Silly subject for a post I suppose, but I thought it might be good to go through my thoughts on the wildly popular internet site called Facebook. As most of my followers know, I was once a Facebook user and would occasionally peruse the various sites of friends and family. This would result in a bit of entertainment as well as being informative as to what various people were up to. Of course the pictures of the latest vacation or a young one's first steps were always fun to check out and I would take the chance to post a cleverly crafted caption for a pic if the opportunity arose. I think when I began questioning my Facebook visits was when people became so anxious to share their displeasure with each other's political views. I actually enjoy a dialogue with someone about various social and political topics, but Facebook only seemed to lend itself to a bumper sticker sort of approach. A quick comment here and there sandwiched in between all the other conversations. This easily leads to misunderstandings on both sides and leaves one turning the Facebook experience into a political forum. People with whom I have never had a political discussion with in person are anxious to offer opinions on whatever is in the news at the time. I know some people grew up with these discussions taking place over dinner and other family gathering but not our family. At least not until Facebook offered whatever it is that it offers to us to make us want to jump in with both feet to discussions we are hesitant to have in person. I mean when someone chooses a picture or icon to represent them online that is tied directly to a political or social issue it immediately says to me that there is a bent, or a filter in place. An agenda, if you will, that is not limited to updating folks on the latest family activities but is rather positioning oneself on a variety of "important issues". Yes I can, and do, interact with people daily who have a very different view of our country and the world than I have. And yes, we can interact in a civil manner. But when people you have known your whole life and with whom you have never engaged in political dialogue, decide Facebook is just the right tool for expressing such opinions it seems, I guess, a bit odd and maybe inappropriate. So there you go. If I thought "posting" my objections to abortion would stop the wanton slaughter of innocent children; or my hope that the social and political winds may be changing in favor of another shot at Prohibition to at least lessen to 10's of thousands of lives we seem willing to sacrifice so we can have that oh-so-great feeling of not feeling; or how about the government forcing all swimming pool owners to fill their pools in with concrete, which would save far more children's lives then a gun-less United States would; or how about bringing back DDT so we can significantly reduce the number of deaths due to malaria. No, I think I would rather just see that new grandbaby take his or her first steps. I'm just not willing to wade through all the crap to get there. Sorry.
