It Just Made Me Mad!

 I don't like to post anything on FB about politics.  I just don't. I don't want to argue.  I don't want to be told I am wrong in my way of thinking.   I would be open to discussion with equal time for listening and explaining.  But too often the discussion ends up being one sided, and I am told I am wrong.  If I do state my opinion or ask a legitimate question, the response often begins with "But....." followed by a lengthy explanation of how wrong I am or facts that would dispute what I have stated.  

I don't listen to the news either, and that is probably wrong of me.  I know I need to be informed, but just the thought of watching what is happening in the United States right now turns my stomach and starts the feelings of anxiety coursing through my body.  If I don't have to watch it or listen to it, I won't.  

But today, a former colleague from the college shared a post from the guy who runs FB about how Trump was going to be blocked from posting anything on FB and also on Instagram.  I learned later that he had been banned from Twitter also.  First of all, I don't care who you are or what you are saying, there is an amendment to the Constitution which protects Freedom of Speech.   Banning someone from FB, Instagram, and Twitter is just wrong.  

Then the former colleague added 'Any comments supporting Trump will be deleted.'  

That made me mad.

Why?  While I understand that your post is your post and you can delete comments if you want to, by specifically stating this is  saying that if someone has a different opinion, that person is wrong and has no right to express that opinion.  

I don't usually respond to posts like this, but the more I thought about it, the madder I became.  

I returned to the original shared post.  I saw there were two comments, but I couldn't see them.   I wrote something to this effect:  Question....If someone has an opinion different than yours or the ones stated here, then that person is wrong and his comment will be removed, correct?  I was wondering because if my opinion is different than that of family or friends, we usually talk about it and then agree to disagree.  But that isn't the case here?  If the post is removed because you don't agree with the comment, isn't that a violation of freedom of speech?

I posted it and continued to pack away Christmas decor.  Probably 30 minutes later I checked back.  There were now three comments, but none of them were visible.  So either my comment had been removed or it was hidden.  

My next step---I blocked the person.  I  should have unfriended, but I didn't.  Maybe when I felt better or cooled off I would return to the FB page because I did have a good relationship with the person while we were both teaching in Logansport and I did care about his family and like to see the news about them.  

However, when I returned to look at the FB page, I couldn't find it.  I guess I have been blocked too.  Just because I asked why someone couldn't disagree?  Because I asked about Freedom of Speech?  I didn't mention Trump or Biden or Pence or riots or tweets or tear gas or anything like that.  I just asked two questions.  Why can someone not express a difference of opinion and what happened to freedom of speech.  

Interesting, isn't it?

Well, I got that out of my system.   Back to posting only about family and the copies of the pages of my Jesus Calling book.  So far, those have been safe.