My goal at the outset of this blog was to attract readers, whichever side of an issue they might be on, who would engage in debate or otherwise add to the discussion. With few exceptions, that has not happened. What has happened is that I have found an outlet to air my displeasure with certain things I've encounterd over the years. The fact that few, if any, read most of my posts has served to some degree as a damper on my level of enthusiasm in my writing. Knowing no one might even read my post causes me to look deeper into my thoughts and attitudes toward things, and hopefully resulted in a clearer presentation with fewer emotional outbursts; not that emotional outbursts are all bad.
We all hear what we want to hear, to some degree, and two people listening to the same speech can come away with totally different views on what was actually said (or written). Certainly, the tone and choice of words in a speech can give clues to the speechmaker's true feelings on an issue, but care has to be taken to not to put feelings into the speakers words that were not really there, but rather what our own feelings lead us to believe were there.
I think a great deal of the criticism of Trump is based on the message perceived by those criticizing him rather than the message he actually delivered. He says he want to remove illegal aliens from the country, and many hear, "I hate Mexicans". He says some woman is fat, or ugly, and they hear, "I hate women." He says he wants to repeal Obamacare, and they hear, "I don't care about the healthcare of poor people."
This is not only untrue, but it is unfair, and fairness is often the rallying cry of the left. They say it's not fair that rich people are taxed the same as the rest of us. They say it's not fair that a higher percentage of minorities are in jail than of whites. They say it's not fair that some people can afford health insurance and others can't.
When they say those things, I don't respond by saying they hate rich people, or they hate white people. I realize they have a different philosophy. As long as they confine their arguments to philosophical and logical ideas, I have no problem if they disagee with me. When they start the name calling, and projecting their own words and feelings on those with whom they disagree, and twisting the words and facts to their advantage, they are not being fair.
With that realization on my part, I have taken on a goal to avoid falling into that kind of behavior (as best I can), and I will no longer take part in their tit for tat insult competitions. I will simply cease to recognize them, period.
The one place I do have readers, is on the LincolnJournalStar web page when I make comments about their ariticles, editorials, or letters to the editor. That is where I am beginning to implement my refusal to battle with name calling, emotional, people who refuse to debate anything in a civil and logical manner. If it appears I am ducking their comments or replies, it is because I have blocked them and have no knowledge of what they had to say (and I no longer care).
