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I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

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Deleted User 12047

I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by Deleted User 12047 » Fri May 10, 2019 12:10 pm

Wanna get real depressed? Read any comment section on the Fox News website.

Here’s a very good piece on Democrats appearing on Fox News, written by someone I do have respect for, Dana Perino.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/dana-pe ... -democrats

Scroll down to the comments and you see the gentleman who refers to one party as “the ‘Rat party” . Or this comment
A Fox News viewer went on their website and wrote:Fox News is my favorite news network because it's the biggest and highest rated which you might call the most mainstream but also not part of the mainstream media somehow because that would be bad
Then someone else starts pontificating on the traits of Fascism and trying to connect the dots.

Nothing will ever change until these two totally disparate sides decide to sit down together and converse, discuss and consider more than one side of an argument. Some days I worry that Civil War 2 is coming.



bmw
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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by bmw » Fri May 10, 2019 12:24 pm

I wouldn't be too worried about what you read in the comments sections of various news sites - I heard just yesterday of a study that found that on Twitter, 80 percent of all tweets come from 10 percent of the user base. I suspect similar numbers apply to comments. The loudest and whiniest people out there are far more likely to post comments than are most "normal" people.

I also don't think the country is quite as sharply divided as it was just a year ago. The media would have you believe that is the case, but I'm not so sure.



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by ZenithCKLW » Fri May 10, 2019 12:27 pm

Currently, neither side will even consider the opposing viewpoint without screaming "socialism!" or "fascism!" or dismissing anything with "that's just the liberal agenda" or "republiKKKans" which are all ridiculous and do nothing but spiral the ship down the whirlpool.

We can talk about it amongst ourselves all we want, but we need a strong movement with strong leaders. What do you think is the best way to encourage of movement of being reasonable and open to discussion?



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by craig11152 » Fri May 10, 2019 12:37 pm

Radio Sucks wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 12:10 pm
Some days I worry that Civil War 2 is coming.
My money would be on the conservative side of the fence since they probably have most of the guns and ammo. :blink


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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by Mega Hertz » Fri May 10, 2019 12:38 pm

I've been trying to work this out for a while. But one thing that I think adds to this problem is that, especially now with social media being as prevalent as it is, nobody can appear to be "weak" or "losing". By extending an olive branch, or a handshake, or even saying "I'm sorry. How do we work this out? Come to an understanding?" makes one appear weak. No one can apologize or work anything out. I'm right, you're wrong. It's like...if I see a pregnant woman, sure, I have the "right" to tell her she's as big as a house, but I don't NEED to exercise that right. And should she get upset, instead of apologizing, I double down and call them "snowflake" and complain "they can't handle it".

Everyone has to be RIGHT. Nobody can back down. Lest they appear to not be BAD. Then you have your internet badasses, making any commentary they want and call names even more because, hey, I don't have to deal with you face to face. It's a sad state of affairs that, frankly, I believe will get worse before it gets better.


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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by ZenithCKLW » Fri May 10, 2019 1:04 pm

That "snowflake" accusation mindset is just ridiculous. As if the world used to be better by this imagined insensitivity toward others, and those snowflakes are bringing the world down with their compassion and desire to make the world better for more people. Outrageous! (And usually the ones who scream snowflake are just as easily offended. Merely mention abortion, criticism of religion, taxes and social programs, criticism of the president, the younger generation, etc and see what happens). I realize it may appear I am guilty of the very thing we're discussing by throwing that in, but I used that as an example of the two-way street we all live on. I really want everyone to be able to communicate and learn from each other.

I try to have these "how can we work it out" discussions with people, and they take it as an opportunity to try to rip me apart, in which case I surrender to avoid the "hassle" of having a battle of wits with an unarmed man, saving my energy for more productive discussions.



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by ZenithCKLW » Fri May 10, 2019 1:20 pm

Takes a special kind of person to encourage and prefer to live in a world dominated by endless conflict.



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by bmw » Fri May 10, 2019 1:23 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 1:11 pm
Disagreement, dissent, and division made this country. I’m encouraged when I see all of them!
If the latter half of this doesn't constitute trolling and warrant movement into the DBR, then I don't know what does.



Deleted User 12047

Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by Deleted User 12047 » Fri May 10, 2019 1:50 pm

In some ways, I agree with our police hating friend. The dissent and division of 1776 and 1860 did help create our country. And both devolved into shooting wars... Will that be necessary today?

But don’t put words in my mouth please sir. I’m not preaching unity - I’m preaching open mindedness and the attempt to discuss problems and disagreements to develop unique solutions to our country’s problems.

Take your signature problem - (and I believe here is where we will probably disagree). You seem to believe that elimination of police entirely is the only solution to the problem of police corruption. Others will violently fight that option. What’s the third solution that can benefit all?



