What I didn't do is check the source of the post. My bro had shared it from the page of "Taking America Back", so when I shared it, the newsfeed said "Marcus shared Taking America Back's photo." The first comment under the e-card on my timeline was "I'm surprised that you shared this," going on to point out the link to the page that was pretty much nothing but anti-democratic and anti-Obama negativity.
This reminded me of one of the issues that led me to start a political blog. It's not one of the legislative matters, but more an issue with the perceptions we have of each other based on politics. It wasn't that long ago that people were ending friendships over whom they were voting for. Whether, "unfriending" on facebook, or actually cutting people out of their lives, this seemed a bit drastic. But the basis was, "If you're voting for Obama, you want me to pay to support lazy people" or "If you're voting for Romney, you don't think I deserve the same rights as you."
I've found myself in a strange place. Since I am gay and pagan, people seem to assume that I am a fully fledged Democrat. I'm not. And no, even though I hold some conservative viewpoints, I am not a Log Cabin Republican either. Election decisions are tough for me, because I seem to be voting for the candidate I disagree with least. True, there are options, and I have been known to support 3rd party candidates, if for no other reason than to send a message.
In writing this blog, I am hoping to shore up some of my positions on fiscal issues, a broader band of Civil Rights issues, Religion, and more importantly, what everyone, not just the government, can do about the mess we're all in. I guess I will also start paying attention to the effect of media, including social media. If agreeing with one statement can unintentionally signal support for a group of hate mongering discontents, I guess I need to pay more attention whom I'm agreeing with.
This reminded me of one of the issues that led me to start a political blog. It's not one of the legislative matters, but more an issue with the perceptions we have of each other based on politics. It wasn't that long ago that people were ending friendships over whom they were voting for. Whether, "unfriending" on facebook, or actually cutting people out of their lives, this seemed a bit drastic. But the basis was, "If you're voting for Obama, you want me to pay to support lazy people" or "If you're voting for Romney, you don't think I deserve the same rights as you."
I've found myself in a strange place. Since I am gay and pagan, people seem to assume that I am a fully fledged Democrat. I'm not. And no, even though I hold some conservative viewpoints, I am not a Log Cabin Republican either. Election decisions are tough for me, because I seem to be voting for the candidate I disagree with least. True, there are options, and I have been known to support 3rd party candidates, if for no other reason than to send a message.
In writing this blog, I am hoping to shore up some of my positions on fiscal issues, a broader band of Civil Rights issues, Religion, and more importantly, what everyone, not just the government, can do about the mess we're all in. I guess I will also start paying attention to the effect of media, including social media. If agreeing with one statement can unintentionally signal support for a group of hate mongering discontents, I guess I need to pay more attention whom I'm agreeing with.
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