My cousin and other idiots

So, I have just had to take the awkward step of unfriending my cousin on Facebook because of his continued EDL style, anti-Islam posts.

I didn't want to do it, but I have a rule: I will not associate myself with people who display this kind of ignorance and prejudice, particularly when what they post can be interpreted as an incitement to hatred, an attempt to stir up xenophobia and Jingoistic violence. It doesn't matter if it's my cousin, some guy at work, or my own mother - I want nothing to do with people like that.

I'm tempted to despair at the amount of ignorance and closet racism that gets spouted out by nationalistic idiots who haven't quite got the brain power to process the fact that national borders are meaningless - they are invented lines on land that no-one can claim ownership of. We are a single human race living on a single suffering planet, and the sooner people wake up and realise that 99.9% of us essentially want the same things - to be able to live in peace and friendship with enough resources to sustain our families - the sooner we can sort this sh#t out.

I am sickened by the events yesterday in Woolwich, but I can't say I'm surprised. I've said it before and I'll say it again: there are d#heads of every race, colour and creed. It doesn't matter that these guys claimed religious justification for their actions; this is not about religion. This is not about "our great nation being taken over and polluted with Muslims". This is about messed up individuals. To say that they represent Islam is the same as saying that the KKK represents Christianity.

I really wish my cousin could have delayed posting his hate until after my sister's wedding this August. Gonna be awkward when I bump into him.

reply to post by CuriousAchilles
Don't feel bad about un-friending your cousin. My kids (well, adults but still kids to me) have un-friended family members for far less and I don't blame them when they've done it. When those family members have called whining to me about it I tell them to go put their big girl panties on and quit being childish.

Might I suggest just deleting your Facebook account altogether? Rather than the awkward de-friending and social ramifications of knowing one's political stance, just delete yourself from the soap box. It's immensely refreshing to have a real conversation with someone instead of reading their life on Facebook, including every knee-jerk display of stupidity.

reply to post by CuriousAchilles


FaceBook? Causing family friction? Say it ain't so.

Never had it, never will. And people still allow their lives to be run by a website.

You lost me with the "I'm on Facebook" bit.
Ok Mr tolerant,why are you intolerant of the intolerant?

Originally posted by DaTroof
Might I suggest just deleting your Facebook account altogether? Rather than the awkward de-friending and social ramifications of knowing one's political stance, just delete yourself from the soap box. It's immensely refreshing to have a real conversation with someone instead of reading their life on Facebook, including every knee-jerk display of stupidity.

edit on 23-5-2013 by DaTroof because: (no reason given)

I did go without Facebook for a while. What dragged me back wasn't the endless psycho-drama of other people's lives and pictures of cats (OMG LOLZ), but the fact that important events that I need to attend are more often than not organised on it, including last-minute cancellations / changes of plan, etc. I'm hopelessly disorganised, generally, so I find it useful in that respect.

I also view it as a good platform for exposing the people I know the views that they might not otherwise consider, or hear from anyone else. I've managed to get quite few people to talk realistically about our broken political system, and discuss ways in which we might, as a collective, at least try to make a difference.

I do, however, have to police myself every now and then when I find myself going on it too much. Everything in moderation, after all.

Namaste

Originally posted by glen200376
Ok Mr tolerant,why are you intolerant of the intolerant?

Ah, the old intolerant of intolerance paradox.

I don't claim to be perfect, or a role model. I'm human, and fallible, just like everyone else on this planet. But I consider it my duty to challenge ignorant attitudes that have the potential to cause real harm to other human beings.

If you think this is wrong, you're entitled to your opinion.

reply to post by CuriousAchilles


So why is your cousin not entitled to his opinion?
Is it a bit to close to the bone for you?
Maybe you shouldn't disregard his comments,the more Muslims that come to this island,the more despicable acts will be commited.
Rape and plunder,it's what they have always done.

Originally posted by glen200376
reply to post by CuriousAchilles

 

Maybe you shouldn't disregard his comments,the more Muslims that come to this island,the more despicable acts will be commited.
Rape and plunder,it's what they have always done.

I would respond to this by saying something about the Vikings... but that would mean trying to engage you in reasoned debate. And you've already identified yourself as someone for whom that would be a waste of time.

Feel free to comment all you like, but I will not respond anymore. Like I said - I choose not to associate myself with people like you.

Thanks for your input.

It's very important to surround yourself with people who agree with you.

It's how we grow.

Number one word in every divorce complaint...."Facebook"

There are group of people that will use current events for justification, sometimes its Guns, sometimes its Xenophobia, or it could be religion hating.

I think what you did was the right thing.

Don't give into the hate mongers and this divide and conquer tactic that so many people fall into.

Do not ignore hate(address it) at the same time do not participate(further fuel).


edit: i do not like religion, that does not mean im going bash billions of people because of it. In my current experience, i have met 95% good Muslims, and probably 1-2 bad(just adamant about their belief, not violent) ones.

Originally posted by chasingbrahman
It's very important to surround yourself with people who agree with you.

It's how we grow.

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that it is a good thing to have your viewpoints challenged now and then - it's one of the reasons I'm on here. But on some issues, especially incredibly divisive ones like religion and politics, neither party is going to change the other's mind. I don't like the fact that my cousin is demonising Muslims, and he probably doesn't like the fact that I don't like him for it.

If I thought that engaging in reasoned debate with people like him would yield benefits, then I would do so. But experience has taught me otherwise, and I'm highly strung enough as it is without banging my head against brick walls.

If he and others want to practise the politics of hatred, it's up to them. But it is up to me whether or not I wish to be associated with people like that, and I don't.

reply to post by CuriousAchilles


Maybe he's just angry about the murder of the young soldier in London it wasn't something very nice to hear in ones own country, give him a week or two and i'm sure the spouting off will stop, well until the next time that is.

I don't like fb much myself but i can go on and nosey to see what my kids are up to as they've all left home lol i spy