So That's What You're Going With?

At times it takes all of my self control not to just get snarky with people. Just trash them. Trash their posts, trash their timelines, trash their opinions, trash their little small minds. It's hard.

But I try to remind myself of what I'm trying to accomplish out in the world. And usually I'm trying to make someone think about an opinion in a different way and once you start snarking that's it. Any chance at reaching them is over. Even if it's snarking at other people around them. 

For instance...(you knew there was a for instance, you aren't new here) A friend of mine made a post yesterday that was uncharacteristic for him. It was frankly small minded and nasty. I asked him for clarity and then kept on with the discussion. Now this post happened to be about education (ostensibly) but was actually about LGBTQ+ bigotry.

In the course of the posts of our discussion his more conservative friends joined in. I got a few laughing reactions. Which is always interesting. I mean, I know it's supposed to mark how absurd you are to them and how dismissive of you they are but it always strikes me as, That's the best you've got? You can't make a rational point so you laugh at mine? Okay... 

Then there was the one where the woman commented under mine that she tuned out after the 19th paragraph. Letting me know that the fact that my response to my friend was too long for her. Too much for her to process. On a post about education.

I believe the kids call that a self own. 

And it was all I could take not to point that out. 

But I didn't because I don't care about her. Not really. I don't know her. Though she seems lovely...

I do care about my friend who made the original post and then another post today where we had another bit of discussion. I care about him and making sure he understands why using pronoun use and drag queens as scapegoats is not okay. How you cannot just plug and play with the new Right Wing Scape Goat and have that be okay. Especially when you aren't Right Wing. 

And that is the Right's specialty. Pushing their rhetoric until people think it's just common knowledge. There was so much BS posted in that discussion thread alone that I had to go bury myself in a copy of The Advocate to clear it all out. 

It makes me crazy. The talking points they've picked up. The soundbite arguments that they some how think are mic drop moments. The mis and dis information that keeps getting churned out. 

But I remind myself that if I can take a few minutes and put something out there that isn't bullshit. That is an actual thought out response instead of a snarky, So that's what you're going with? response maybe just maybe I might change a mind, shift an opinion, make someone think. Make the world a little better. 

But seriously? You can't manage to read a long post about education? 

#54FucksSake