Yet I still want someone to read this. I want someone to read this and say "I feel you," "I've been there," "I whole-heatedly agree."
Please read this all the way through. No offense, but if you don't have nice things to say, please go away. My being in the lack of mood for criticism is why I'm writing this.
I'm so sick and tired of being picked on on the internet. No, I'm not cyber bullied. My issue is that I'm friends with a myriad of people. I'm an American who has friends in Japan, Australia, England, and Canada. I'm a Christian who has atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, Mormon and Jewish friends. I'm a Republican (conservative) who has Democrat (liberal) tea party, Eco party, etc friends. I'm pro-life with pro-choice and "none-of-my-business" friends. I'm straight and against gay marriage and I have LGBTA friends. Heck, I'm an animal loving carnivore (yes, you can be both) with vegan because they're animal rights activists friends.
I know people who block from their timelines the people who don't agree with their standpoint. That way they don't start arguments or "feel offended" over someone else's post. Most of my friends live in America, so we have a right to free speech. Free speech should mean you have the opportunity to say the right thing, but instead, our country has come to believe that means freedom to say whatever the heck you want and throwing expletives in your sentences and arguments the way a Mediterranean man uses salt in a recipe.
Anyways. Free speech. So when my friends post pictures or statuses about how they feel about something or sharing an article they agree with, they are using their 1st Amendment to the Constitution; they are utilizing their free speech. Normally I don't start arguments or debates or as I like to call them, "adult conversations." Seriously. An adult has to be able to be mature enough for a debate. Not everyone is going to agree with you. Be prepared for them to know what they're talking about. Be prepared to fight back. It's what life is about or else we all become complacive zombies. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
What makes me mad is whensituations like this happen, and somehow, it happens quite frequently for me.
A friend posts a picture against abortion. She gets 40 likes and 30 comments all along the lines of "amen" "save the babies" "I wish abortion didn't exist" etc.
***I'm REALLY not trying to start an abortion discussion right now, but I'm using this as an example because this is one topic that strikes a chord for me.
So then I share the picture and get 7 likes and it starts a string of comments "you don't even understand" "what if she was raped?" "It's a woman's body, let her choose what to do with it" etc
So I start my rebuttals. "I do understand. I understand I've done my research. I've interviewed people who've had abortions. They ALL regret it" "there's a thing called adoption. Thousands of couples (not even gay couples, just couples) are infertile. You giving up your baby gives them a chance at parenthood because the wait list to get a child from another country is high risk and many parents don't want them" "if you want to "choose" what to do with your body, then you MUST think about consequences. Wear a condom. Go on birth control. Or just choose to keep your legs shut. You are a woman and you know that opening up yourself to a man you aren't married to means you will become attached and then you will be even more heart-broken when you break up. Why choose to put yourself through that?"
I really could go on but I'll stop the pros and cons here. I've had similar conversations with so many people.
I've had similar intensity debates with different subjects with different people.
Somehow even though the person I "shared" it from had all of her supporters, whenever it comes down to the nitty-gritty and fighting for what's right. Having the freedom to say what I feel is right. All of my supporters are no where to be found. Whether the topic is abortion, pollution, gasoline alternatives, hunting, bullying. My supporters are no where to be found.
And every time, the conversation gets to a point, especially because it's usually with a person with whom we have high mutual respect and love for each other, that the other person says, "let's just agree to disagree" or "can't we both be right?"
Now, I'm not a mean person. Really I'm not. But I've grown very strong in my faith lately and I've come to realize because of my faith that truth is black and white. "Agree to disagree" and "let's both be right" are gray areas and blurred lines. Truth does not have blurred lines.
I'm not saying I'm God. I'm not saying I'm right all the time. But we can't just sit back and allow people to blur the lines. Someone has to be right. If you can prove me wrong, I am totally ok with being wrong. Being wrong and admitting I am wrong means I will and can learn. But walking away from the conversation, blurring the line, and asking for a gray area does not allow for error. It is humanity's way of always needing to be right.
Yes, it is super frustrating when you KNOW you are right but the other person isn't backing down. It's so hard. But that's why we can't just sit back and watch people disagree. We have to fight for what we believe in. We have to stand up for truth.
If you see me expressing myself on social media and I'm in the middle of an "adult conversation," please interject with your support. I may seem like I've got the situation handled. But behind the screen, I become so weary. I need someone to stand with me.
Also, if you are someone who has been on the other end of an adult conversation with me. I don't hate you in any way. I don't have any less respect or love for you. I hope this is an explanation as to why I am so passionate over my opinion. I do not apologize for what I believe. But I apologize if anything I have ever said to you during a discussion has ever hurt your feelings.
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