Through the urging of my son Tim and daughter Tracey I decided to give facebook a try. It was fun; there was give and take and an easy entrance into the thoughts and sometimes the lives of other people. I became "friends" with casual acquaintences and often with relative strangers.
I'm not into games, and each time I sent a flower or a valentine or something I felt like I was opening my private world to whomever would happen to stop by. In fairness there are blocks but I used very few of them. I wan't posting anything I shouldn't so why should I? AND Facebook is much more instant conversation than email, maybe that's why it is called facebook. So where too much was asked I backed off.
But you know, basically I'm a private person and I keep my self revelations on a plane that is comfortable for me. If you and I are going to have an in depth conversation it won't be through facebook and not even email. My revelations may have been news to some but to me they were quite safe.
Then, as my world of "friends" expanded, I quickly was taken out of my confort zone. Just for backgrouind, I served in the Military, I know and have used most of the language that is possible. I have been to the hot spots and, well this is not confession time, but I guess I want to say is that I have lived outside of the Church. The other thing to note is that I truly represent my era. Much as I think I am modern in my thought process I have a filter that everything passes through.
So after awhile on facebook and after the expanding of my circle of friends, I entered into the lives of folks who live outside my inhibitions. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I have seen posted pictures whose message is offensive to me. I have also read notes written by educated people using language that as a military person I would never use outside of the barracks. I guess in my naivite I expected folks to have some self respect and most do. But I have seen enough and read enough to tell me this is territory that will not do me any good.
Tim, the one who got me on facebook, has a saying, "TMI" it means too much information. Facebook has too much information for me - rather than destroy my respect or love for folks who may reqret their actions later, I choose to retrench and fight the battle of email. That is my choice for me, not for anyone else. I guess it it my "don't ask don't tell policy."
A House Divided
President Lincoln, in the run up to the Civil? War, pointed out that a nation could not remain strong if it were half slave and half free. That bloody war settled the question of slavery but not the question of rascism, nor the question of a "house divided."
We live in a nation divided. We arae divided over health concerns, over immigration, over sexuality, over wars and over politics. Normally you might say the debate that is occuring is the sign of a healthy democracy. I think it has gone beyond that. For a true debate to occur there must be a civility between the debaters; rules of conversation must be followed and a reasonable end or at least an agreement to disagree must be in place. In the debate arena for any of the above questions we have long passed the point of civil discourse.
The conversation taking place on C Span is filled with half truths and political posturing. Emails are flooded with outright lies and well orchestrated smear campaigns. For at least the past ten years this nation has engaged in attempted political suicide as any one in a position of leadership is tarred and feathered through the media of radio, TV and the internet. It truly needs to stop. We are becoming an armed and dangerous mob.
When I last looked, each member of congress and each member of the current administration took an oath to up hold the constitution, to follow the law of the land and to lead as best as his or her constituents would permit. So how does it happen that bills which haven't been studied are either passed or opposed? How does it happen that extraneous amendments having no purpose for the legislation are tacked onto bills and hidden as they pass through congress?
Sadly, from my perspective, the issue is unmitigated greed. Those that have want more and those who haven't want some. In the meantime, congress squabbles and the administration fails to paint a vision the nation will follow.
We are a divided house. The question then becomes "How long can we stand?" I think it is time:
1. For people of faith to pray for their government
2. For voters to study the issues and make their voice heard.
3. For politicians to vote their conscience and not their party.
4. For debates to be strong, open and without backdoor deals.
5. For the media to separate commentary from news.
During WWII there was a rallying cry, "Let's remember Pearl Harbor" could our new cry be "Let's remember the UNITED States."
We live in a nation divided. We arae divided over health concerns, over immigration, over sexuality, over wars and over politics. Normally you might say the debate that is occuring is the sign of a healthy democracy. I think it has gone beyond that. For a true debate to occur there must be a civility between the debaters; rules of conversation must be followed and a reasonable end or at least an agreement to disagree must be in place. In the debate arena for any of the above questions we have long passed the point of civil discourse.
The conversation taking place on C Span is filled with half truths and political posturing. Emails are flooded with outright lies and well orchestrated smear campaigns. For at least the past ten years this nation has engaged in attempted political suicide as any one in a position of leadership is tarred and feathered through the media of radio, TV and the internet. It truly needs to stop. We are becoming an armed and dangerous mob.
When I last looked, each member of congress and each member of the current administration took an oath to up hold the constitution, to follow the law of the land and to lead as best as his or her constituents would permit. So how does it happen that bills which haven't been studied are either passed or opposed? How does it happen that extraneous amendments having no purpose for the legislation are tacked onto bills and hidden as they pass through congress?
Sadly, from my perspective, the issue is unmitigated greed. Those that have want more and those who haven't want some. In the meantime, congress squabbles and the administration fails to paint a vision the nation will follow.
We are a divided house. The question then becomes "How long can we stand?" I think it is time:
1. For people of faith to pray for their government
2. For voters to study the issues and make their voice heard.
3. For politicians to vote their conscience and not their party.
4. For debates to be strong, open and without backdoor deals.
5. For the media to separate commentary from news.
During WWII there was a rallying cry, "Let's remember Pearl Harbor" could our new cry be "Let's remember the UNITED States."
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