Checking Out

[45and47]

My kids are freaked out because there are cops at my school. There's a dead kid at the high school who was bullied for being trans. That I'm angry is not unhinged. That you don't care about other people doesn't mean that I'm wrong.

Prayers to your kids and the school.

 

[HeelingAg]

Homeowner’s insurance is an interesting subject , let’s allow Florida to finish their experiment without the rest of us tainting the results.

Ttump will bail out all of his preferred people. If the west coast has a massive earthquake, however, he’ll let people die in masses.

 

[BlooVooDoo]

I wouldn’t follow this advice. At some point we have to get along with 51% of the country. Hating someone because of how they voted is not really in anyone’s self-interest. It may feel better for a time, but will only contribute to isolation and anger. They aren’t worth sacrificing your soul over. Be nice to everyone.

Wanting them to get exactly what Trump promised isn’t hate. It’s a lesson and a necessary step for things to move forward. It’s easier to save a drowning victim who’s already inhaled enough water to pass out and stop flailing about.

 

[superrific]

Prayers to your kids and the school.

I don't want your fucking prayers. I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years. You know, the days when a person who tweets "your body, my choice" would receive universal condemnation, not a personal audience the president. The days in which the president did not call the country a garbage can, or demonize huge groups of people as subhuman or gene pool polluters. I want a return to the days when our politicians did not invite terrorism upon towns just because there were dark skinned immigrants there.

I want a return to the days when a person who said he wants to drag liberal bodies through the streets would be immediately DQed from any political post, especially AG. When bullying gay people and trans people was not official state policy. When we tried to teach the actual history of the country instead of conservative propaganda. When people like Mike Flynn would be jettisoned forever, not invited into the inner circle. When our presidents were not felons.

I don't think my expectations are too high, but alas.

What I do not want are your fucking prayers. I can pray to God myself. I'm quite sure your God and mine are not the same.

 

[45and47]

I don't want your fucking prayers. I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years. You know, the days when a person who tweets "your body, my choice" would receive universal condemnation, not a personal audience the president. The days in which the president did not call the country a garbage can, or demonize huge groups of people as subhuman or gene pool polluters. I want a return to the days when our politicians did not invite terrorism upon towns just because there were dark skinned immigrants there.

I want a return to the days when a person who said he wants to drag liberal bodies through the streets would be immediately DQed from any political post, especially AG. When bullying gay people and trans people was not official state policy. When we tried to teach the actual history of the country instead of conservative propaganda. When people like Mike Flynn would be jettisoned forever, not invited into the inner circle. When our presidents were not felons.

I don't think my expectations are too high, but alas.

What I do not want are your fucking prayers. I can pray to God myself. I'm quite sure your God and mine are not the same.

Ok lil buddy hang in there.

 

[Centerpiece]

I know no one cares but I’m using this forum to put some thoughts out to the universe. So please excuse my rant.

I’m checking out on politics and those things outside my realm of control that don’t bring me any joy or happiness.
At the same time I’m checking in on things that make me happy. Things like my family, a good book, my dog, a good cigar, a tasty meal, traveling, appreciating nature, another UNC win over dook, and the many other small , important things that make life meaningful.

Eff politics, politicians, and all the incessant noise they produce. It’s all net negative even in better times.

I feel sad for those who are suffering at the hands of the hate mongers. My part in combating this will be to simply be kind.

The country made its choice. There’s no sugar coating it. With that I’ve found a place of resignation, peace, and even a strange sense of relief.

Life is too short to get consumed by it. What will be will be.

I’ll see you on the off topics board!

Go Heels!

Yes indeed. This goes along with my Spike Lee thread: Do the Right Thing. I’m with you and the cool cats

 

[ZenMode]

I don't want your fucking prayers. I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years. You know, the days when a person who tweets "your body, my choice" would receive universal condemnation, not a personal audience the president. The days in which the president did not call the country a garbage can, or demonize huge groups of people as subhuman or gene pool polluters. I want a return to the days when our politicians did not invite terrorism upon towns just because there were dark skinned immigrants there.

I want a return to the days when a person who said he wants to drag liberal bodies through the streets would be immediately DQed from any political post, especially AG. When bullying gay people and trans people was not official state policy. When we tried to teach the actual history of the country instead of conservative propaganda. When people like Mike Flynn would be jettisoned forever, not invited into the inner circle. When our presidents were not felons.

I don't think my expectations are too high, but alas.

What I do not want are your fucking prayers. I can pray to God myself. I'm quite sure your God and mine are not the same.

