To Engage or not to engage

In the past few months, I've become more active on Facebook and Twitter. I have unfollowed some people and written some pretty strong posts.

In the past few weeks as the presidential campaign heats up, I have received 3 kinds of responses.

The first, that they like and/or agree. I can usually tell ahead of time who those people will be.

The second, from friends posting memes about shutting out negativity, meditating, or otherwise ensuring that we allow in only those things that are positive and healing.

The third, and a category in which too many people are falling, that they have decided either to back off Facebook for awhile, or will disengage from any political issues because they are a) too depressing, b) too divisive, or c) creating tension between family and friends.

I tried to keep Facebook as a place to stay connected with family, old friends and classmates, but over time, people would invariably post something that I either found offensive, lacking facts, or something to which I agreed so strongly that I had to repost and/or comment.

When people would suggest I tone it down, I replied that I received a number of positive responses requesting that I continue. I even had people of quite different perspectives tell me that because they knew me, they tried to keep an open mind and actually thought about what I said.

So we come to today and the horrors of last Friday the 13th. I watched as so-called neutral reporters such as Jake Tapper essentially blamed President Obama for ISIL and others at a news conference who were so busy planning their own question they failed to listen to the President's previous answers (which actually demonstrated the bias of the questioner).

Remarkable to me, were those who repeated accusations made by Trump or Carson. Remember, Trump's answer to everything is that he'll negotiate a better deal. Really? He obviously doesn't understand the role of President. And Carson has not said a true thing yet (according to all the fact checkers). This is the man who discounts historical records and claims that the pyramids were obviously to store grain. Anyone old enough to remember the traveling King Tut exhibit?

So, who is right? Do we engage and experience all the frustration that entails, or do we back off because after all, what can I do?

I know where I stand and why, do you?

Thanks for stopping by. Come back soon.

k