How infuriating.
Every once in a while it gets to me.
Today is one of those days.
Someone posted this:
And I freakin wanted to go off.
I first try to scroll past, and let it go, and chalk it up to where they live and not having anyone to actually argue with about facts and opinions and real life beyond just their bubble.
But then I come back, and I start typing up a response... then I think better of it "trolls! trolls! trolls!!!!!"
So I open up a direct message.
Then I close the direct message.
And now, just re-reading this, and the stupid tag line underneath it: "Jobs" get in the way of conservatives protesting.
And it makes me so mad.
It makes me have those mad tingles all over my arms and sort of makes me twitch a little.
It's moments like these that make me HATE facebook. And make me really wish there was a way to debate and search TOGETHER about the truths or falsities in these stupid memes.
Ahh, I should go do some yoga, or watch gilmore girls, or something less infuriating than this.
Which is why I'm here! It really does help to have a place to put all these words and feelings. For whatever reason it helps me get over things.
So HERE is what I would have said:
You and I think way differently on this, BUT, protesting is a really important part of our freedom of speech. The ability and freedom to protest an event and stand up for something you think is unjust/wrong/hateful has been a HUGE reason why there is change. Specifically for you and I, why we as women are allowed to vote, and have rights, and be able to work in good conditions and be seen closer to equals of our male counterparts. And you KNOW there were so many men who rolled their eyes at those women protestors. Who spat at them, who called them trash, and told them to go home and make a meal for their husbands. [Even after all the years and laws and advances, those men STILL exist].
Of course there are going to be protestors who are doing things for good, and protestors who are doing things for bad [see the terrible Westboro Baptist church that protests military funerals]. But it's a right. A right that changes our country. A right that is necessary so that evil doesn't get to reign.
Also, 'tolerance' and 'protesting' are two different things. Tolerance for differences and different opinions does NOT mean that when there is an injustice we sit back and just 'tolerate' it. Tolerating a muslim in the USA is not the same thing as sitting by and tolerating a man raping a woman, or strangling a kid. And I know it's my opinion, but tolerance for hate from any of those listed republicans above, is NOT something we should sit back and let go on by as just a 'they're different than us' kind of tolerance.
Can you imagine a trump supporter or group of supporters at a Bernie Sanders rally? What would they say? "Build a wall! Build a wall!" Or, "kill all muslims"?
I think "stop the hate" [what protesters chanted at a trump rally in St. Louis], is a far different cry than ANYTHING the trump supporters would chant.
Okay, I wasn't going to say all that, really just the first two paragraphs and maybe I would have touched somehow on the third paragraph.
I keep thinking back to my time in Germany, after high school. I was watching a bride and groom with my cousin, and she introduced me to this older guy and said I was from the US, and one of the first things he wanted to talk about was the Bill and Monica scandal. And of course, all I could do was shake my head in shame.
I feel like if we go to Europe this year, and we have conversations with Europeans, the trump fiasco will be a talking point, and I'll have to shake my head and try to translate "embarrassing" and "hateful man".
I've never done much political volunteerism, but this might be the year I volunteer to drive people to the polls. I NEED to believe that we'll elect someone good and moral into office instead of a hate-filled, race-war-wanting, terrible human being.
-mrp-
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