"I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years"

It's a good thing Democrats didn't spend the better part of a decade+ calling half the country racist for wanting a secure border or believing that all lives, not just blacks lives, have value, homophobic for (wrongly) trying to keep a religious event (marriage) for only straight people, calling half the country deplorable and garbage, xenophobic for being scared that people illegally crossing the border might take their jobs and, with it, the ability to provide for their families.

Yah, you crawl up on that throne and preach to those serfs, brother.

I have no idea why Democrats can't get votes against a pile of dog shit like Trump. It's "baffling".

 

[wmheel1287]

"I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years"

It's a good thing Democrats didn't spend the better part of a decade+ calling half the country racist for wanting a secure border or believing that all lives, not just blacks lives, have value, homophobic for (wrongly) trying to keep a religious event (marriage) for only straight people, calling half the country deplorable and garbage, xenophobic for being scared that people illegally crossing the border might take their jobs and, with it, the ability to provide for their families.

Yah, you crawl up on that throne and preach to those serfs, brother.

I have no idea why Democrats can't get votes against a pile of dog shit like Trump. It's baffling.

Since when is marriage strictly religious and more importantly how is it not homophobic to single out that group for denial of a basic right that conveys far more than religious benefits?

 

[wmheel1287]

Please don't check out. That is what they want.

How do you get Orban's Hungary? Answer, you get it when you've demoralized the population enough that they check out.

I can't stress this enough, please don't check out. I mean definitely do whatever self care you need, and no two people need to contribute the same way, or the same way they have in the past, but with that being said, it is important that we all find our own way to contribute and continue to keep up the good fight.

I wish I could mentally check out but I am.most certainly checked out of any involvement personally or financially in our political processes.

 

[Centerpiece]

I had to put 45/47 on super ignore when he offered only prayers but no thoughts.

What happened to thoughts AND prayers?

That half stepping m-fer had to go.
And this also goes along with my mantra “do the next, right thing.”
Putting that arschloch on ignore is most definitely the right thing to do.

 

[finesse]

"I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years"

It's a good thing Democrats didn't spend the better part of a decade+ calling half the country racist for wanting a secure border or believing that all lives, not just blacks lives, have value, homophobic for (wrongly) trying to keep a religious event (marriage) for only straight people, calling half the country deplorable and garbage, xenophobic for being scared that people illegally crossing the border might take their jobs and, with it, the ability to provide for their families.

Yah, you crawl up on that throne and preach to those serfs, brother.

I have no idea why Democrats can't get votes against a pile of dog shit like Trump. It's baffling.

Would you please give me a timeline when most marriages were no longer actually business deals between families and how much it still exists today in just Western society. Certainly been more of those than some sort of sacred bond between a husband and wife. Those fairytales in your head aren't real. It might be a religious rite but it's a lot more a spiritual rite for two people of any sex to bond in love than to be traded for a business or social alliance.

 

[BlooVooDoo]

"I want a return to the harmony and tranquility of the Obama years"

It's a good thing Democrats didn't spend the better part of a decade+ calling half the country racist for wanting a secure border or believing that all lives, not just blacks lives, have value, homophobic for (wrongly) trying to keep a religious event (marriage) for only straight people, calling half the country deplorable and garbage, xenophobic for being scared that people illegally crossing the border might take their jobs and, with it, the ability to provide for their families.

Yah, you crawl up on that throne and preach to those serfs, brother.

I have no idea why Democrats can't get votes against a pile of dog shit like Trump. It's baffling.

It wasn’t racist to want a wall to better secure a vast and sparsely populated border. It was racist to assert that many, if not a majority, of the people coming through the border were disease-carrying, drug mule, rapist-murderer, child trafficking, terrorists who are trying to take over the country.

Do you see the difference?

 

[JCTarheel82]

I had to put 45/47 on super ignore when he offered only prayers but no thoughts.

What happened to thoughts AND prayers?

That half stepping m-fer had to go.
And this also goes along with my mantra “do the next, right thing.”
Putting that arschloch on ignore is most definitely the right thing to do.

Thoughts are reserved exclusively for wishcasting away mass gun violence in this country. Prayers are applied more liberally.

 

[ZenMode]

Since when is marriage strictly religious and more importantly how is it not homophobic to single out that group for denial of a basic right that conveys far more than religious benefits?

I'm not saying marriage is strictly religious. It can't be because the government can't discriminate. You can't legally have "marriage" for one group and "civil union" for another group. Clearly unconstitutional.

That isn't the point. Whether you agree with today's Christians or not, their beliefs are important to them and insulting them over and over and over isn't going to change anyone's mind and is only going to make them dig in their heals deeper.

 

[ZenMode]

It wasn’t racist to want a wall to better secure a vast and sparsely populated border. It was racist to assert that many, if not a majority, of the people coming through the border were disease-carrying, drug mule, rapist-murderer, child trafficking, terrorists who are trying to take over the country.

