What would make people feel less ostracized from P&R?

[ZRod]

I think the Oregon shooting is probably a pretty poor example. He dealt with how many mass shootings during his term? Each time congress did absolutely nothing to work on the situation. There are plenty of other good examples though...

I know pretty much everyone has criticized him in some form or another for Obamacare. Many have criticized his handling of Syria. He's been criticized for letting Wall Street off the hook and not going after the Big Banks. All of those are valid criticism that I think should be discussed. It's not my fault, or Knap's, or Enhanced's fault that you choose not to see those criticism.

 

[ColoNoCoHusker]

I think the Oregon shooting is probably a pretty poor example. He dealt with how many mass shootings during his term? Each time congress did absolutely nothing to work on the situation. There are plenty of other good examples though...

I know pretty much everyone has criticized him in some form or another for Obamacare. Many have criticized his handling of Syria. He's been criticized for letting Wall Street off the hook and not going after the Big Banks. All of those are valid criticism that I think should be disgust. It's not my fault, or Knap's, or Enhanced's fault that you choose not to see those criticism.

Obama gets a bad wrap over that. GW set the course on letting them off the hook before Obama got sworn in with the way the bailout was structured. As a result there wasn't much Obama could do that wouldn't end up being an economic nuclear option. The Repub's were also hell-bent on not breaking up any of the banks which sorely is needed...

 

[ZRod]

I think the Oregon shooting is probably a pretty poor example. He dealt with how many mass shootings during his term? Each time congress did absolutely nothing to work on the situation. There are plenty of other good examples though...

I know pretty much everyone has criticized him in some form or another for Obamacare. Many have criticized his handling of Syria. He's been criticized for letting Wall Street off the hook and not going after the Big Banks. All of those are valid criticism that I think should be disgust. It's not my fault, or Knap's, or Enhanced's fault that you choose not to see those criticism.

Obama gets a bad wrap over that. GW set the course on letting them off the hook before Obama got sworn in with the way the bailout was structured. As a result there wasn't much Obama could do that wouldn't end up being an economic nuclear option. The Repub's were also hell-bent on not breaking up any of the banks which sorely is needed...

He could have not hired Wall Street execs to his team for one. He also could have charge them for crimes, and fined the hell out of them.

 

[Enhance]

I have stopped visiting this forum for some reasons already outlined:

1. There is a groupthink mentality among many on here, and a lack of openness to other ideas. The side of the aisle that claims to represent diversity and inclusion only does so when somebody subscribes to their viewpoints.

2. A consistent hatred of Trump and Republicans in general. I would estimate over 80% of the posts over the past 6 months in this forum have been anti-Trump or anti-GOP. Just look at the last 15 threads created on here (outside of this thread). A majority of them were created to bash Trump or Republicans or to prop up the left.

3. An unwillingness to criticize Obama. There are 10 or 12 regular posters on this forum that claim to be Independent or "moderate" yet rarely or never would criticize Obama when he was certainly deserving of it. Meanwhile, throughout the entire election season including the primaries, I criticized Trump early and often, and I still will continue to do so. While I agree with his recent policy to keep Americans safe by ensuring we know who is coming into this country, I don't agree with how this was executed at all. It needed to be more well thought out.

4. In December I created a thread wishing everyone Happy Holidays/Merry Xmas. There was one response....one. That was from NM11046. This signified to me that the main group that posts on this forum that is unwilling to accept others have a different viewpoint and still recognize they are human.

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/81962-merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year/

1) I agree there is some groupthink, but I'll be honest bnilhome, I think one of the biggest reasons you struggle to feel included in this forum is because of your posting style and rhetoric. It's often incredibly abrasive.
2) A dislike of Trump is evident, but I think less so for Republicans. I agree with ZRod above in that there seems to be a growing appreciation for other prominent members of the Republican party right now... people like Sasse, Ryan and McCain. We're going to need them to have strong voices during the Trump presidency.

