Frustration

I try my best to be positive and not dwell on things that bother me, but I'm having a really hard time letting go of this one. Fortunately, I know that writing about feelings is usually a tremendous help, whether or not anyone else reads it.

God gave each and every one of us the ability to think for ourselves. In God's eyes, we are all equals, we are all his children, and the only being we should bow down to is Him.

While many regimes throughout history have done their utmost to stifle and control thoughts of individuals beneath them, no one knows for sure what thoughts, hopes, dreams, and morals are in the mind of another individual.

I absolutely hate politics. Listening to the constant bickering puts me on edge. I listen to the nightly world news to keep up with things that are happening, but I don't watch news shows all day long. I don't think it's healthy.

Facebook is filled with politics and political posts. I have a Facebook account, but I don't have a great number of friends. If I don't know someone, I don't accept their friend request.

What do I think about Facebook? My feelings are mixed. I appreciate being able to keep up with friends and family whom I don't see very often, as well as those whom I lost contact with decades ago. In contrast, it is upsetting to see posts from people whom I care deeply for spewing what I consider to be racist and/or unsubstantiated thoughts and viewpoints.

My response when negative posts are recurring, is to snooze the person for 30 days. After that time period, they may be snoozed for another 30 days depending on their current posts, and another, and so on. By handling things this way, I'm able to remain friends with these folks while maintaining my peace of mind.

So, why am I upset? A friend of mine ( a 50-year veteran teacher and one of my former teachers) posted something about missing previous presidents from both major political parties, the normal parts of their lives that we could identify with, their calming and soothing natures, and our ability to cheer each other on as citizens.

I was the only person to comment that I agreed with her post. That's not what upset me.

Eight people commented that they did not agree with her post. That's not what upset me.

The ninth individual to post a comment upset me: "I don't agree with any of this media poison. Shame on you for posting."

This comment provoked so much frustration and fury in me that my hands immediately began shaking and my breaths became shallow and frequent. Why? Because she was being a bully! She was trying to shame someone for their beliefs!

One thing I hate more than politics is bullying.

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel

I stood up for my friend against her bully by responding to her comment, because it would have been negligent and inhumane of me not to do so. I called the oppressor out, but I didn't call her names.

Evidently my response spoke truth, because she removed her comment from my friend's post. Taking it a step further, which maybe I shouldn't have, I followed up with a message to the bully that she should apologize to my friend who read and was hurt by her comment before she deleted it.

Bullying in any form is unacceptable, whether it involves a child or an adult, and we all must stand up to the tormentors. I, for one, feel it's my obligation as a fellow human being.

I do feel better now that I've written down my thoughts. Not everyone will agree with me, and that's okay because our Creator gave us the gift of thinking independently.

Please remember that kindness has the power to change the world!