Thinkers, Unite!

***I will start this post off with a disclaimer.  I am not writing this post to specifically offend anyone.  I have read and reread this many times, because I really don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or be rude.  However, I feel the time has come for me to share my opinion, as many have already shared theirs.  If this post stirs up commentary (and based on previous posts, it won’t), please keep it clean and respectful.  No name calling or the likes.  Unless it comes from me. (joke)***

I’m feeling skeptical, readers.  Maybe even distrustful.  I could probably even go so far as to say, I feel dumb after reading a lot of what is on Facebook lately.  I’ve written about Facebook before.  The last time was a few years ago, when I was being bombarded with game requests and such, but Facebook has taken on a new look, a new format, and a new way to insult the masses…  Political rantings via the use of memes and ill informed sources. 

Sure, I like to know what is going on with the government, as much as the next average American, I would guess.  It’s an uneasy feeling knowing that other countries despise us, or that the social security that my grandparents paid into their entire lives is now considered an “entitlement” that may be subject to budget cuts.  Money that they live off of.  It bothers me to know that our government wants to infringe on our rights as citizens of a “Free” nation.  Furthermore, I don’t like the overt amount of political correctness invading us, but we will get to that later.

With that being said, I am tired of my Facebook feed being inundated with my friends sharing other people’s uneducated, non-cited, scare tactic, misinformation!  Do I think the media feeds us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?  No.  Do I want to know every sordid detail of the thousands of pages of Obamacare?  Not really.  Do I want my peers to utilize their critical thinking, and not just pass off some meme created on a whim by “Broke Obummer” as a whole truth?  Abso-freaking-lutely!  (And seriously, who comes up with these names?  Do you think you represent yourself as a credible source when you hide behind “Broke Obummer” or “America, the land of despair” or “Liberals are Jackholes”?  Because you don’t, and I don’t trust your sources, and I don’t really care to hear your opinion, or see your pictures depicting a story that isn’t even remotely true.)

As I’m so frequently reading from pages of gun advocates, WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!  You are utilizing a social media outlet to promote your half-informed agenda.  You are essentially using an online tavern to not only get your information, but share it.  I won’t even waste my time debunking all the half-truths and full blown lies that are floating out there.  I don’t have the time.  However, I beseech you, readers, to investigate where the information is coming from.  At the very least, take the time to visit the originating page of the status you share.  If that isn’t enough to realize that any credibility is lost, dig deeper.  As my friend of 28 years put it “Do you look at where the memes and other “info” are from when you share them?  Some of the pages are really offensive…  a lot of it is straight up racist, too.  Ugh.”  Apparently, I’m not the only one frustrated at the lack of critical thinking.

Speaking of friends, I have a good friend who shares his opinion without the use of Photoshop, Instagram, and a talking grumpy cat.  Our views are very different, yet we have civilized conversation, and sometimes, he brings about a change in my opinion.  I have a sweet girlfriend who shares what is important to her, but she attaches credible sources that can further support her stance.  I like reading what they have to say, it brings forth the desire to research the topic, form my own opinion, and it sparks meaningful rhetoric.  We don’t try to scare each other, or call each other names, or even get angry when the other person disagrees.

I think it’s great that we have the ability to share our opinions.  I love that I have a wide variety of friends who can share insight to a plethora of topics.  I am fortunate that I have the ability to decipher truth, from half-true, to you’ve got to be kidding me.  But seriously, enough with the outright ridiculousness.  If you don’t want your God given rights taken away, use your God given heads to critically think about what you are posting.  Following “Broke Obummer” on his every word is just as mindless as the claims you make against those who don’t agree with you.  Better, instead of posting memes on Facebook, GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM!

Not only are political rantings on a rampage, pleadings are flaring up.  Recently I’ve seen pleading go around to “Stop drinking Pepsi.”  The writer of the pleading shares the story of how the new Pepsi can is coming out with a picture of the Empire State Building, and the pledge of allegiance written on it, but leaving “Under God” out of the pledge.  The writer urges us to believe that Pepsi doesn’t want to offend anyone; therefore, we shouldn’t offend Pepsi by buying their product.  A simple Google search, or a remembrance of when chain emails were prevalent rather than Facebook posts, will tell you that this isn’t true, and that this rumor has been around since the early 2000’s (I seriously remember getting this email).

Others cry to not buy gas on a certain day, in an effort to stick it to the gas companies.  If this were to happen, people would just fill up the day before or the day after, causing a surge on those two days that would offset the day of striking.  The fact is, gas is essential in the lives of most Americans.  You want to stick it to the man?  Urge the use of alternate forms of transportation, such as a bike, or walking.  Stop using gas and gas powered devices.  Removing the dependence is a solution, striking for a day is not.

I could go on and on, but I would be repeating myself.  I’m tired of seeing the word “sheeple.”  I’m tired of people believing misrepresented, or fully created, data as whole truth (thus becoming sheeple themselves).  I feel like the bombardment of rants only perpetuates the level of numbness many feel toward politics, government, or anything else that brings us out of “our own little world.”  It reminds me of something my mom told me once, “You are guilty by association.”  When you share unreliable information, no matter how great your intentions are, you yourself appear to be unreliable.  Stop the madness!  Research before you share!  But keep bringing the funny stuff (even the grumpy cat, as long as he’s not carrying a political agenda).  And I still don’t want to be your neighbor in Farmville, or play Candy Crush Saga.