Facebook

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. On one hand, it keeps me connected, gives me a social outlet, and helps me share and plan with friends. On the other hand, it opens me up to some people's vile and disrespectful ways.

I post controversial things, always have. I expect that if someone disagrees they will comment respectfully. Not post something short and snarky then run away from the conversation. Not start calling names if they do stick around for it.

Unfortunately, it seems most liberals are not good at keeping a debate or conversation civil. They go on the attack and then leave. If we question them, they freak out.

Now, I'm not perfect and I've lost my cool plenty of times in the past. But I make it a point to apologize if I do. I have yet to see very many apologies from the libs.

A few weeks ago I posted an article by Dave Ramsey about the Occupy Movement. It exploded into a 210 comment debate that got nowhere. The supporters resorted to name calling and the non supporters were made to look like villains. Ok then.

Lost two "friends" from that one.

A week later my friend Amanda posted a "keep the Christ in Christmas" picture and I commented. A mutual friend got mad because they didn't like that I agreed with the picture.

She deleted me. Ok then.

I had another random "friend" delete me too, but she didn't tell me why.

Then came the Duggar's announcement. I knew there would be people out there that would be critical, but after dealing with the hateful comments about them all day, I was at my wit's end. The Duggars have an amazing family and it's no one's business how many kids they have. Tv or not, it's still no one's business to criticize someone's family purely based on its size. Especially when they are a fully functioning, God loving, wonderful family, who produces outstanding adults. It upsets me personally because so many people give me crap about having too many kids and I only have 4!

So, I commented on a post and that person didn't like that someone dared disagree with her. I should've known it was going to get ugly, I have seen too much hatred on her page and conversations where she and her friend just laughed at people and acted like total bullies towards anyone who dared disagree. That is not open communication. That is not open debate. That is not acceptable in my opinion. It's hateful. And after a brief fight about it in fb, guess what? Deleted. Ok then... Again.

So really? Apparently people that don't agree with me can't be my friends. Apparently we all must agree on everything in order to be friends in their eyes.

Sorry, but no. What is needed in a true friendship is respect. Something that clearly all of these people were lacking. I'll miss all of them to a certain extent, but I'm also grateful on another level that they did delete me, because if they're going to cut me out of their lives for challenging their beliefs, then they're not the kind of people I want to be around anyway. And I'm not about to keep quiet about the things that matter to me most.

Open mindedness at its best, right? Sure.