The years of the Trump administration were a real trial for me. It appeared that civility had broken down totally, starting at the top. I often had to withdraw from watching the news to make it though the day. The hardest thing for me to deal with now as then is the mean-spirited barbs flung around at folks whose political views are and were different. This happened on the Left as well as the Right.
One example is an erstwhile friend who took to posting photo shopped images of President Trump. Although I was and am moderate to left leaning, I was deeply offended by them. The friend took to sniping at Facebook posts of Right wing politicians until she was banned for multiple infractions of FB rules. I asked her not to send me any more political commentary.
Then this week, a friend who recently moved to Texas to escape the Liberal politics of California posted a photo shopped image of President Biden which I found really offensive. I had observed her gradual shift to far right politics for a number of years and have decided not to reply to any of her Facebook posts that annoy me. I won’t ever change her mind on these issues.
This brings to mind the difficulties of talking to folks with extreme views. Voices of moderates have been drowned out by insults, lies and excuses. I realize I tend to live in a bubble of like-minded friends who don’t really engage in political dialogue. That is a real shame. Nothing is solved by sitting out these issues. I’ve been working with others to urge people to vote in various elections, but not in telling them who to vote for. I’ve sent hundreds of postcards to voters in key states when it looks like critical issues are at stake.
Meanwhile, I’ll try to decide if I should engage with these friends whose political views I find extreme or uncivil.
— Oxnard15
One example is an erstwhile friend who took to posting photo shopped images of President Trump. Although I was and am moderate to left leaning, I was deeply offended by them. The friend took to sniping at Facebook posts of Right wing politicians until she was banned for multiple infractions of FB rules. I asked her not to send me any more political commentary.
Then this week, a friend who recently moved to Texas to escape the Liberal politics of California posted a photo shopped image of President Biden which I found really offensive. I had observed her gradual shift to far right politics for a number of years and have decided not to reply to any of her Facebook posts that annoy me. I won’t ever change her mind on these issues.
This brings to mind the difficulties of talking to folks with extreme views. Voices of moderates have been drowned out by insults, lies and excuses. I realize I tend to live in a bubble of like-minded friends who don’t really engage in political dialogue. That is a real shame. Nothing is solved by sitting out these issues. I’ve been working with others to urge people to vote in various elections, but not in telling them who to vote for. I’ve sent hundreds of postcards to voters in key states when it looks like critical issues are at stake.
Meanwhile, I’ll try to decide if I should engage with these friends whose political views I find extreme or uncivil.
— Oxnard15
My heart's with you on this. I have sat back on conversations with Trump people. I can say, "they cannot be persuaded," but I know neither can I. We are hard stop rock and a hard place. I don't see a way out. Do you? Okay. Global catastrophe, but nothing short of that ...
ReplyDeleteThe 30 day snooze option on FB is my life saver.
ReplyDeleteI gave up pushing back at people on Facebook long ago. I would get in too much trouble. I do not argue well. Fortunately, I know so many of my FB friends in real life that we can keep comments to our own small lives and events. I listen to podcasts for corroboration of my political opinions. I am more than just "left leaning." But there's not much I can do about it here in Alabama. Sounds like you've had spurts of activism. Thank you for that! (Macoff)
ReplyDelete