Do you see the difference?

The problem is that the all Republicans get labeled over the thoughts/actions of one or a few idiots.

 

[wmheel1287]

I'm not saying marriage is strictly religious. It can't be because the government can't discriminate. You can't legally have "marriage" for one group and "civil union" for another group. Clearly unconstitutional.

That isn't the point. Whether you agree with today's Christians or not, their beliefs are important to them and insulting them over and over and over isn't going to change anyone's mind and is only going to make them dig in their heals harder.

So exactly how do you approach people who write their "clearly unconstitutional" beliefs quite literally into the state constitution? Oh, and those clearly unconstitutional thoughts remain there today.

 

[BlooVooDoo]

The problem is that the all Republicans get labeled over the thoughts/actions of one or a few idiots.

C’mon, man. One or a few idiots? I’m talking about the people republican voters elected. Was it wrong to label David Duke supporters racist?

 

[lightbluenc]

The problem is that the all Republicans get labeled over the thoughts/actions of one or a few idiots.

Pubs call all democrats baby killers non fucking stop so don't bring that here.

Just let people live their own lives. not everything has to be a grievance.

 

[dukeman92]

Agree with you completely, @Bigs23. I’ll still follow politics and current events to a certain extent but probably not as nearly as obsessively as I have as a hobby over the last few years. I’ll probably plan to spend way, way less time on social media, and will probably take a step back from participating as frequently on this board as well as a couple of the other forums on which I discuss politics and such.

Personally, and for my immediate family, I don’t have many concerns about our livelihood. We are the “Again” part of “Make America Great Again”- wealthy, white, straight, and Christian. We’ll be fine. It’s everyone else who doesn’t fall into that category whom I am concerned about- but many, many of those folks voted for (and got) what they think they wanted, so as they’ve been telling us for years, “elections have consequences.” Certainly hope for the best for all of them, as I am never, ever, ever going to wish bad things to happen to people based solely upon their voting preferences. I just won’t do it, I don’t care how much I dislike Donald Trump and everything for what he stands. I will, however, have a lot less sympathy for them if the leopards decide to eat their faces. Again, elections have consequences.

I’m also going to spend way less time- in other words, pretty much zero time at all- trying to convince people of my worldview. They don’t want it, and they don’t care. It’s not my place to browbeat them. Everyone is allowed to vote the way that they do for their own reasons, and I am no longer going to be arrogant enough to try to persuade them otherwise. You can’t reason with people who simply want to believe that the economy is bad, or that crime is skyrocketing, or that the border is “unsecured”, or that their preferred politicians will “fix” anything, when all objective data indicates otherwise. Why waste any of the precious time that any of us have in life trying to convince people who are certain that the sky is red, when it’s really blue?

I’ll do exactly what I did during the first Trump administration, and during the Biden administration. I’ll believe in democracy, even when it doesn’t deliver my desired outcomes in a given election; I’ll love my country and my fellow countrymen and women regardless of whether my “side” or my preferred candidate wins or loses; and I’ll try to do everything that I can to be a force for goodness and kindness and compassion and generosity for everyone with whom I come into contact, regardless of their viewpoints, beliefs, circumstances, or walks of life.

Most of all, I’ll just work hard to continue to believe that most people are good; that most people sincerely good things for their family, their friends, their neighbors, and their fellow countrymen (even if we disagree on how to go about doing those things); and that nothing and nobody in politics has the power to steal my joy and my optimism and my love for others. We’re all Americans, and we’re all in this together.

I've read enough of your posts to know that you and I are a lot alike. This one is no different. I'm certain that I'll spend more time focused on my immediate family. The rest of them who voted for Trump can go to hell. It's more than a difference in policy. They determined that their pocketbook is more important to them than their faith, their family, empathy, compassion and being a good person. I have no desire to associate myself with people like that.

I know the knee jerk reaction is to unplug and stop caring... and while that will definitely be the case for individuals who wanted this... I can't let my democracy go down like that. Not without a fight. So I'll take a few days, a week, who knows how long and perform a self assessment and determine how I can help us to keep our republic from crumbling.

I hope I'm wrong about Trump and this won't be as bad as I'm sure it will be... but I haven't been wrong so far.

 

[ZenMode]

So exactly how do you approach people who write their "clearly unconstitutional" beliefs quite literally into the state constitution? Oh, and those clearly unconstitutional thoughts remain there today.

The same way you did with things like legalizing marijuana or other social issues. Change takes time and you have to be patient with it. Insulting and negatively broad-brush painting masses of people isn't going to do anything but make change more difficult.