your feedback please

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

So my self-proclaimed opened minded sister sends me nothing but right-wing spam. Funny how some open minded folk and some who claim to be Independents will spew nothing but right-wing talking points...

Anyway, she inspired me to write this. I'd like to hear what you think of it.

Thanks

"An open mind is an empty mind. An empty mind has no values and is easy to manipulate."

[Animal Chin]

1. Have to be honest

I don't think I agree - either that an open mind is an empty mind or that an empty mind has no values.

Self-proclaimed "open minded" people who regurgitate any "talking points" in lieu of understanding an issue are probably just not really open minded. Or maybe they're just that dumb and/or hateful.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

4. ignorant/dumb

And I did say *some* people a couple of times.

[Indpndnt]

2. You're slamming open minds?

Really? What is the alternative then? What would you call it? If it isn't open, it's closed, isn't it?

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

5. That's a good question.

I'm well informed, capable of critical thought, and know my core values so it's easy for me to reject bogus claims from the right. Therefore, I don't consider myself terribly open minded in the context of this discussion.

On the other hand, when my friend takes me to a sushi bar, or I travel to a foreign country, or whatnot, I consider myself very open minded.

[Yooperman]

3. LOL.... it won't matter what you say...

I have a FB buddy that recently connected with me after several decades of not keeping in touch with each other. We grew up near each other ...anyway... I see he posted a very right wing link about how Obama is not legally the President blah blah blah..and his comment was "You won't see the liberal media touch this one!"...

All I responded was "You make it sound like being a liberal is a bad thing Bill!"

Well all hell broke out as some of his friends and then his wife came to his defense....

Basically how he doesn't take sides that he was really an independent...and that he he didn't use religion to make his decision on who to vote for (he is a Mormon) ... that his first choice was Santorum!

All I could do is chuckle how they see themselves... an "Independent!!" Really!! and he his first choice was Santorum!! Give me a break....

You cannot reason with these people....

Yesterday another FB friend posted GWB jogging with a former Iraqi soldier who had lost his leg .... and his comment..."Two Honorable Men!"...

I couldn't let that one pass.... and really laid out what I thought of GWB and that there was only one Honorable man in that picture and he lost his leg fighting for regime change in a foreign country!

After 8 years of failed policies and dragging us into two ill thought out wars...they still can't see what or are not willing to see the real problem and that is the republican party.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

6. Facebook is famous for those encounters!

Half of my 50 FB friends I reconnected with through my elementary school group. I hadn't seen, heard, nor spoken to them in more than 30 years. It was nice to reunite through FB. I even made a trip back home and visited a few. Very cool.

Then one guy posts something hatefully anti-Obama then ridiculous along the lines, "Keep your hands off my guns!" He then changed his profile picture from someone I'd recognize even today, to himself holding to assault riffles!! Guh...

Instant unfriend.

Another now lives in Arizona. I wish I could recall more of the details, but in the end, she was open-minded, and listens to both sides and makes up her own mind, but damnit, Obama's spending is out of control!!! That was it! LOL She's good people, though. Just ignorant/dumb.

[Yooperman]

11. yes..very similar experience for me.

I realize I can't change their minds. They are committed to the Republican party because basically they can't vote for a party that would allow abortions. So they look for every negative they can find... real or imagined to justify their choice to support the Republicans. Even though they have ran this country into the ground every time one of them takes office. There was a post today of GWB smirking with the caption..."Miss me yet?" Do you believe that?!!! My God they have short memories and VERY selective.

It just gets old trying to correct mis-information or lies that they keep posting. I have not had one Democratic posting that had incorrect information. NOT ONE! But I can't count how many right wing posts that I respond too just to correct the poster and show thru legitimate sites how their post is incorrect.

Good Luck in your part of the world... and really what the hell happened to the Bears? Dang... talk about fall flat after that first week. I am happy that I sat Micheal Bush...lol.

My opponent started 3 Packers lol... projected points was over 30 and he got 13... Your Defense looked great! Other than that fake field goal!

Go Lions!! LOL

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

8. You have a point

Actually two.

The friend in Arizona prefaced her response to me by stating, I know your a die-hard Democrat...

I told her, actually, I'm far to the left of the president and often at odds with him.

Here, you'll find two camps of Democrats: those fiercely loyal to Obama, and those of us who are often critical of him.

And therein lies the difference between Dems and you clowns.

[Yooperman]

12. Yep..that is how I feel... I am not happy with everything

President Obama has done... and I have voiced that displeasure...but righties will never bend... never admit their guy made a mistake.

They just keep trying to twist the truth until it satisfies their needs. Truthful or not..most don't care...

YM

[Blue Belle]

9. I think that your first mistake...

is that assuming she is self aware to see that she isn't as open minded as she claims and that she understands irony. Most of the tea billies I argue with on facebook don't even understand that they are proving my point with their racist birther comments.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

10. Agreed, and I was thinking along the lines...

...that her "open minded" claim was merely a euphemism for being ignorant.

It's easy to cherry pick ideas that both Dems and moderate R's or Dems and Libertarians hold, but by and large, the ideologies aren't even close. So both of your points are spot on.

And to your latter point, irony, I've been dying to tell someone this story from my recent visit to her house.

About 4 years ago she decided that she wanted to get rich quick, so she went pretty big into the housing casino economy: flip homes for a profit. To do this, she had to incorporate. Rather than incorporating in California, her home state, she incorporated in either Nevada or Utah because her mentors (The Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad, Poor Dad Clan) told her the tax rates there are lower.

One night during my visit we drove past a Caltrans worksite. It was near midnight and the site was empty, and this sent them into bitter, anti-worker, anti-state banter. "There's our tax dollars at work," intimating that no one was working.

I can't help but interrupt and sarcastically say, "You guys are hilarious! Do you know why your state is going broke and your roads are crumbling? It's because your state has a revenue problem. Do you understand why? It's because people like you send their tax dollars to other states, so those other states can improve their infrastructure."

That concept just hurt their two brain cells. I know they couldn't make sense of it.

[rucky]

13. "Funny how some open minded folk and some who claim to be Independents...

"Funny how some open minded folk and some who claim to be Independents will spew nothing but right-wing talking points..."

should be your response