3) This is a flat out lie and again goes back to your posting style/rhetoric. You see what you want to see, bnilhome, while simultaneously propping yourself up for your bi-partisan efforts. I would estimate over 80 percent of your posts over the last six months have been anti-Obama or anti-Democrat. Your comments about both are often laced with subtle (and not-so-subtle) inflammatory digs and your posts about Trump often ignore his serious character issues and poor judgement. You don't practice what you preach here.

4) I missed this thread - I don't have any other excuse.

You and Zrod and Knapplc just proved my point with your responses. Most of my posts have been backed up with data or links supporting an argument I am making, and because it doesnt subscribe to your views, it is labeled as inflammatory or abrasive, yet the vast majority on here who bash conservatives and Trump you do not see that way. The only Republicans being named as a defense against GOP bashing are those that have taken stands against Trump. That is not independent thinking...sorry.
As for Obama, there are plenty of areas where he left this country in worse shape, yet you and others refuse to voice any criticism, and have for a long time. One of many examples occurred with a shooting on an Oregon campus where Obama came out within hours and said he was going to politicize the tragedy to make a point about gun control. From what I can remember, many on here sat quietly and refused to call him out, yet if Trump or another Republican had done that, we would have 5 threads talking about it.

So as I stated before, I would guess that 80% of posts made in this forum over the past 6 to 12 months have been anti-Trump or anti GOP or for a progressive viewpoint. When a person new to this forum who is center-right sees such responses, why would they want to engage in this forum. It is not welcoming or inclusive. Just look at how knapp responded to my comments on wishing people well for the holidays. It was a very genuine attempt to reach out and hope everyone had a great time, and his response was one of contempt. I do appreciate dudeguys response so thank you for that.

So, the following is a "factual" and "backed up with data" post?

Obama's legacy may have been confirmed tonight with the election of Trump. It's a sentiment to how bad he has been as POTUS. Voters wanted change from his failed leadership.

You're well in line to have an opinion, bnilhome, but it's complete and utter garbage like this statement which gets you in hot water with people here. If you don't think this is an abrasive statement (or unbiased) then I don't think there's anything to do that can make you a more reasonable poster in this forum.

Or, maybe you're referring to this "data" you provided in this post, data you submitted as "proof" of what you would consider a failure, and what actually shows that Obama improved in more than just four areas.

Of 19 policy areas examined, Americans found that Obama made improvements in 4 of those areas, while the country took a step back in 14 of those areas. This is a very good read and not spin being put out by the Obama white house.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/201683/americans-assess-progress-obama.aspx

It's interesting to compare Bush's 2009 results from the same poll versus Obama's now, and in doing so, one can make the argument Obama improved more than just four areas.

The only areas pollsters felt Bush made progress in were terrorism, race relations, national defense and effort to fight aids. Conversely, people felt Obama improved the situation for gays/lesbians, energy, climate change and economy. I'll list the areas both candidates have scores for.

The economy: Bush - 5/87, Obama - 42/36

The U.S. position in the world: Bush 12/69, Obama - 30/49

Healthcare: 13/52, Obama - 43/43

Immigration: Bush - 14/51, Obama - 27/45

Taxes: Bush - 16/45, Obama - 23/34

Energy: Bush - 21/49, Obama - 46/23

Crime: Bush - 25/39, Obama - 21/56

The environment or climate change: Bush - 28/42, Obama - 33/23

Education: Bush - 28/42, Obama - 31/39

National defense & military: Bush - 39/36, Obama - 30/39

Race relations/situation for Blacks: Bush - 40/25, Obama - 30/37

Terrorism: Bush - 40/37, Obama - 28/49

The bolded are areas Obama increased score over Bush. Again, those are only the categories the president's shared between the 2009 poll and the 2017 poll. Obama had a few others added that Bush wasn't asked about. But, the comparison shows people think Obama improved 8/12 shared categories.

Again, you see what you want to see.

 

[zoogs]

As I read most of the responses here, I realized something I hadn't really thought of: how my anger, when posting in this forum, colors my posts.

As a someone who is a member of the LBGTQIA, I get dumped on by pretty much everyone in society-even by Democrats. I live in a very religious and conservative state. In national media stories, there is literally a story almost every day where some Republican somewhere is introducing some new legislation to legally discriminate against people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc. I try really hard not to let all that negativity come through when I post, but it does.

