When will we realize the we (ALL OF US) are setting an example that will ultimately destroy the template for a great nation?

[SJR 04]

Our children are watching and listening. Our actions are affecting their behavior and opinions for the worse. Whatever happened to teaching tolerance and respect?? Paul Ryan hado an awful experience in North Jersey via our children.

Why N.J. 8th graders snubbing Paul Ryan further tears at national fabric | Opinion | NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_nj_8th_graders_snubbing_paul_ryan_further_tear.html#incart_river_mobile_home

[thc6795]

3 minutes ago, SJR 04 said:

Our children are watching and listening. Our actions are affecting their behavior and opinions for the worse. Whatever happened to teaching tolerance and respect?? Paul Ryan hado an awful experience in North Jersey via our children.

Why N.J. 8th graders snubbing Paul Ryan further tears at national fabric | Opinion | NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_nj_8th_graders_snubbing_paul_ryan_further_tear.html#incart_river_mobile_home

Good article. Unfortunately I only see this as getting worse. I am 50 yrs old. I have never seen our country as divided as it is today. 

[SJR 04]

13 minutes ago, thc6795 said:

Good article. Unfortunately I only see this as getting worse. I am 50 yrs old. I have never seen our country as divided as it is today. 

You speak of a very sad truth. We are in a very dark time. I hope for brighter days.

[thc6795]

1 minute ago, SJR 04 said:

You speak of a very sad truth. We are in a very dark time. I hope for brighter days.

Agreed. My bet is soon on this very thread we will be debating who's fault it is. Ill save most the time. WE did this.

[AztecPadre]

4 minutes ago, thc6795 said:

Agreed. My bet is soon on this very thread we will be debating who's fault it is. Ill save most the time. WE did this.

BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  with some help from trump of course

[thc6795]

That didn't take long, thanks padre it would have to be you... pendecko!

[Rufus69]

59 minutes ago, thc6795 said:

Good article. Unfortunately I only see this as getting worse. I am 50 yrs old. I have never seen our country as divided as it is today. 

There was this time back in 1861.......

 

 

Rufus>>

[thc6795]

6 minutes ago, Rufus69 said:

There was this time back in 1861.......

 

 

Rufus>>

out of likes again bro.

[Bormio]

25 minutes ago, Rufus69 said:

There was this time back in 1861.......

 

 

Rufus>>

You were a wee tot, amirite?

[Fred]

The cost of entry to publication has a lot to do with it IMHO.  Used to be it took a great deal of effort and no small amount of money to publish a paper on your position. That alone provided at least some small amount of vetting.  It was pretty easy to recognize those publications that were out there on the fringes.  Now days, there are a plethora of sites catering to whatever your pleasure is.  Social media has been both good and bad for us and the rest of the world.

[aZjimbo]

2 hours ago, SJR 04 said:

Our children are watching and listening. Our actions are affecting their behavior and opinions for the worse. Whatever happened to teaching tolerance and respect?? Paul Ryan hado an awful experience in North Jersey via our children.

Why N.J. 8th graders snubbing Paul Ryan further tears at national fabric | Opinion | NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_nj_8th_graders_snubbing_paul_ryan_further_tear.html#incart_river_mobile_home

So 2017 is a worse time than the 60s and all the drugs and violence and war protests etc?

[old_e]

There was always division. We just didn't have the social media to voice an opinion. Back then if it wasn't mainstream then, there was a serious back lash. Either by the government or the local community leaders.

[TheRealCAJ]

3 hours ago, SJR 04 said:

Our children are watching and listening. Our actions are affecting their behavior and opinions for the worse. Whatever happened to teaching tolerance and respect?? Paul Ryan hado an awful experience in North Jersey via our children.

Why N.J. 8th graders snubbing Paul Ryan further tears at national fabric | Opinion | NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_nj_8th_graders_snubbing_paul_ryan_further_tear.html#incart_river_mobile_home

Ryan, is a hit in Wisconsin and not so much elsewhere.

He's a major part of the problem.

Sold his soul and will most likely burn in hell.

 

 

[aZjimbo]

7 minutes ago, TheRealCAJ said:

Ryan, is a hit in Wisconsin and not so much elsewhere.

He's a major part of the problem.

Sold his soul and will most likely burn in hell.

 

 

Paul Ryan sucks but is he worse than that POS called harry reid. The problem with you liberals is you're afraid to call out your own. But then again I wouldn't expect it from chip the racist. 

