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Ear to the Ground on Facebook!
Much on my mind, as we muddle through this post-fact, post-truth, post-decorum, post-civility, post-shared humanity, post-(you-name-it) world. Look, corrupt politicians are nothing new. But, it does seem like in the past, there was at least some effort to conceal that corruption and often when it was exposed, it had real consequences. Nowadays, it seems like corruption is worn like a badge of honor, and it is at best denied or at worst accepted.
Also thinking about social media and Facebook in particular. People tend to use this platform in many different ways. I still contend that all technology is neutral, that is only through man's use of the technology that it becomes good or evil. That being said, I have friends who use Facebook solely to share political posts, those who use it (almost) exclusively to promote their music, those who post humorous posts, those who post pictures of children, grandchildren, or pets, etc. I think all of those are fine. There is, though, one phenomenon that I just don't get.... There are some people who feel th need to chime in and comment on things that really don't have any thing to do with them. I'll give a hypothetical example: A friend posts something on my wall that is basically on inside joke or a reference that makes sense to only a small group of people. Some people will jump in and make irrelevant comments. Another example, a celebrity passes away, and people are posting remembrances of that person and what they and/or their work meant to them. There is always that person who feels the need to add either by comment or post, "Eh, I never was a fan" or "I don't know who that is but...." I guess it's a pet peeve of mine, but if a post doesn't directly address you or you have nothing meaningful to add, then just let it go.
To be honest, the only time I have "un-friended" AND blocked someone was for this very thing. They were a friend who I had not really interacted with at all for several years. Someone important to me made a heartfelt post about something and this person (who did not know the original poster at all) jumped in and made a totally insensitive comment basically discounting the original poster's experience. Since I was the only link between the original poster and the person making the comment, I felt responsible for their behavior and so I deleted them as a friend and blocked them.
There is something maybe important in all my ranting, but I'm not sure what it is... something about how divided we are as a nation and the amount of incivility that exists in that divide....
Well, it's Monday when we jump in with our Music City Monday shuffle - songs with some connection to Nashville, Tennessee....