I'm just tired. I'm tired of constantly being treated like I am some kind of dangerous predator-in the eyes of society in general, not specifically anyone here. I am tired of always hearing from conservatives that individuals like me are the source of all America's immorality and ills. Since most on here are straight, you probably have no idea just how bad the situation truly is.

All these "religious freedom" laws popping up, the ironically titled "1st Amendment Defense Act", etc; it all has a negative cumulative effect. All of this is the prelude to what follows:

I've been given a non-voluntary vacation twice since I joined. Both times, the ban, I don't think, wasn't even warranted. In the first instance, I posted something in the football forum and a poster (who will go unnamed for now) comes by and just insults me for no reason. I responded in kind, and I'm the one who got banned-not the instigator. My question is, why didn't the instigator get banned? I know I got banned because I am still relatively new here and the instigator isn't.

In the second instance, as illustrated above, I let the cumulative anger and frustration with society (and homophobia in general) come through. I didn't (in my mind) even think I said anything that bad, certainly not worthy of being banned for a week. I told someone, didn't even mention his name, to "Get bent" and I was banned-again.

And to the mod who gave me the "vacation" (same mod both times) I sincerely wonder if you have some kind of personal vendetta against me? It is almost as if my posts are the flame, and you are the moth. Please feel free to PM as I believe we both could benefit from a conversation.

I bring all this up because it seems that I, as a still a relatively new poster here, am held to higher standard and have far less "leeway" with regards to what I say. I also think there is some very blatant favoritism at work here. I've read a post (month plus now) where a popular member flat out called someone a troll. It was the kind of one sentence drive by that would absolutely get someone like me banned, but this person gets a pass. The rules, and how they are enforced, seem to be dependent on how well certain mods like you. By my lived experiences, and routinely being proverbially put through the societal wringer on a daily basis, it does negatively color my outlook.

Just know that I try really hard to engage people, especially those I disagree with, with civility...sometimes I fail though. Sucks being a human being sometimes. End of ramble.

Let's hug it out, MC.

Thanks for posting your perspective. I can see how hard it is to avoid having that anger color your posts and I'm glad that you can acknowledge this too. I hope you'll find this is a relatively safe place for conversation -- not that all ideas are safe, but that you will not be treated differently for who you are. I completely agree about the enormity of the daily social costs that come with being various shades of different. It's an insane thing that we put anybody through this.

I suspended you both(?) times probably because your posts were reported and excessively inflammatory, and I wanted to make sure you knew what was OK and what wasn't early on. I assure you that there's no bad blood here or personal vendetta. I'm glad to see you posting here again, and I hope you'll settle into a higher degree comfort here.

As for why the other posters got a pass, it's well known here that we only go after liberals

But in seriousness, they may have gotten a PM or a warning, too. Most likely their post and their posting patterns didn't quite hit the bar, at least in that particular instance. In general, please don't escalate or hit back; if the mods ever need to step in, let that be for other posters, not yourself.

 

[ColoNoCoHusker]

I think the Oregon shooting is probably a pretty poor example. He dealt with how many mass shootings during his term? Each time congress did absolutely nothing to work on the situation. There are plenty of other good examples though...

I know pretty much everyone has criticized him in some form or another for Obamacare. Many have criticized his handling of Syria. He's been criticized for letting Wall Street off the hook and not going after the Big Banks. All of those are valid criticism that I think should be disgust. It's not my fault, or Knap's, or Enhanced's fault that you choose not to see those criticism.

Obama gets a bad wrap over that. GW set the course on letting them off the hook before Obama got sworn in with the way the bailout was structured. As a result there wasn't much Obama could do that wouldn't end up being an economic nuclear option. The Repub's were also hell-bent on not breaking up any of the banks which sorely is needed...

He could have not hired Wall Street execs to his team for one. He also could have charge them for crimes, and fined the hell out of them.

Not on the last part with the way GW structured/organized the bailout without blowing up the industry. We worked with HUD & the big banks helping with the cleanup/sorting of the dead. There were a lot of backroom deals from GW around the bailout. Obama wasn't left with room to maneuver without making the downturn much worse. Why would several banks spend in excess of $50mil to buy up worthless mortgage pools and not initiate mortgage proceedings? I am not defending Obama but the blame needs to fit.

