Winning people over to their ideals is their game. Stopping at nothing to shame you is their plan. They have an affectionate term we all know as:
Trolls.....
 I wish they were this cute... |
Lately, the amount of trolling by my fellow Americans has been astounding. I follow several news outlets and sites that I moderately pay attention to, I'm one of those old fashioned people that thinks hearing both sides of every story is important, because let's face it, media more and more spin stories in just such a way to stir the pot up and I believe contribute to the angry, hostile, viewpoints of these people.
Today it's the government shut down that has been plaguing the country. I and my family are deeply affected by this shutdown, because as you know, my superhero hubs works for the federal government. And if I was to take the comments made by my fellow Americans to heart, which honestly has been very difficult as of late, I would probably decide this country is full of hateful, hurtful, self appointed government experts who would rather my husband go kill himself than offer any ounce of sympathy for the families of these employees who are still expected to pay the bills, the mortgage, car payments, car insurance, Christmas bills, etc. etc.
I'm speaking truth when I say these people have zero sympathy for the agents and other employees who are still working and not receiving a paycheck. Let me remind my small amount of readers who are affected:
FBI, DEA, ICE, Secret Service, Border Patrol agents, TSA, national weather service employees, I'm honestly googling all the agencies and offices affected and it's too much to type. Google it and get the full list. AND educate yourself on what being "furloughed" means. My husband is considered an excepted employee. He HAS to show up at work and can't take any personal days off. I can't imagine what would happen in the New York area alone if these agents were told to stay home until this shutdown ended. They impact lives daily and most of the time, we have zero idea or an understanding of what that even means....
I don't even understand it most of the time. But what I can share? For the last almost 23 years (his 23rd anniversary is the end of May), he has served his country diligently, NO MATTER WHO WAS IN OFFICE, was on SWAT for a majority of that, has arrested countless criminals who have harmed others, stolen from others, and threatened the national security of our country. Yes, you read that correctly. Has arrested people who wanted to harm Americans simply for being Americans. It's hard to arrest terrorists who haven't committed a terrorist act, but thankfully, many make mistakes and commit criminal acts prior, so these agents have to act quick and work. A lot. All hours of the day. They are on call 24 hours. Did you know that? If we're at dinner, and he gets a call, he has to leave. If we're at church and he gets a call, he has to leave. He is expected to be available at a moments notice. Did you know that?
He's chased people on foot, in cars, in trucks. He's followed suspects, ridden on garbage trucks, been out and in harms way on more occasions than I care to recall. The Atlanta Olympic bomber? He was a part of that search. A prison in Louisiana that was taken over by inmates? He got to go and "help" with that. One night, he was in a terrible car accident while attempting to get to a hospital to find a baby who had been taken from there by an estranged relative. I was 9 months pregnant with our third baby. He wrapped his car around a tree and by God's grace, survived, walking away with a few scratches, sore muscles and a bruised ego because he wasn't able to complete the mission. There is nothing more terrifying than waking up in the morning to an empty side of the bed where he should be, but hasn't returned yet from a middle of the night mission. Nothing quite compares to the fear of worrying about someone who knowingly puts themselves in harms way to save others and wondering if he's been shot, or hit by a car, or hurt. I've felt that panic. It's anxiety inducing. All because he LOVES HIS JOB. He loves serving his country in this aspect. He is one of the few people who knew what he wanted to be from the time he was in High School and stopped at nothing to obtain this position every single day until he left for Quantico that May weekend in 1996.
But he has a "coosh government job" I'm told. He's got amazing benefits. He should of known what he was getting into before he signed up for the job. AND, the real kicker, if he doesn't have enough money to survive a shut down, maybe he should evaluate his spending. That one was probably the most annoying because I don't know TOO MANY PEOPLE who are more conservative in their spending than us. And granted, we do have more children than the average of two families combined (which is a choice we made because we had the means and the blessings), I have managed to never, I repeat, NEVER go into the red with our spending. We pay cash for cars, cash for big purchases (just getting two bedrooms added to the basement this summer, we paid cash for all of it.). We save money and we say no to our children a LOT. We can't afford to spend money on all the ridiculous trendy crap we call 'toys' for our children and thank God we can't. We pray about every aspect of our spending and trust that God will always provide. We also make sure that we give to charities and Church from our daily budget, not from what is left over. As much as it pained me this time, considering we had no paycheck last week, we both felt it was very important that we tithe at Church. God has been so incredible to us even in bad times, we've seen His face and hand in everything in our lives, my amazing husband chided me and said, "Wait, aren't you the one who would get mad at me when I would say we're giving too much?" Touche my love...touche....We trust. We put a lot of trust in a Higher Power and that never sits well with people who do not.