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by bmw » Fri May 10, 2019 1:53 pm

Freedom and division aren't mutually exclusive concepts.

Also, this thread was about modern-day division in this country - not divisions that existed in England well over 200 years ago. Dissent and disagreement are one thing (I agree that we need healthy disagreement and dissent), but division is another concept entirely. The last major fight we had over division in this country was that over racial segregation. There are many divides in this country today - including between racial, gender, wealth, etc. Saying you are encouraged by division, without clarification, when those are the divides we have today, is going to get you labeled a troll.



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by bmw » Fri May 10, 2019 1:58 pm

Radio Sucks wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 1:50 pm
In some ways, I agree with our police hating friend.
His problem is that he makes broad generalizations about all police based on the actions of the 2 or 3 percent that are bad apples. My family has had a run-in with a few bad apples (in fact it led to 7 years of litigation in federal court) but I don't use that to hate the other 97 percent of policemen. I know almost nothing about LL101, but I would venture a guess that the average police officer puts his/her life on the line with the motive of protecting the innocent people of society more times in a month than LL101 has in his (or her) entire lifetime. To broadly generalize all police officers as being Constitution-hating pigs is, quite frankly, offensive.



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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by Turkeytop » Fri May 10, 2019 2:07 pm

bmw wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 1:58 pm
Radio Sucks wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 1:50 pm
In some ways, I agree with our police hating friend.
His problem is that he makes broad generalizations about all police based on the actions of the 2 or 3 percent that are bad apples. My family has had a run-in with a few bad apples (in fact it led to 7 years of litigation in federal court) but I don't use that to hate the other 97 percent of policemen. I know almost nothing about LL101, but I would venture a guess that the average police officer puts his/her life on the line with the motive of protecting the innocent people of society more times in a month than LL101 has in his (or her) entire lifetime. To broadly generalize all police officers as being Constitution-hating pigs is, quite frankly, offensive.
Once, on a picket line, I was beat up and arrested by cops. But I've also had some good experiences with cops. By and large, I would rather have a police force around than not.

I hope the two a**holes who beat me up rot in Hell.


I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by craig11152 » Fri May 10, 2019 2:47 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 1:11 pm
Disagreement, dissent, and division made this country
Disagreement, dissent, and division also brought to power Joseph Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Franco, Pinochet, Hitler, there is a pretty long list of evil people who came to power during times of disagreement, dissent, and division. So it can be a dangerous thing


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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by Mega Hertz » Fri May 10, 2019 3:08 pm

Someday, I'll get around to posting these on YouTube (just for the historical purposes of the anchors/newspeople), but we had our own little "issue" with law enforcement many years ago.

Long story short, my father was accused (and convicted of) attempted murder of two Clinton Twp. businessmen in 1983. He'd had a run-in with these guys in 1980, but nothing came of it. A year or so later, he's arrested on these charges. Everyone knew he was at home the night of the attack, but despite repeated claims and having NO physical evidence of him doing this crime, he was convicted of it and nearly sentenced to many many, many years in prison.

By chance, the woman who would eventually be my mother picked up a newspaper by fate one morning and caught that as the headline. She immediately went to the police and said "this man is innocent. I know who did this". Finally, the police did some real digging, and her boyfriend at the time was implicated. Turns out him and two of his friends (one who was an employee) set this attack up as a means of robbing the joint. My dad's conviction was set aside, he met my mother, they were married and had us three boys. Now, had this not gone down, I might not even be here today (and sometimes I wouldn't mind that). But the fact that my father was nearly sent up because someone pointed a finger at him and, with NO proof tying him to this heinous attack, we could EASILY be bitter towards law enforcement. But, we're not (although, up until the day he died, he refused to live in Clinton Twp.).

I still have all of the newspaper clippings and audio of his TV and radio interviews (including one with David Newman). Instead of using it as ammo for being anti-cop and anti-law, it serves me as a reminder of how fragile life can be, and how it can change in an instant. I don't pick fights with people because, who knows...in two years, it could come back to haunt me.

I don't think he ever got over it. It tore the family up. Imagine nearly being sent to prison KNOWING you did nothing wrong. Just a guy that stands up in court and says "that's the guy". The family was in turmoil for that year or so. And then to be found guilty...I just can't imagine. He passed away in 2014 and I still miss him dearly. But I don't think he was ever able to shake that experience.

Shitty things can happen in life. Maybe it's time we started appreciating it, and each other, a little more.


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Re: I’m Really Concerned about the Divide in America

Post by bmw » Fri May 10, 2019 4:11 pm

lovinlife101 wrote:
Fri May 10, 2019 3:28 pm
Still waiting on a shred of evidence for any of your claims of me.
This is laughable coming from someone who makes broad generalizations about millions of people based on the actions of a few. Where is YOUR evidence that each and every police officer is a Constitution-hating pig?



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