[TheRealCAJ]

4 hours ago, SJR 04 said:

Our children are watching and listening. Our actions are affecting their behavior and opinions for the worse. Whatever happened to teaching tolerance and respect?? Paul Ryan hado an awful experience in North Jersey via our children.

Why N.J. 8th graders snubbing Paul Ryan further tears at national fabric | Opinion | NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_nj_8th_graders_snubbing_paul_ryan_further_tear.html#incart_river_mobile_home

What makes a Palestinian hating Jews or vice versa on social media any different than zimbo the clown saying libtards suck 30 times a day on a football forum?....very little truthfully.

The problem is not the children and will never be the children....that's a fact!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aZjimbo]

22 minutes ago, TheRealCAJ said:

What makes a Palestinian hating Jews or vice versa on social media any different than zimbo the clown saying libtards suck 30 times a day on a football forum?....very little truthfully.

The problem is not the children and will never be the children....that's a fact!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem is clowns like you mr racist.

[World Citizen]

5 hours ago, aZjimbo said:

So 2017 is a worse time than the 60s and all the drugs and violence and war protests etc?

There are plenty of worse times to choose from depending on your vantage point.  

[HawgGoneIt]

As some have mentioned, there were obviously times that were worse in ways different than that we see now. The times now are unique as there has never been as great of access to the internet and social media as we have now. These additions to the already politically divided atmosphere certainly have allowed people to work themselves into a fervor easier than times in the past where like minded people had to find each other and then have meetings or whatever to hone their message or animosity toward opposing views.

Today, it's as simple as clicking on a facebook group or following someone on twitter, which allows people to spread their message, be it good or bad or even full of hate, and this in turn allows people to gather, develop plans and strategies and begin to act on them. "We" collectively see it most easily as it pertains to ISIS using the net to reach others that feel disenfranchised or alone or whatever, but the truth is, everyone is doing something similar. Be it politics or car enthusiasts, all it takes is a person with a message to gain support, and then if that person is manipulative enough to coerce others into action for the good of the group, then it can really be practically the same thing as ISIS is doing. 

The Corvette Lover's Group has decided that the new Mustang is causing their favorite car to fall in popularity so they start by trolling the mustang forums. Eventually a few of the crazier members start keying mustangs or corvettes, and it continues to build until a few weirdies are fighting or scaring customers off of car lots etc. 

Super-impose that with any group. Republicans, Democrats, Anti-government, supremacists or whatever, and you can start to realize how potentially dangerous the times are. You never really know what kind of person you are actually chatting with. You don't know if the person is just playing with you, playing along, or taking everything you say seriously, so just imagine the true power your words or message could have in the hands or mind of a deranged person. 

I really think this all should go without saying, but I'm not sure that people think about things that deeply, at least it doesn't seem like they do, or often they wouldn't say some of the stuff they say... at least I think that, or hope that's the case. Even among the fairly close knit group of guys here, there is pretty cringe worthy messages scattered around sometimes. 

 

Anyway, after wandering off on that thought process, these times have the potential to be far more dangerous than any from the past, as many more people can all be activated so to speak, in an instant. Or people can be brought along or developed into something they never really were simply by being indoctrinated with whatever it is someone else is selling them. 

Just something to entertain in your thoughts as you post along or hone messages in your groups on face book or wherever... 

We've all heard that the pen is mightier than the sword. It is true without a doubt. 

As per usual, I'm also pretty sure that I wasted a lot of thought and time in typing it out, but there it is none-the-less. Take it however you want.

[aZjimbo]

2 hours ago, World Citizen said:

There are plenty of worse times to choose from depending on your vantage point.  

That's exactly my point. 

[Fred]

Hawg, to carry your point to its conclusion, as was demonstrated in the recent elections, many if not most people have surrounded themselves with like minded people...and no others.  This creates a false sense of "everyone" feels the same way because everyone you (not you in particular) know feels the same way so everyone does.  I have made it a point to remain friends with people whose point of view I don't agree with so I won't fall into that trap.  I generally don't participate in the OT discussions here as they hit the extreme pretty quickly and the name calling gets thick and life's too short for that mess.  It doesn't mean I don't read and try to absorb opposing views it just means I'm a little picky about the ones I spend my time on.  I would argue that mass killings are not new, just better publicized.  I would argue that there are too many 24 hour news channels hunting for something to distinguish themselves with.  I would argue that the independent news organizations of my youth are gone never to be heard from again.  I would argue that the Rush Limbaughs of the world are driven by ratings and not ideology but are *very* attuned to what it takes to get those ratings and what ideological stance will generate those ratings.  I would argue that there are far too many people that believe just because it is published it must be true.  I would argue that too many people are intellectually lazy and want to be spoon fed.  This may come as a surprise because it was to me but I found Al Jazeera to actually be a reasonable balanced news source.  I try to read news from other countries to see how they think.  It is surprising what they see from the outside.  I lean conservative but work at a very liberal institution.  When I would be at the gym the locker room conversations were interesting to say the least.  I just kept quite and listened.  Half my family leans right and half leans left.  We've reached an at times uneasy truce on some issues to keep the family together.  Too bad the country can't do the same.