EDIT: And as far as Wall St execs, that's what every POTUS does even Trump. Generally they are pulled from WS rather having been forced out as say a GS exec/partner but that is the path. There are several books on how GS owns our government going back at least since WWII. It's not good but IIWII...

 

[Landlord]

Chimichangas, you just need to learn how to take a breath. Hearing a little bit about where you're coming from gives me a lot of empathy, and I certainly think there is a place for anger, frustration and condemnation when appropriate. I also don't expect people personally effected by this Presidency or by harmful policies in the past to always maintain an even keel, but there's somewhere in between that fire and passion and personal nature of it and painting your 'enemy' with such a broad brush that is actually detrimental towards anything positive. We're better with you here, for sure, and obviously hope for the best for you. You're far from the first person to be suspended more than once from this board (I'm waving my hand here).

 

[ColoNoCoHusker]

As a someone who is a member of the LBGTQIA, I get dumped on by pretty much everyone in society-even by Democrats.

I bring all this up because it seems that I, as a still a relatively new poster here, am held to higher standard and have far less "leeway" with regards to what I say. I also think there is some very blatant favoritism at work here.

Hang in there; I have family, friends, colleagues, and employees that are LBFTQIA and are dealing the same emotional burden, some for a very long time. I believe it will get better as more people realize they can no longer sit on the sidelines. My heart & thoughts go out to you.

As far as the favoritism, I think the issue is familiarity. I notice the longer a poster has been here, the more leeway the member seems to be given with posts that would appear to violate the rules. I think as Mods/Admins get to know someone's posting style, they interpret the post in favor of the poster. With newer members, they seem to focus purely on the wording without interpretation or much benefit of the doubt. I think it's a consequence of having mods/admins that are so active in the forum. This is just my perspective, though.

 

[Landlord]

^ That is true of any social dynamic. The more you are engrained, which has at least some bearing on longevity and amount of contribution, the more you are looked at as being on the same team. That's natural human brain processing.

 

[knapplc]

As I read most of the responses here, I realized something I hadn't really thought of: how my anger, when posting in this forum, colors my posts.

As a someone who is a member of the LBGTQIA, I get dumped on by pretty much everyone in society-even by Democrats. I live in a very religious and conservative state. In national media stories, there is literally a story almost every day where some Republican somewhere is introducing some new legislation to legally discriminate against people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, etc. I try really hard not to let all that negativity come through when I post, but it does.

I'm just tired. I'm tired of constantly being treated like I am some kind of dangerous predator-in the eyes of society in general, not specifically anyone here. I am tired of always hearing from conservatives that individuals like me are the source of all America's immorality and ills. Since most on here are straight, you probably have no idea just how bad the situation truly is.

All these "religious freedom" laws popping up, the ironically titled "1st Amendment Defense Act", etc; it all has a negative cumulative effect. All of this is the prelude to what follows:

I've been given a non-voluntary vacation twice since I joined. Both times, the ban, I don't think, wasn't even warranted. In the first instance, I posted something in the football forum and a poster (who will go unnamed for now) comes by and just insults me for no reason. I responded in kind, and I'm the one who got banned-not the instigator. My question is, why didn't the instigator get banned? I know I got banned because I am still relatively new here and the instigator isn't.

In the second instance, as illustrated above, I let the cumulative anger and frustration with society (and homophobia in general) come through. I didn't (in my mind) even think I said anything that bad, certainly not worthy of being banned for a week. I told someone, didn't even mention his name, to "Get bent" and I was banned-again.

And to the mod who gave me the "vacation" (same mod both times) I sincerely wonder if you have some kind of personal vendetta against me? It is almost as if my posts are the flame, and you are the moth. Please feel free to PM as I believe we both could benefit from a conversation.

