I I wish I had your resolve. I don't and the latest post on the rodeo thread really pisses me off. It takes a real hateful person to accuse my family that he doesn't understand and doesn't care to learn about, as committing acts of animal cruelty. I have no use for such an ignorant, arrogant, and hateful person nor a forum where he will find support for his ignorance and disregard for others personal experiences and/or opinions. With that I am taking a break. I am angry at myself for wasting so much time on this forum where very little of what I post is appreciated, especially if from personal experience. I am an eccentric and I admit it, but I am not an animal abuser and never have been. Anybody that thinks I am, is an idiot and I have no time for such people and their mental illness. Maybe I will gone for a few days, maybe forever, I don't know but this latest shit and display of ignorance is just more than I can handle at this time.
An intolerance for someone expressing the view (which I don't share) that rodeos are cruel is no different than an intolerance for those who believe that it's hateful not to accept that there are multiple genders. People will believe what they believe and it's only personal if you make it so. If someone says that only Christadelphians are going to heaven, and everyone else is going to hell, that's not personal. If someone says that I am an evil person and I'm going to hell, that's personal. I wouldn't personally be offended, but it would be personal. Subsequently, if a vegan says that it's cruel to eat meat, that's not personal, and people are allowed to believe that it's cruel to eat meat. There are people who think it's cruel to step on bugs, and they're allowed to believe that too. People are allowed to have and express opinions that differ. We all have things that we think are cruel, crazy, stupid, or whatever, and we're allowed to talk about that stuff here, as long as we're not calling another forum member cruel, or crazy, or stupid. You might think you're being attacked by inference when someone says that something you do is cruel, but they're allowed to think that. What else would we have to talk about if we were a forum of people who agreed on everything?
Review that rodeo thread. Read his last post. He made a personal insult concerning my family which includes me. When someone accuses me of being in denial with no evidence of why, that is a personal insult and attack. If this forum is going to tolerate and attract those that make personal blanket statements of ignorance, then I don't care to be part of it because it isn't a discussion forum but rather a pulpit for those that love to spread their hate and ignorance to others. Accusing me of being an animal abuser is just about as low as it gets. I am sure there are others here that agree with this guy and so my presence here is unwanted.
No, he's saying that, in his opinion, some of your family traditions are cruel. He believes that just as surely as you probably believe that other people's traditions are cruel, stupid, or whatever. I don't agree with him, and I think most people here don't agree with him, but he's allowed to believe that. Who is harmed by it? A lot of people believe that hunting is cruel, that rodeos are cruel, or that zoos are cruel. Others believe that hunting and rodeos are great traditions that should be encouraged, or that zoos are splendid ways for people to get to know something about animals that are not native to their habitat. I don't hunt but I think we're worse off, as a society, because not many of our young people have continued the tradition of hunting. I don't have any strong opinions about rodeos, except that it's clear that a lot of people really enjoy them. But my opinions are just my opinions, that's all. I don't often express them here but I have some strongly negative opinions about some religions, but those who adhere to those faiths would disagree. I'm not too crazy about the Democrat Party, and most of the Republicans either but, as long as I'm not hurling epithets at individual forum members, I have a right think poorly of Democrats and Republicans.
I disagree! He never said that was his opinion, he stated it as if it was fact and that I as a rancher and participant in rodeo was guilty of animal cruelty and my carefully throughout explanations of why I know he is wrong with such a generalization, were not met with intelligent discussion, but a blanket statement that I was in denial. Some here liked his one line put down post about denial and that just showed me where I stood in the minds of some here. He repeated it to include that my family was involved in acts of animal cruelty knowing only they were cattle ranchers and some rodeo stars. That isn't an opinion but rather a judgement rooted in ignorance. I have no time for such blatant and repeated ignorance. I should have know better than to ever make another post on that rodeo thread, especially in response to an uneducated animal rights activist that has no real knowledge of what he hates.
