Blog 774 – 09.14.2017
Facebook Twitter Phenomenon

From time to time some friend or fan, old or new, will try to get in touch with me to say hello or to comment on a blog. For two years I was on Facebook attempting mainly to promote this daily blog but also trying to stay in touch with friends and meet new ones. I had gotten on Facebook years earlier at the urging of my beloved daughter Emily. Much as I had enjoyed reconnecting with many old friends I found the atmosphere on Facebook often unfriendly, bullying, discouraging but mostly way too time consuming. So that first time I only stayed on Facebook a short while.

One year or so into my last two-year stint on Facebook I shared a differing opinion with a friend and unleashed a torrential storm of mean spirited comments from him and those like minded that were far more personal than to the disputed point. I do not believe this was ever  Mark Zuckerberg’s aim for Facebook and it is definitely not the aim of this blog, always meant as its name implies to be the encouraging word. I stayed on Facebook another year unwilling to allow those with strong religious or political beliefs to bully and quiet me. I concluded after that year that my words and time would be better spent promoting my blog in other and friendlier spheres.

Many who do not see the meanness and manipulation on Facebook and other Social Media sites have perhaps become numb from over exposure. I avoid Fox News and MSNBC for the same reason choosing rather main stream news, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN but mostly PBS for fairer, more reliable, unbiased, and not in your face news. I think it worth noting that three of the important things that the founding fathers established in the Constitution to protect us from losing our democracy to a dictatorship are a free press, an equal and independent judiciary, and a legislative branch of government. All three of these have been under attack for sometime, since the last Presidential campaign began for sure.

I hope the truth comes out about Russian influence in the last election. It may not. Of far greater consequence than the hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s database is, I think, the setting up of so many false accounts on Facebook to disseminate exaggerated and damning misinformaton about one candidate in particular. The American electorate was duped and even yet seems obsessed with a “false equivalency.” Some behaviors are indeed worse than others, many falsehoods worse than a few, and some character flaws and inexperience greater disqualifier than others.

Some will not care for the tone nor the topic of this blog. But encouraging words too must seek to inform and speak the truth. We only share the truth as we see it. My cell phone number has not changed in years. Well, for the last two years I have had to use a different one in Wisconsin as my ATT phone rarely if ever gets a signal up here but that number is forwarded to my current number. Call me, I may not answer if I do not recognize the number but leave a message and I will call you back. I would love to hear your honest point of view though it may differ from mine. I would prefer to spend time with you face to face over a drink or food getting or staying in touch. My email address too has not changed. If you prefer to email or text I understand as it is sometimes easier to type than to talk and more convenient plus you can express a whole thought before being interrupted. But try to stay calm and civil. It is easier to be mean typing than face to face or voice to voice. Here is how to reach me by phone/text: 713-855-0290 or 608-739-2129 and by email: dwhite6359@gmail.com. I do appreciate your comments even the ones where you say, “I do not agree with your take on that.” As I say and often, if people always agreed with me I would question their intelligence.

Don’t look to see me on Facebook or Twitter much. You might see my blog there but I have little time to engage with everyone there and less and less patience with bullies. We are all entitled to our opinions but none of us to ride rough shod over others. Name calling and bullying are never appropriate on the school yard or in public discourse. I hope more people come to see that.

Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White