[HawgGoneIt]

6 hours ago, Fred said:

Hawg, to carry your point to its conclusion, as was demonstrated in the recent elections, many if not most people have surrounded themselves with like minded people...and no others.  This creates a false sense of "everyone" feels the same way because everyone you (not you in particular) know feels the same way so everyone does.  I have made it a point to remain friends with people whose point of view I don't agree with so I won't fall into that trap.  I generally don't participate in the OT discussions here as they hit the extreme pretty quickly and the name calling gets thick and life's too short for that mess.  It doesn't mean I don't read and try to absorb opposing views it just means I'm a little picky about the ones I spend my time on.  I would argue that mass killings are not new, just better publicized.  I would argue that there are too many 24 hour news channels hunting for something to distinguish themselves with.  I would argue that the independent news organizations of my youth are gone never to be heard from again.  I would argue that the Rush Limbaughs of the world are driven by ratings and not ideology but are *very* attuned to what it takes to get those ratings and what ideological stance will generate those ratings.  I would argue that there are far too many people that believe just because it is published it must be true.  I would argue that too many people are intellectually lazy and want to be spoon fed.  This may come as a surprise because it was to me but I found Al Jazeera to actually be a reasonable balanced news source.  I try to read news from other countries to see how they think.  It is surprising what they see from the outside.  I lean conservative but work at a very liberal institution.  When I would be at the gym the locker room conversations were interesting to say the least.  I just kept quite and listened.  Half my family leans right and half leans left.  We've reached an at times uneasy truce on some issues to keep the family together.  Too bad the country can't do the same.

 

Yes. All very valid observations for sure. People have become confused of the difference of an editorial/opinion piece and actual news reporting for one thing. This appears to even hold true with some of the reporters themselves, but it definitely is true with the audiences that are being reached in general. This is part of the reason why I do understand why certain people choose particular news networks/programs to watch. If a person's opinion is more like our own, we are most apt to want to listen to or hear from that person, but, we should try to realize that, perhaps what we are watching is not news, but an op/ed piece which there seems to be more of than actual news reporting these days. 

If we are discussing networks overall, then, yes it's difficult to find one that isn't chock full of these op/ed pieces fed to us as the reporting of news, however there are programs on most networks where you can get reporting and not have to wade through the opinions of the reporters. I think even our president falls into this trap and doesn't know how to express it properly in 140 characters so to speak. He watches these op/ed pieces that he doesn't agree with, and takes them for news, then calls the entire media fake. Just my opinion. 

The networks make a mistake in my opinion, by taking a popular news reporter, one that sits at a desk and actually gives the news as it has happened, and then due to that reporter's popularity, they grow their role on the network, This reporter has gained respect and now the network decides to give them a second show on their 24hr. side, and this show is more of the op/ed framework, so now, suddenly, we all discover that this respected reporter has a different opinion than our own, or appears to. Now we can't accept this reporter's actual reporting without imagining the opinion we have seen. It's a real issue, even when some reporters on certain segments are giving the unadulterated story and we just can't forget that this person sees things differently than our own self, so now we have this trust issue with them suddenly.

It does seem like, aside from just a few hard nosed types of people in America, that we all did eventually come around and try to work together to problem solve. This was true for people in general and then the politicians we have elected to lead us. The politicians can no longer do it, because their constituencies can no longer do it. We are just too bone-headed to see that is the short and sweet, truth of it. We can't figure why nothing can get done, and we see that congress hovers at around 19 percent approval and over 60 percent disapproval, but none of us are willing to give in and encourage our guys to work with the other guys. We sit around dumbfounded that they just don't accomplish anything, and we dislike that nothing is getting done, but we just won't change our self either, so how can we expect them to? 

[TheRealCAJ]

zimbo the clown, saying libtards suck 30 times a day obviously must put a lot of dollars in his bank account...

Money and class!....are the real dividers....i don't ever see that changing. In fact, will eventually be the death of this nation. Slow and painful death.