Let’s face it. Most people are well-intentioned.
And many well-intentioned people ask themselves hard questions on a regular basis such as “Should I do or say something?” or “Am I being considerate enough of others?”.
Well, this ‘soul searching’ is good, and IMHO, we are wise to keep those things in mind. So, for me, the number of my opinion posts that ‘lean’ into politics made me ask myself, “Am I supposed to be ashamed of being political?”.
We know that people are ‘sensitive’ about political topics so perhaps I should keep that volume down a bit because there are obviously many other things to discuss, right?
Gardening, family, Nature, Pop culture, celebrities, sports, my future plans, etc. came to mind. What a surprise! Every one of those topics, and every other one that I ‘grabbed’ at, had a political thread if discussed to any level past ‘small talk’.
Don’t believe me?
Gardening and Nature get straight to Climate Change and the economy.
Family? Many (to most) of us have members with ‘gender issues’, have kids in *public education, have members with ‘drug’ and/or ‘medical’ concerns and have members who are experiencing a ‘financial’ pinch.
Pop culture? We know how quickly that goes political!
Sports? This too has been ‘tainted’ so much that a former football junkie like me hasn’t watched a game in 6 years.
Future plans? Don’t those things almost entirely depend on the political ‘management’ of our country?!
Are you seeing the same trend that I am?
It wasn’t me who did that.
I’ll leave the investigation of “Who did that?” for another thread.
Then I asked myself another question once I made that ‘everything’s political’ discovery. So, is keeping an ‘eye’ on politics a ‘bad thing’?
My answer is basically “No” (It can be overdone on a personal level.). It’s becoming abundantly clear that if a country doesn’t have a base-line cultural value system it’s in trouble. If many things actually have a thread of ‘politics’ (as I have revealed) then having healthy political systems are one of the MOST important things and the citizenry has to pursue a consensus for everyone’s sake.
Last question, “But what about everyone’s sensitive feelings about politics, shouldn’t I protect them?”
Brace yourself…
That’s a great big “Nope”. Staying silent (or being silenced) is not an option in a “free society” if you want to keep it.
I still don’t know if I’m supposed to be ashamed of “being political” according to some modern etiquette plan?
What I DO know is my own value system won’t let me even consider complying with that idea.
* Whether you agree with “woke” school policies or not, the point of this post is “everything is political”. Talking about schooling leads to “woke” policies quickly.
Sillyfrog's Blog 
People can talk about whatever they want as long as love is at the helm. The most important subject in my life is Jesus, and lots of people don’t want to talk about Him, although any one of the topics you mentioned could easily turn towards Him, whether you’re a believer or not.🙌🏼
Absolutely. Thanks. ❤
Yep, though there are ways to be more or less tolerant of other people’s views. That, for me, is the key for enjoyable blogging/social media reading/writing vs hammering away about MY opinion and leaving no room for discussion. But I am well aware that others have a different view of how they wish to express their thoughts…
I don’t think tolerance is quite enough. It is the only place to start though. Taking an interest in their views enough to politely discuss them would be ideal. I abhor the phrase, “Let’s agree to disagree.” It’s a learning and bonding experience ‘ender’.
Those who started politicizing everything are our true adversaries. 😉 ❤
What’s really annoying is that WP does not show me replies to my comments here. I figured you’d reply, so I came back. GRRRR!
Sorry, I will have to agree to disagree. I do think tolerance (online with strangers) is enough. I’ve been around social media for decades and have never seen anyone’s view changed from “polite discussion.” Mostly discussions are not polite and end up very hostile with people more entrenched in their original positions. In private convos, it’s a different thing…
Your premise that others want to change you is what makes SO many people silent (quite frankly they’re afraid because once they make that assumption, deep conversation always feels like an assault.)
What if others are testing their opinions by talking? You’re describing an argument (competition) not an adult discussion and both exist.
Hey, I can tell a ‘hard head’ who just wants to fight, and I avoid them too!
But, if you believe my first comment about most people being ‘well-meaning’, then “agreeing to disagree” is just a ‘polite’ way of saying shut-up we’re too different to talk. (That’s not especially tolerant.)
Yes, I agree face to face conversations are far better. But with the internet, there is a more diverse universe of views than are available in personal settings. I find that exciting!
I don’t mean you, but IMHO, many people who throw the “Let’s agree to disagree” phrase around either don’t believe most people are well-meaning -thus they are unworthy of receiving their opinions- or they’ve come to so many unbendable conclusions, they can’t bear to test them.
Thanks, Paula. You’re a good egg. ❤
I read this early using cell phone. Left a like but could not comment from there. I really like your series of “unanswerable” questions. Keep up the good work.
🙂 Your comments are held in high regard, Oneta. Thank-you!