Stop the Anger

Taylor Ramsey

It is time to stop the anger. I have removed myself from social media for my family’s sake as my thoughts on social media are not thought of as only “my” thoughts by those who disagree with me. People associate my family with my thoughts, even when family members disagree with me on different subjects. This hurts my family, especially my wife. My wife is her own woman, but people seem to put that aside when hating her husband.

Interestingly, after removing myself from Facebook, I have received over a hundred responses from people asking me to reconsider as they appreciate my views. I even received correspondence from some who never agree with me because they like to debate and try to change minds to their point of view. I do have some good friends who disagree with me most of the time but we discuss our differences in a civil manner and remain very good friends.

Sadly, other people who I thought were friends have called me terrible things and have disassociated themselves from me and my family. People changed their opinions of me after discovering I voted for President Trump. I believe the following is a true statement and a depressing fact: The people I thought were my friends would still be my friends if Hillary Clinton had won the election. Think about that.

A person with conservative views must be willing to listen to yelling, read terrible things about themselves and their family and even receive threats. I can handle that because I know a person must be able to take the heat if they put their thoughts out there. It was that way for three years when I contributed to the Beachcomber. It seems civil discussion is not tolerated any longer by many who disagree with conservative thought.

The hate takes over common decency and logical thought. The hate for Trump and those who support him has turned seemingly normal acting people into judges who wish to put me away with a life sentence in hell. All logic is out the door and actual facts mean nothing to them as facts get in the way of their intolerance. It is a “think like me or face my wrath” kind of movement.

If you are vocal and express an unaccepted idea you are called many names, brandished and strongly discouraged to speak. I looked up the definition of “name-calling.” I found it described as “the use of offensive names especially to win an argument or to induce rejection or condemnation (as a person or project) without the objective of consideration of the facts.”

I do not know one Republican who is against immigration, a racist or does not want to help the less fortunate. I have no problem with gay marriage, unlike President Obama did in his first election campaign, I hope women are paid fairly for every hour they work and I am deeply patriotic.

Hillary Clinton and President Trump both displayed poor character traits up to election time. They both have faults, as do all of us. I won’t go into their faults here, but both of them have many. I voted for Trump because of his (and Republican) policies being offered. Hillary Clinton vowed to continue many of Obama’s policies and facts prove that was bad for all of us. I won’t list those reasons here, but facts are facts. For the good of my community, my family and me, my research required me to vote for President Trump and Republicans in order to help our country move in a positive direction.

Every time I see a report on TV, the radio, in social media, or in the newspaper, I research to find out if the report is completely true. I also make sure I view or read both sides to make sure I understand everything. If my views do not fit fact, I change my view!

Many times I have downloaded the “bills” our elected representatives are voting for or against so I can understand them before forming my view on the subject. It appears to me that many people view one side, do not do their diligence in researching and then form opinions based on only one view. That is why many people who restate what they have heard are actually repeating something that may not be completely true.

To me, it does not matter if a Democrat or Republican made the statement; I still research first before forming a solid opinion. Many have opinions based on feelings. Feelings, as history shows, is not what decisions should be based on. Facts are what matter.

Many presidents over time have proven that bad personal conduct does not matter when good policies are enacted. Presidents from both parties prove that, as some of them from both sides were quite disgusting in their personal actions, but accomplished good things. Some who oppose President Trump, voted for the very same presidents who also committed very immoral acts, yet they do not seem to remember their votes that way. Makes no sense to hate President Trump for his actions earlier in life and ignore that you voted for people who also engaged in immoral activity.

For those who hate President Trump and their supporters, I have to ask what were you doing voting for President Clinton, President Obama for his first term and for Hillary Clinton last year? I would bet many of those women running around town screaming terrible things about President Trump and wearing homemade vaginas on their heads voted for President Obama when his platform stated he was against same sex marriage.

These very same people most likely voted for Hillary Clinton who has a history of destroying women. Remember when she did all she could to silence and ruin the lives of her husband’s victims? Remember her foundation receiving money from countries who throw gay people off roof tops and bury women up to their necks so they can be stoned to death in the town square? I wonder if these same women also voted for Bill Clinton who had been sexually harassing women since his Arkansas days.

If you hate people who voted Republican, please consider the idea that there is no need to hate someone for their views. It is time to stop calling people names and intimidating those who do not agree with you. Maybe consider having a nice conversation with someone from the other side and discuss real issues using real data in a considerate manner and remain friends.

I have shared the following before. John F. Kennedy was once quoted as saying, “If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity.” Actions taking place today indicate only one line of thought is valid and conservative opinion is not to be tolerated or safe. It is time to stop the anger.

taylor@beachcomber.news

 

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Comments

Since my first trip to the ballot box in 1960, I have voted in every presidential and gubernatorial election until 2016. I chose not to vote for either of the major party presidential candidates in the recent election because I feel that neither are capable of doing the job properly or effectively.

 

According to Taylor Ramsey in his letter "Stop the anger"(Mar. 2), both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump "have faults," but after declaring that he "won't go into either of their many faults," he then launches into an enumeration of many reasons for castigating anyone who might have voted for Hillary Clinton, who, among other listed transgressions, "has a history of destroying women.

 

Exactly how are these statements (whether factual or non-factual) supposed to bring us closer to stopping anger? Yes, Mr. Ramsey, we all have our faults, but not all of us are running for president of the U.S. And yes, opinions from both sides of the political spectrum are coming under increasingly fierce and "unfriendly" attack, which weakens us as a nation.

 

However, attempting to single out either "conservative opinion or liberal opinion as not being quite as tolerated or more unsafe" than other opinions is not going to move this great country closer to where it desperately needs to be. If any opinion is unsafe, no opinion will be safe in these United States of America.

 

At this critical point in U.S. history, we Americans need to be willing to attempt to both give and receive much more tolerance, That said, a good place to start is by trying our best to dispense it ourselves.

David M. Bouchier

 

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