I bring all this up because it seems that I, as a still a relatively new poster here, am held to higher standard and have far less "leeway" with regards to what I say. I also think there is some very blatant favoritism at work here. I've read a post (month plus now) where a popular member flat out called someone a troll. It was the kind of one sentence drive by that would absolutely get someone like me banned, but this person gets a pass. The rules, and how they are enforced, seem to be dependent on how well certain mods like you. By my lived experiences, and routinely being proverbially put through the societal wringer on a daily basis, it does negatively color my outlook.

Just know that I try really hard to engage people, especially those I disagree with, with civility...sometimes I fail though. Sucks being a human being sometimes. End of ramble.

Some of my best friends are gay. I 100% support your right to love whomever will consensually love you back.

But, friendly advice, some of the posts you've made have crossed the line. If someone attacks you, DO NOT respond in kind. Report it to the Mods, and if they see it the way you see it, they'll take action against the other person. If they don't, they'll likely still talk to them and ask them to chill. Something will be done, and you will not be allowed to be picked on, for any reason.

That doesn't mean you won't be challenged, and sometimes goofed around with. We all do that here, we all get that here. This isn't a safe space, but it's a good place, with good people.

If you think you have a voice that will be beneficial for us to hear (and I think that), then please moderate your posts so you can stick around.

 

[HuskerNation1]

I have stopped visiting this forum for some reasons already outlined:

1. There is a groupthink mentality among many on here, and a lack of openness to other ideas. The side of the aisle that claims to represent diversity and inclusion only does so when somebody subscribes to their viewpoints.

2. A consistent hatred of Trump and Republicans in general. I would estimate over 80% of the posts over the past 6 months in this forum have been anti-Trump or anti-GOP. Just look at the last 15 threads created on here (outside of this thread). A majority of them were created to bash Trump or Republicans or to prop up the left.

3. An unwillingness to criticize Obama. There are 10 or 12 regular posters on this forum that claim to be Independent or "moderate" yet rarely or never would criticize Obama when he was certainly deserving of it. Meanwhile, throughout the entire election season including the primaries, I criticized Trump early and often, and I still will continue to do so. While I agree with his recent policy to keep Americans safe by ensuring we know who is coming into this country, I don't agree with how this was executed at all. It needed to be more well thought out.

4. In December I created a thread wishing everyone Happy Holidays/Merry Xmas. There was one response....one. That was from NM11046. This signified to me that the main group that posts on this forum that is unwilling to accept others have a different viewpoint and still recognize they are human.

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/81962-merry-christmas-and-happy-new-year/

1) I agree there is some groupthink, but I'll be honest bnilhome, I think one of the biggest reasons you struggle to feel included in this forum is because of your posting style and rhetoric. It's often incredibly abrasive.
2) A dislike of Trump is evident, but I think less so for Republicans. I agree with ZRod above in that there seems to be a growing appreciation for other prominent members of the Republican party right now... people like Sasse, Ryan and McCain. We're going to need them to have strong voices during the Trump presidency.

3) This is a flat out lie and again goes back to your posting style/rhetoric. You see what you want to see, bnilhome, while simultaneously propping yourself up for your bi-partisan efforts. I would estimate over 80 percent of your posts over the last six months have been anti-Obama or anti-Democrat. Your comments about both are often laced with subtle (and not-so-subtle) inflammatory digs and your posts about Trump often ignore his serious character issues and poor judgement. You don't practice what you preach here.

4) I missed this thread - I don't have any other excuse.

You and Zrod and Knapplc just proved my point with your responses. Most of my posts have been backed up with data or links supporting an argument I am making, and because it doesnt subscribe to your views, it is labeled as inflammatory or abrasive, yet the vast majority on here who bash conservatives and Trump you do not see that way. The only Republicans being named as a defense against GOP bashing are those that have taken stands against Trump. That is not independent thinking...sorry.
As for Obama, there are plenty of areas where he left this country in worse shape, yet you and others refuse to voice any criticism, and have for a long time. One of many examples occurred with a shooting on an Oregon campus where Obama came out within hours and said he was going to politicize the tragedy to make a point about gun control. From what I can remember, many on here sat quietly and refused to call him out, yet if Trump or another Republican had done that, we would have 5 threads talking about it.