Judgments are opinions, aren't they? What one person considers cruel, another does not. Some people consider spanking a child to be cruel, to the point of child abuse, while others consider it bringing a child up in the appropriate way. Some people don't consider whipping a horse to be cruel, while others view simply riding a horse as being cruel. Generally, people who have never been around animals have the highest sensitivities about the way they should be treated, just as most of those who cry about someone cutting a tree down live in places where there aren't any trees. Yes, a lot of it stems from ignorance, and it's okay for me to say that as long as I am not calling a particular forum member ignorant. They can infer if they want to, but it's still not a personal attack.
As I said, Are we in denial or are we discussing here? He said he was discussing and we were in denial. (still say that shows he admits he is talking to himself as no one else is discussing this) Insults can only hurt if they are true. I know it isn't true for me. You know it isn't true for you. There are instances of nerfballs being over agressive in almost any sport. And no one knows if he eats meat, which is cruel depending on a lot of things.
I made a final post in that rodeo thread and I hope it won't be deleted unless my entire presence here is deleted. I see that one of my post was deleted by administration with the warning, "please don't ramp this up." I also saw that the guy that post blanket statements void of knowledge or experience, still had his post up. That tells me all I need to know. Time for me to go as my participation here isn't appreciated. I wish you all well and will miss many of you but censorship of my responses, that violated no rule, just aides the "wokeness" that is taking over this forum. It ceases to be a discussion forum for me. I tried to just post and follow non controversial threads and go along with the flow, but that wasn't being true to myself. When something based on ignorance is posted about something I am experienced and knowledgeable, then I have to respond. Sure I could let it go, but then the forum ceases to be a discussion forum for me and either ignorance or divisiveness rules. Feel free to delete my entire presence here.
What you don't see is that his similar post was removed at the same time and with the exact same message. What you also fail to appreciate is that people are allowed to disagree with you, or that we've had enough drama.
Faye, before you leave, why not try a suggestion for a while? There are numerous people on another forum who have annoyed me to the point that I considered their opinions useless and prefer not to deal with them. Fortunately, the forums make it easy, just put them on ignore and they disappear and I go happily (well, as close as I come) on my way. http://seniorsonly.club/account/ignored
Your participation is very much appreciated and will be missed. Your intelligence, knowledge, wit and history help me learn and appreciate things more. Sadly there will be a few people who don't get it--they never will (pretending aside). But they are few. You will deprive the rest of us.
Thank you Mary. My announcing my leaving wasn't just about the one that was agenda driven that didn't want to discuss the video he posted or his opinion, but rather his making one line snide accusatory remarks, but the failure of the ones that liked his remarks, to read the entire discussion after the PETA sponsored video he posted. They had no idea what the old saying referring to substance abusers that "denial is a powerful thing," was a personal poke at me and my family. I decided to come back today because of your post and also hopefully to make the point that resurrecting the old thread about dramatic exits by a moderator that I feel failed me and the forum by not moderating that damned rodeo thread. It appeared to me that moderation on this forum isn't about unbiased moderation, but "well it is just a difference of opinion." I didn't realize @Ken Anderson that you had also deleted one of his post also. Thanks. What I did see was his continuing along the same non discussion line with one line saying to gather likes and support. It wasn't a difference of opinion. Personal experiences and lifestyles are not opinion. My stand based on my knowledge and experience isn't opinion. If another was to quote me adding their bias, then that is opinion. An example would be if you post you went to the store and you did then that is a fact. If I post that Ken went to the store today and that was an unnecessary waste of resources, then that is an opinion. Truth and fact are two different things. We can all have our truths based on belief, but facts are reality that can be substantiated by investigation. On this forum comprised of seniors, I judge everyone as honest, intelligent, and reasonable until they prove otherwise.
Me too! I will miss you a lot. Thanks to you, I'm making good progress on Tai Chi. I hope you change your mind about leaving. Your sense of humor, your great writing style, and many other attributes will be greatly missed if you leave. Please reconsider.