Yesterday, I posted a message both here and on Facebook. I knew it was a bit risky and controversial when I posted it. The fact is, just about anything can be risky or controversial in socialmediaville; this is just part of the nature of the landscape.
But, I’ve been thinking a lot about a lot of things over the past week. I think most people have been doing the same. (I hope they have been.) And, as I have been thinking about stuff I have read and seen, my head has gone in a lot of directions, one of those places was something like “Look at all of those hypocrites!” That wasn’t super helpful. I semi-regret what I said.
Actually, I don’t really regret what I said, but perhaps how I said it. I am alarmed at what the President has done, is doing. I am alarmed that certain “sides” of our society seem to simply not care. But, the framing I put around this alarm probably came across as more antagonistic than I intended.
Most of my comments were really meant for a pretty small (but loud) group of people. In trying to make my point, I swept others into the pile, which wasn’t my intention. I am still bothered by this particular group’s seeming nonchalance around the American President’s authoritarian tendencies. I am still a bit shocked to watch all of the 180s amongst this group. But, it was sloppy of me to through such a wide net.
I will admit I have my own behavioral/intellectual paradoxes. It would probably be pretty easy for someone, were they interested, to poke all sorts of holes in my way of seeing and interacting with the world. I am 95% positive someone could find a “gotcha” Facebook post from the past. So, I suppose it was a little unfair of me to try to call folks out.
All of us are biased; it is impossible not to be. Despite what some people might think, I do try to see around my built-in biases, I do try to read and listen widely. Still, none of us really know all that much, so we are left to a combination of trusting those that know more and piecing things together. I appreciate whatever patience you can afford while I try to do what I can.