Means, Motives, and Opportunities

taykair said:

Correct. I am here.

To which, your response should be: "Then why don't you leave?"

It's a fair question. I don't know why. Just plain. old stubbornness, I guess.

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sayak83 said:

You may be participating in the wrong forum sections? I find this place nice and soothing.

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taykair said:

Not participating in those "evil leftists" vs. "ignorant right-wingers" sections. Only observing.

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taykair said:

At times, I feel sad for the Facebook Warriors who fancy themselves as either patriotic militiamen or as members of a resistance movement. Do they really feel that their words, their rants, their online diatribes actually help to secure those goals which they claim to want to attain? Do they ignore the good which can be found in those whom they oppose, and only listen to the heroic music playing in their heads as they "battle against the evil empire"?

What motivates them, I wonder? Do they truly believe that their mud slinging and name calling is somehow making the world a better place in which to live? Does saying "make America great again" (again and again) truly make them great? Or is it merely the last gasp of a dying empire? Does chanting "no justice, no peace" bring about either justice or peace? Or is it just another way of saying "give us what we want or we'll burn the place down"?

Or is it simply the fact that pecking out letters on a keyboard is much easier than volunteering at a local soup kitchen? Is it more ego-rewarding to be applauded by our online comrades for railing against the "evil leftists" or by calling for President Trump's impeachment (or his head on a platter) than it is to help someone living just down the road from us?

I can hear the objections.

"I'm a volunteer at my local fire department," they say, "but I also write letters to the editor in support of the President."

"I help out folks at a local homeless shelter," they say, "but I also compose posts which oppose the President."

And I would say that the first parts of your statements are commendable, but the latter parts only prove that you have time on your hands that is wasted - opportunities which are trashed in favor of receiving "likes" for your latest non-accomplishments.

Forgive me for ranting. I have become sick with what we are becoming. Or have already become.

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sayak83 said:

I have absolute indifference to such things. Why waste time in things that create unnecessary turbulence of mind?

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ChristineM said:

The pen is mightier than the sword...

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taykair said:

...unless you're actually in a swordfight. If you are, then no amount of ink will save you.

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ChristineM said:

Far more pens than swords.

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taykair said:

No, I haven't. (I assume you're speaking of real sword fighting, and not the kind of thing that some adolescent males do in the shower after gym class.)

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ChristineM said:

Do adolescents fence in the shower .

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