member finally deleted her initial comment, and thus all of the posts saying that she was just trying to be funny. How funny is it to throw something derogatory out there, without even a generalization as to why you don't like a potential candidate, and then delete it when challenged?
Have we become such a non-thinking society that we cannot have a civil discourse about issues? "Being funny" has become, it appears to me, the news source of choice for a lot of Americans. From Bill Maher, to Colbert, it seems that so many young people take what they hear at face value without any thought at all.
Admittedly, I watch FOX News a lot. I also tune in to CNN and MSNBC to see how they are reporting similar issues. More importantly, I try to ask myself if what I've heard is accurate and balanced. If it doesn't pass the smell test, then I research it on my own.
The bottom line frustration for me is this: If you are going to disparage a person, policy, or action, don't share it with me unless you are prepared to discuss it, and in many cases, back it up with facts or examples. Disliking someone or something because it is in vogue holds no merit. It is symptomatic of the careless way many express their views, which when challenged, we learn usually equates to them not having a view at all. By throwing out vague, unsubstantiated comments on FB or other social media, demonstrates an ignorance and naivete that, unfortunatly, permeates our society. Everyone is entitled to [their] own opinion, but not [their] own facts (Daniel Patrick Moynihan).
In my comment to her post, I asked what specific issue she had with Palin. One of her other FB friends and I started a back-and-forth about politics in general. One of her friends agreed with my post that too many people dislike Sarah Palin, but when pushed, cannot give a reason why.
My family member finally deleted her initial comment, and thus all of the posts saying that she was just trying to be funny. How funny is it to throw something derogatory out there, without even a generalization as to why you don't like a potential candidate, and then delete it when challenged?
Have we become such a non-thinking society that we cannot have a civil discourse about issues? "Being funny" has become, it appears to me, the news source of choice for a lot of Americans. From Bill Maher, to Colbert, it seems that so many young people take what they hear at face value without any thought at all.
Admittedly, I watch FOX News a lot. I also tune in to CNN and MSNBC to see how they are reporting similar issues. More importantly, I try to ask myself if what I've heard is accurate and balanced. If it doesn't pass the smell test, then I research it on my own.
The bottom line frustration for me is this: If you are going to disparage a person, policy, or action, don't share it with me unless you are prepared to discuss it, and in many cases, back it up with facts or examples. Disliking someone or something because it is in vogue holds no merit. It is symptomatic of the careless way many express their views, which when challenged, we learn usually equates to them not having a view at all. By throwing out vague, unsubstantiated comments on FB or other social media, demonstrates an ignorance and naivete that, unfortunatly, permeates our society. Everyone is entitled to [their] own opinion, but not [their] own facts (Daniel Patrick Moynihan).
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