So as I stated before, I would guess that 80% of posts made in this forum over the past 6 to 12 months have been anti-Trump or anti GOP or for a progressive viewpoint. When a person new to this forum who is center-right sees such responses, why would they want to engage in this forum. It is not welcoming or inclusive. Just look at how knapp responded to my comments on wishing people well for the holidays. It was a very genuine attempt to reach out and hope everyone had a great time, and his response was one of contempt. I do appreciate dudeguys response so thank you for that.

So, the following is a "factual" and "backed up with data" post?

Obama's legacy may have been confirmed tonight with the election of Trump. It's a sentiment to how bad he has been as POTUS. Voters wanted change from his failed leadership.

You're well in line to have an opinion, bnilhome, but it's complete and utter garbage like this statement which gets you in hot water with people here. If you don't think this is an abrasive statement (or unbiased) then I don't think there's anything to do that can make you a more reasonable poster in this forum.

Or, maybe you're referring to this "data" you provided in this post, data you submitted as "proof" of what you would consider a failure, and what actually shows that Obama improved in more than just four areas.

Of 19 policy areas examined, Americans found that Obama made improvements in 4 of those areas, while the country took a step back in 14 of those areas. This is a very good read and not spin being put out by the Obama white house.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/201683/americans-assess-progress-obama.aspx

It's interesting to compare Bush's 2009 results from the same poll versus Obama's now, and in doing so, one can make the argument Obama improved more than just four areas.

The only areas pollsters felt Bush made progress in were terrorism, race relations, national defense and effort to fight aids. Conversely, people felt Obama improved the situation for gays/lesbians, energy, climate change and economy. I'll list the areas both candidates have scores for.

The economy: Bush - 5/87, Obama - 42/36

The U.S. position in the world: Bush 12/69, Obama - 30/49

Healthcare: 13/52, Obama - 43/43

Immigration: Bush - 14/51, Obama - 27/45

Taxes: Bush - 16/45, Obama - 23/34

Energy: Bush - 21/49, Obama - 46/23

Crime: Bush - 25/39, Obama - 21/56

The environment or climate change: Bush - 28/42, Obama - 33/23

Education: Bush - 28/42, Obama - 31/39

National defense & military: Bush - 39/36, Obama - 30/39

Race relations/situation for Blacks: Bush - 40/25, Obama - 30/37

Terrorism: Bush - 40/37, Obama - 28/49

The bolded are areas Obama increased score over Bush. Again, those are only the categories the president's shared between the 2009 poll and the 2017 poll. Obama had a few others added that Bush wasn't asked about. But, the comparison shows people think Obama improved 8/12 shared categories.

Again, you see what you want to see.

You are really grasping. I made many posts on this forum in 2016 and never said some were not opinion based. We all have opinions, but in many cases I did try to add data or links to support a topic or perspective. Do you disagree that the election of Trump dampened Obama's legacy? And the larger point is that, MANY on here that align to your viewpoints post a lot of garbage without data and facts, yet you and others choose to laugh about that garbage add add additional sarcastic comments, and when someone who is less partisan or new to this forum comes and sees a group pile on of anti-Trump comments OVER and OVER and OVER, it's not a welcoming environment. There is complete hatred by many on here for Trump, and that lens prevents the ability for fair discussion on the topics of the day and an objective perspective on results he delivers for the country. I realize it will be this way for at least the next 4 years if not longer, and there are other conservatives on here I have chatted with who feel the same way, so it will allow what you and others ultimately want...to be at a place where everyone agrees with you on a vast majority of topics. If there was true sincerity in the intent of this thread being created to have a more open and inclusive environment in the P&R forum, the manner in which you and a few others have responded have pretty much put that to rest.

 

[knapplc]

You are going to get out of this thread what you put into it. So far, bnil, you are putting hostility, recrimination and anger into it. It's not shocking, then, that that's what you see in return.

 

[Landlord]

when someone who is less partisan or new to this forum comes and sees a group pile on of anti-Trump comments OVER and OVER and OVER, it's not a welcoming environment.

Non-partisan people are the kinds of people that pile on anti-Trump comments.

