The President was acquitted. So be it. Some say it’s the end of an absurdity and of a farce. Others say the outcome was a farce. To me, it doesn’t matter. It happened; it’s over; move on.
None of this is the point of this post, however. I have social media and personal friends on all sides of the political spectrum. Some love the President. Some hate the President. Some couldn’t care less. So be it. That’s their right. If they have a social media page, it’s their right to post on it whatever they want. It’s no different than writing a letter to the editor in a newspaper, or posting on a blog.
If what I post clogs up your news feed with things you don’t agree with, it’s not my job to limit what I post so as not to upset or to offend you. It’s up to you to either scroll past it, or to unfollow it.
All throughout the day, I see a lot of people threatening to block others over political posts. I read news pages where people are lashing out at others they don’t know in the comments. Clearly, they are saying things on social media that they wouldn’t say to someone’s face.
I see people who seem to take great joy in blocking/unfriending/unfollowing others, and who seem almost disappointed if they don’t get to do it enough. Threats are made. People are in some cases even being singled out by name. So be it if that’s what makes you happy. I really couldn’t care less. The attitude of many seems to be, “If that’s how you feel, I don’t need you anyway.” Well, that’s my thought as well.
If you’re willing to give up friendships over social media posts, maybe the friendships weren’t that strong to begin with. Telling others what they can or cannot post on social media so as not to offend you doesn’t make you stronger. It shows intolerance.
If you don’t like it, scroll on or unfollow. If you decide to block or unfriend, do it and move on; don’t do it, use it as a status symbol, and brag.
I see history posts, hobbies, etc that I don’t like, and I move on. I don’t tell people not to post them.
I see political posts I don’t agree with. I move on.
I see posts criticizing hobbies I like, sports teams I like, or athletes I like, and I don’t care. We don’t all think alike. We all don’t like the same people or the same things. That’s what makes us unique. Sometimes I read them. Sometimes I move on.
I see posts promoting or singing the praises of sports teams that I despise, or athletes I don’t like, and I don’t care. Sometimes I read them. Most times I move on. It’s your page, your wall. Post what makes you happy.
No one posts on social media to fill your newsfeed with things you don’t like. They post things they like that sometimes show up in your newsfeed. That’s how it works. They aren’t doing anything wrong. They have the right to use social media as they see fit, just as you do.
If you don’t like what’s on tv, you turn the channel. If you don’t like what’s on social media, scroll on by. It’s simple. It doesn’t have to be used to cause hatred or divisiveness. It should be used to do whatever makes you happy.
Just as I don’t have a right to tell you what to post, you don’t have a right to tell me what not to post. To borrow a saying from a friend, “My page! My rules!” We all should remember that. Most importantly, we all should remember tolerance and diversity. We also all should remember what is most important.
If you see yourself in any of what I have posted here, maybe you should step away from the mirror, try to fix what troubles you, and look again. Most likely, however, you’ll just cry foul and unfollow or unfriend.