But as my title suggests, our country, our world really, but since I see it first hand here in the United States, has really taken quite a shocking turn of character in regards to our fellow humans. We are the first to attack someone for having a differing opinion. To judge someone in their views of anything that differs from our own. Quick to attack as if we are the internet police hired to bring about everyone to our way of thinking, as skewed or as good as it might be. Our anger and attacks make one seriously want nothing to do with our 'values' whether good or bad.
The government shutdown isn't the only thing people attack. People will attack our character, our political choices, our Christian way of life (whether it jives with theirs or just in general being a fool to even consider being Christian, it doesn't matter). The topics of attack are endless. We can find any subject or way of life attackable. We have become an angry society that has stopped seeing us for what we are- humans. In need of the same basic rights and comforts as everyone else. Shelter, food, water, and most especially, love.
It doesn't matter if we have religion, or don't, if we have a political stand or don't. If we Support life or don't, or if we want to help with the immigration laws or don't....someone, somewhere, will hate on us and our thoughts and try with all their heart to destroy us publicly. Shaming us is their number one way to really convince us of their intense desire to convert us......Change us. Bring us to their desired way of thinking and some even try to convince us, THAT JESUS WANTS THIS TOO....
I'll tell you what Jesus wants. He wants us to stop all this garbage and nonsense. He would never approve of someone hiding behind their keyboard and berating another human being no matter how lost or astray one might think they are. He would never want His followers to assume what anyone else ever thinks because that would be wrong. We have no idea what is going on in another persons life no matter what they believe or think or communicate to help us assume we know their thoughts or beliefs. Unless someone has stood in front of you face to face and opened up and shared their ideas and thoughts, NONE OF US have the right to be hate or be hateful, or unkind or uncharitable in discussing ANYTHING with anyone on the computer. For Heaven's sake. How low have we fallen as a nation that it's ok to not tolerate hate or unkindness from the group or groups we support but we absolutely unequivocally won't tolerate a differing opinion on anything else. We can tell others how they aren't living their lives right, but heaven help if they offer a similar suggestion? In charity? We don't know what that word even means.
Today? Jesus called on four of his Apostles to drop their nets and he would make them 'fishers of men.' (oops, lest I offend those who think he merely meant men only, insert huge eye roll, he meant all of us....hint hint....) Simon (Peter), his brother Andrew, and James and John. Today starts the first day of Ordinary time in our Church. The Gospel reading is Mark chapter 1 verses 14-20. If you own a bible, pull it out and re read this selection. If you don't, google the bible. It's everywhere.
Today. We all need to ask ourselves some really hard questions. Questions that we can ask ourselves whether we have a belief in Jesus or not. Whether we have a faith in something or not.
Are we living our lives in such a way that will bring people closer to our way of thinking, or believing, or to Jesus? Or are we living in such a way that will repel people to our way of thinking, or believing, or to Jesus?
Our actions, our words, our lives. Can change people. But unfortunately, today, with the ease of hiding and spreading our own anger over things, we are too often tempted to just perpetuate that anger and pretend it's all in the name of 'changing minds and hearts....' It's heartbreaking to see.
If we're serious about bringing people more to our ways of thinking, or believing, or even to the Jesus we feel is the Jesus we all need, we need to think about how we portray ourselves to others. If anger or ugliness are a part of our mantra to change the world, are we really believing that will happen? Rethink how Jesus got angry. Yes, He cursed the fig tree and he turned the tables over in the synagogue, but his actions, didn't perpetuate more hate. They either converted sinners, or they ran them off because people either saw His goodness and were moved by His love, or were so engrossed in their own sinful way of life they left.... We never see a whole lot of angry, ugly, disrespectful conversations going back and forth of people with Jesus trying to convince Him or vice versa...
That's something to consider as we travel down this path of de-humanizing people one hateful comment after another....
To God be the Glory forever. And may all of us strive for that path of righteousness that only brings people closer to that same path. Be the love the world is so starving for....one comment at a time....
