Before I go any further, I want to make a few things very clear. First of all, I am not tied to any politician or political party, nor do I have any financial stake in the immediate outcome of the presidential election (though I would argue we all have one in the long term). These are my opinions, on my blog, and I share them freely in the spirit of love, friendship, and truth. I am not seeking an argument or debate. This is not intended to promote any particular party or candidate.
I am a largely undecided voter.
Now, I want to start by saying that I have had the unfortunate chore of eliminating and blocking several people from my Facebook list because of unnecessary comments made around the politics and candidates making headlines. I've had to stop hanging around some friends and even family members because they have become, honestly, quite obnoxious. I have tried to remain quiet about it, tolerate it, and ignore it. But the truth is that my patience is wearing thin and I just can't take much more. I thought about just staying away from Facebook altogether, and I do feel that Facebook is where the majority of the issues seem to start - everything from "like this picture if you think Romney is a fraud" to "share this picture if you believe Obama is trying to sell Americans to Iraq" - but Facebook is one of the tools that keeps my family informed, being that we are all spread out around the world.
I think it is critical for anyone who has the right to vote to do so as an informed citizen. In the digital age, information is available everywhere. And the Internet can be a very useful tool. But it is also a political mine field, if you don't know how to navigate fact from crap. So much of what I see sprayed all over Facebook is simply manufactured, based on trashing the opponent instead of building up their own campaign or party. And thus, the rumor mill is perpetuated and lies are spread like a cold virus. It is important to get information - real, good, solid information - from a reliable source. If you go looking for dirt on Obama on an ultra-conservative website, you will surely find it. And if you're asking liberals to bash Romney, I'm sure they will gladly oblige. Know your source, and make sure that what you're reading and absorbing is fact, not fiction.
Let's clear the air. Some of the worst comments made on Facebook involve the following:
Romney doesn't have multiple wives, and to my knowledge, he's not seeking to allow for that to be legal, either. I'm not really sure where this came from, but I did see it recently on Facebook. Ridiculous. I guess someone has seen a few too many episodes of Sister Wives.
President Obama is not a Muslim, just in case you were wondering. I know the rumors were flying like crazy about this, but it's just not true. The President himself said it wasn't true. I guess you could argue that he could be lying, but why? And what if he was Muslim? Why is that an issue? Our country is founded on the belief that everyone is welcome to worship who and how they choose. It most literally is the reason we even exist! Furthermore, to say that all Muslims want to kill America is absurd. Muslim extremists have made a name for themselves in this arena, but I cannot underscore the word extremists enough. Extremists from all religious and cultural backgrounds make problems around the world - hence the word extreme. Remember The Crusades? Yeah, us "Christians" aren't immune from the violence, either. But I digress.
Romney never said anything about dodging service in Vietnam because he had a "greater purpose" in life. Hoax. Subscribe to snopes.com or factcheck.org. He never said anything of the kind. He was in college at the time of Vietnam and had deferments. His last deferment would have expired in 1970, but was given a very high draft number and was therefore never called upon to serve.
The democrats are not trying to take all of your guns away. That's ridiculous. We have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Keep that thing holstered. Nothing to get excited about just yet. And if it ever does look like "gun control" gets out of control, come on down to Texas where we still reserve the right to succeed and once again become the Republic of Texas. I promise no one is taking guns outta this place.
And Romney didn't get away with not paying any taxes. Ever. Seriously. I'm done talking about this.
And the worst of all the offenses is the rumor that President Obama is trying to somehow sabotage the United States and deliver us into the hands of Iran. I'm guessing this is also because he is the anti-Christ. Ugh. Really? We really need to get into this discussion again?
Look, the bottom line is that both candidates have their good points and their bad ones. Both parties have their faults and failures. No one party is a clear winner for all Americans. That is why we have this fantastic thing called the right to vote. If you feel strongly that one candidate or another is the right choice for you, I highly suggest you exercise your right and cast a ballot. Let your vote be your voice. Speak through the polls, and keep Facebook friendly.
No comments:
Post a Comment