We all want good conversations and dialogue and back and forth in this forum. If you read through the thread, you will see those of us that you are vaguely referring to engaging in these conversations genuinely with others. Yet we don't seem to do that with you specifically. Not with Republicans, not with Trump supporters, but with you.

What's the common denominator here?

 

[Enhance]

bnilhome, I don't expect you to view your posting habits the way I do. That would be optimistic bordering on insanity. However, my perspective is that much of what you dislike about this forum is done by you in return - where you see people leaving no opportunity to lambast Trump, many see you as someone who leaves no stone unturned in a quest to (in my opinion) ridicule Obama. We could probably argue back and forth whether that's just who you are as a person or your response to the way people post here. Frankly, I'm uninterested. I think you fight for fairness and understanding in a place where you often refuse to inject much of your own, as proven by those posts I quoted from you. They're not a stretch or 'grasping' - it was literally less than two minutes of copy and paste work. That's all the time it took.

I will say this - I completely agree with you that this is a hostile environment for Republicans. I see people doing exactly what you dislike and, if I were in your shoes, I'd be just as irritated and irate as you. I will do whatever I can to reflect on my own habits and try to make this a more welcoming place for all opinions - Republican, Democrat or CivLibs like myself.

But, in order to do that, I think you need to meet somewhere in the middle. I don't want to argue with you all the time and I don't want you to feel ostracized, even though we disagree on many a thing. That's truly how I feel and I'm more than willing to take a fresh approach to this place if it means injecting more honest debate - from all parties.

 

[Making Chimichangas]

To all who responded to my post: I have come to realize the times I have said things, perceived to be inflammatory, correlate with consuming alcohol. I don't really drink all that often, but when I do, I do to great excess. For example, in one night of drinking, I can completely drain a 750 ml bottle of rum. 750 ml = 25 ounces. That's a LOT to drink in one night. I am not really proud of that, just giving some context.

I wish I could make Trump supporters understand what I am talking about. To live in constant worry that if I dare to show my true self in public the danger I would face: threats, assault, even be killed. This is not hyperbole. Anti-gay/trans/queer threats, violence, intimidation, and murder are a daily possibility.

I would like for everyone who reads my words here, to do me a favor: when you are perusing Yahoo, MSN, etc and come across any story about someone who is gay/trans/queer, please scroll down and read a lot of the comments. I think you'll be shocked and appalled at the level of bigotry, hatred, and intolerance there really is out there. So when I read hateful comments, see Republicans introducing new legislation designed to demonize people like me, to strip away my humanity, and to paint me as monster, it hurts. And then I see the over-whelming majority of those hateful commenters are Trump supporters.

All of this ties into this thread because I can't separate the news I see and the comments I read, from my brain when I post here. I know that just because someone voted for Trump, that does not automatically make them a racist, anti-gay, bigot. However, no one wears a name tag that has their name on it and below is a small caption that states they hate gays/trans, non-whites, immigrants, non-Christians, etc. So because I don't know who is legit not a bigot, it is safer for me to assume everyone is. I have to assume that every stranger I meet wants to do me harm, or will do me harm if the opportunity presents itself.

My outlook is extremely negative, no doubt about it. But until the majority of society changes their individual (and collective whole) attitudes on these issues, the dangers will be ever present.

I just want Trump supporters to step back and some questions, such as:

• Is someone who is LBGTQIA getting married really the most pressing issue we, as a country, need to address?
• Is a trans person using the restroom of the gender they identify as, a huge issue?
• Is demonizing Muslims as a whole beneficial?
• Is it really the fault of LBGTQIA, non-whites, non-Christians, that America's jobs (especially good paying jobs you can live on) have been reduced, eliminated, or shipped overseas?

It seems to me that:

• fixing our education system,
• repairing the infrastructure,
• getting a handle on the national debt,
• the "war" on illegal drugs,
• the ridiculously high cost of medical care,
• securing our borders, and
• keeping us, the American people, safe from terrorism acts

would be far more beneficial to focus on, rather than who marries who, or who pees in what restroom.

But that's just my angry, irrational, and negative outlook talking.

And apologies if this response strays from the thread's topic, I just wanted to clarify. Hopefully I did.