-cough-
So, since I decided to not stir up the pot of raging republicans on my friend Chelsea's post, I'll just post my response here. First, a little review: (sorry for the different sizes. I uploaded the whole thing but it viewed too small, so I cut it up enough to view everything. You can click on them to view them full-size)
I decided to black out their names, since if someone I didn't know screencapped a fb conversation I had and posted it on their blog, I'd want my name blacked out too.
First off, I think the Tyson person is pretty reasonable and open-minded. While he isn't for universal health-care, he does seem to genuinely want an answer to his questions.
The Aric person is great. His first response was perfect.
I have quite a few responses to Brent, some which I actually typed, then backspaced, then decided to just post on here.
1. It is ironic that someone who is physically incapable of having a child (aka, a male) is saying that birth control is not a right. Furthermore, you'll never get the entire world to practice abstinence. So why not make it a better place by a) reducing the population and conserving resources, through birth control. b)(you might not understand this, because you're a white middle class male, living in a world of the mainly white middle class) give a woman the right to decide when and how many children she wants, without having to have a certain income to afford it. Newsflash, everyone isn't part of the middle class. Sure, you think birth control "isn't' that expensive" BUT YOU AREN'T IMPOVERISHED YOU IDIOT.
2. It is also ironic that someone who (most likely, just guessing) periodically pools a fraction of their resources(money)for a bigger organization and for people other than themselves, doesn't see the connection between mormonism and socialism. What the hell do you think tithing is?
3. Go wikipedia "socialism". Note how it isn't spelled C-O-M-M-U-N-I-S-M? I am not sure you even know what socialism really is...Or communism, for that matter.
Finally, http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/06/heres-a-map-of-the-countries-that-provide-universal-health-care-americas-still-not-on-it/259153
I have a butt load more responses, but I look forward to hearing yours (my readers).
I try not to comment on what I post, mainly because I've already made my statement. It was tempting not to try and fight against stupid. But as my friend Nathan says, "Don't fight against stupid, because you'll always lose."
ReplyDeleteHowever, when Brent posted a status update and then commented on it saying, "Idiot on FB. He was exerting that women's 'rights' and free birth control are essential and religion isn't a good excuse to combat that. Hes not Mormon but he knows more about it than I do... I'm amazed at the reasons people still find to vote Obama," I had to stand up.
I said, "Actually, my friend that said that used to be Mormon. He's not an idiot. He's a well-educated individual who just has a different view than you. And the United Order really has a lot of socialistic elements in it. I mean, it ISN'T socialism, but it has a lot of similarities."
At which point, he said, "You're smarter than that, Chelsea."
And I answered, "Go clear back to Marx. Marx believed that we wouldn't need government to make us treat each other equally well. Marx never laid out a plan for a government to implement the plan, but he believed that the people could do it on their own. And he felt that capitalism was a necessary step to reaching that goal. So I'd say I know what I'm talking about. Everyone hates on Marx, but while his work may have been taken by some and twisted into something it isn't, the truth of the matter still stands: if you read the Communist Manifesto, there are a lot of similarities with the United Order in Marx's ideas."
He said, "That's quiet a stretch. Marx and Jesus. The fact remains that our giant government is spitting down our throats, and to try and relate that to the United Order is............"
To which I replied, "Oh, don't get me wrong. Marx didn't get everything right. There are holes in his argument. And it might be blasphemous, but as of right now, Jesus didn't get everything right either, because his system functions on the idea that the people are good enough to live that way. 'I will simply be a steward over the things around me, not own them,' said no capitalist ever. People are always out to compete, to be better than the next guy at the expense of livelihood. It's a mistake to think that people are good enough to live the United Order. That's why the concept of taking time to come up with a working government welfare system is unheard of. Who wants to give a little more time and money now to help people get on their feet later? HAHAHA. Very funny."
He had no comment.
So, this ridiculously long comment later, and my point is, I got upset with him too. Because I'd been tempted to tell him a lot of the things you asserted, and then I wanted to say, "Oh, so you're going to tell your wife she isn't allowed to use birth control? Because that's what I'm taking away from your attitude, that women should be forced to have kids whenever a man feels like fucking them."
Yeah . . . so I didn't comment.
oh man. you should've put that! hahah, I had the exact same thought. I thought of putting "so are you really going to tell me your wife doesn't use birth control?" but I thought since I don't know him or his wife I wouldn't say anything. honestly, I also wanted to just say "wow, you're a douche if there ever was one" but decided not to. He is really condescending. I went to his profile page and I would NOT be able to get posts like that on my feed every day.
ReplyDeleteYour points are spot on. (although I had to look up what United Order was, haha) But the fact of the matter is, collectivism, communism (in the true sense of the word, not the political affiliation), working for the greater good, being selfless, being charitable, aren't all these things a "Christian" belief? And so I don't really understand why someone like Brent would then act like everyone should figure out how to take care of themselves on their own, regardless of how little money they make.
He's way too far right for me to take him seriously.
I feel like there is always talk about how "young people" don't care and aren't well informed.
ReplyDeleteI like that we are all good counter-examples to that.
Also, you are right not to get mired in the mudslinging that can happen in these cases. It won't make you feel any better to get really negative.