Thankful Thursday, 9/10/09 This post is not about Health-care Reform

Why are politics such a volatile subject?  I watched the president's speech last night.  I do not want to debate Health-care Reform here.  I do not want the far right and the far left going to war on my Thankful Thursday post.  I listened to President Obama.  What a speaker!  I really could listen to him speak for hours.  Clearly something must be done, but I'm not smart enough, or I should say educated enough on the topic, to decide what that something should be.  Someone made a comment on Facebook last night, someone who doesn't agree with our President (and careful.... I'm not going to argue with anyone.... I am not saying I agree with him...).  He said that he guesses that if you don't agree with the president you are being immoral.  I commented that back during our former President's administration, if you didn't agree on the war, you were being unpatriotic, so, fair is fair.  I was being lighthearted about it.  It's the way I see it, but I wasn't being confrontational, I started my comment with a "now, now".  Politics makes people so angry and confrontational.  I think it's kind of sad that this is the only thing he took away from that awesome speech, but, I'm not surprised.  Well, this morning, I was in a pretty good mood.  I signed onto my email and there it was.  Someone I do not know, responding directly to me.  I'll cut and paste: 

So let me get this straight, Susan? Rather than do what is best for the country we are supposed to play "got ya" and "well he started it". You are not un patriotic if you are against the war, just if you undermine the troops in the field... The left loves a good protest EVERYTIME some group of nut jobs protest at a fallen soldiers funeral... But God forbid you stand up at a town hall??? Just sayin...

Now I do not know this person.  He does not know me.  What makes him think that with this short comment "now, now. If you didn't support the war you were unpatriotic, so fair is fair." that I was trying to play tit for tat?  That I was suggesting we NOT do what is best for this country?  I thought I was being lighthearted.  This person, again, I don't know him, came out slugging.  He says the left loves a good protest, but I suggest this guy just loves a dirty fight. 

So, and I hate to admit this, I lost my temper.  I replied to someone I don't know and don't want to know.

Mark, no reason to bully. I didn't realize this discussion was only for people who agree with you. In fact, I don't even know you, and I could care less what you think about the issue. I have no desire to debate someone who comes out fighting without really knowing where I am coming from. To quote you... "just saying".

and to the person who originally made the comment:

I apologize. I didn't realize "the left nut jobs" as Mark put it, weren't included in the discussion.

You might ask what the heck all of this has to do with being Thankful.  Well, I'm working on it.  It appears that we live in a free country.  We have to right to disagree with our leaders.  Not just a right, but an obligation if we feel they are leading us in the wrong direction.  Well, I am thankful for that.  I am thankful that I got to hear an eloquent and dignified man give a wonderful speech last night.  I really don't know yet where I stand on his health-care reform.  I know that I pay a lot of money for health-care for my family.  Personally, while I would like it to be more affordable, I'm not in a hurry for the government to run it.  I'm quite happy with my plan.  But I am thankful I live in this country, at this time, where I can learn more, be more, do more, than women who live in other places. 

I just wish that if people didn't agree, they wouldn't be so damn disagreeable.  And I wasn't so thin skinned (I admit it). If you don't agree with me, please agree to disagree, because this post isn't about arguing your point.

Just saying.

Carpe Diem!