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H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 11:40 AM Nov 2020

Strangers in the Night

"Leave me the hell alone!! You’re a fool. My husband is an L A sheriff who is far smarter then you found ever hope to be. He too said you’re an idiot. So leave me the eff alone. Quick writing your insane shit. I’d be so ashamed to be a party Of lies. If antifa. Of KILLING BABIES!!!’n. Truly despicable. Shame on you and your kind. Gross !!!" --


I have a casual friend who has worked in the media for many years. I've known him about thirty-five years, and we keep in touch these days by way of facebook. One of his facebook pages has "followers" across the country. Most of the discussions on this page have to do with history -- including railroads from the 1860 - 1900 era -- and while the majority of the group are conservative christians, I accepted his invitation to join, and enjoy answering his questions.

A couple of days ago, he posted a question on the page: "Will Americans ever trust elections again?" Having a sick sense of humor, I enjoyed a giggle reading through the responses. A variety of brain-washed and brain-dead republicans had left a splattering of hilarious responses. They ranged from the fully confident (the Supreme Court would rule that Trump won), to hateful (Harris is Fidel Castro), to delusional (Biden = antifa).

Doing a quick mental calculation, I determined that this very discussion might provide me with some entertainment. Thus, I became the first to respond that yes, I trust the results of the 2020 election. I noted that republicans did better in the House, Senate, and state elections than they possibly could have if there was coordinated, wide-spread cheating by the Democratic Party. Within fifteen minutes, a large number of people agreed with me.

For every action, I suppose there is an equal reaction, or something of lesser quality in this case. A human being responded that I "must be joking," noting that the Democratic Party cheated by having millions of dead people vote. Millions! It just wasn't being reported in the main stream media! Now, to be fair, I had voted by way of a mail-in ballot, avoiding standing in line at the polls. Yet, I doubted that any dead people had voted.

So I pointed out that I had only heard of two actual names of dead voters nationally, and both of these republican claims had been proven false. One was an elderly lady I saw interviewed on the news, still very much alive, and the other was the late Smokin' Joe Frazier. I noted that i am friends with two of Joe's children, and that his family was furious that Rudy Giuliani had lied about this in his silly press conference.

"You're an idiot," she told me. "It's a FACT! Everyone knows it's a FACT!" So I quoted the late Senator Moynihan regarding one's right to an opinion, but not to "facts." And I questioned if her parents had not taught her to look both ways before attempting to take a shortcut to logical thinking? As a result, a growing number of people were supporting my position, while to her discomfort, no one had her back.

Thus, she insisted that I stop posting on the discussion, and called me several other crude names. Not wanting to injure anyone's delicate feelings -- "oh, oh, oh, feelings" played in my head -- I asked if agreed that millions of ghosts and goblins had risen from their graves and voted, she would admit that Big Foot had voted twice in every American city, as reported on Pizza Hut News? I was disappointed when there was no response to my generous offer.

That is, until a full 48 hours later, when she sent the e-mail quoted at the top of this humble essay. The strangest thing is that she included contact information that I have not included here, an odd touch for someone who does not want further communication. My thoughts and prayers go out to her husband.

H2O Man

51 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Strangers in the Night (Original Post) H2O Man Nov 2020 OP
Everything about her email response malaise Nov 2020 #1
I tried to help H2O Man Nov 2020 #3
It spells "defensive posture" Warpy Nov 2020 #42
Boy, I hope she feels better after that! MyOwnPeace Nov 2020 #2
I will speculate H2O Man Nov 2020 #4
Now you have me humming "Doobie doobie doo...." panader0 Nov 2020 #5
Ha! H2O Man Nov 2020 #6
If you vote for Democrats, you are personally responsible for abortions, in their minds. yardwork Nov 2020 #13
Right! H2O Man Nov 2020 #19
I know. I know. yardwork Nov 2020 #51
To which I would answer - "I've never killed a baby in my life!" calimary Nov 2020 #25
Not just her husband Timewas Nov 2020 #7
Seriously. H2O Man Nov 2020 #8
Sounds like a Cluster B disorder to me. Laelth Nov 2020 #10
I agree! H2O Man Nov 2020 #20
One of the best friends I ever had was a mental health care professional. BobTheSubgenius Nov 2020 #40
Once in awhile coeur_de_lion Nov 2020 #9
My eldest child H2O Man Nov 2020 #21
Let's do it! coeur_de_lion Nov 2020 #36
Don't tempt me! H2O Man Nov 2020 #43
She digs you obviously coeur_de_lion Nov 2020 #50
Crazy! Miigwech Nov 2020 #11
Unhinged. H2O Man Nov 2020 #22
Lots of typos? Drunk? Too enraged to see straight? yardwork Nov 2020 #12
Lots of typos, indeed. H2O Man Nov 2020 #24
I too am If antifa. snort Nov 2020 #14
Snort! H2O Man Nov 2020 #27
Assuming that you transcribed her response verbatim, there are some serious mistakes. Found? niyad Nov 2020 #15
Copied & pasted! H2O Man Nov 2020 #28
You are a much better person that I my friend.... Docreed2003 Nov 2020 #16
As our friend "yonder" H2O Man Nov 2020 #29
What jumps out at me is "your kind" PatSeg Nov 2020 #17
Yeah. Exactly. H2O Man Nov 2020 #32
"Anti-social media" PatSeg Nov 2020 #48
Someone has to be her. Oh well. yonder Nov 2020 #18
In the past, had H2O Man Nov 2020 #35
Yeah, I took that as a threat PatSeg Nov 2020 #49
l.a pd and a implied threat to have me arrested . im so AllaN01Bear Nov 2020 #23
I visited my brother H2O Man Nov 2020 #37
At least leftieNanner Nov 2020 #26
It may be that H2O Man Nov 2020 #38
And that's after you cash that check leftieNanner Nov 2020 #44
Ha! H2O Man Nov 2020 #47
I try to stay away from these useless back-and-forths on Facebook, but generalbetrayus Nov 2020 #30
Love the Twain quote! H2O Man Nov 2020 #39
I'm sure they deserve each other! AwakeAtLast Nov 2020 #31
Right. H2O Man Nov 2020 #41
I never let an opportunity to read an H2O Man "humble essay" pass me by.... fantase56 Nov 2020 #33
Thank you! H2O Man Nov 2020 #45
One of my fondest... N_E_1 for Tennis Nov 2020 #34
Strange world. H2O Man Nov 2020 #46

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
3. I tried to help
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 11:53 AM
Nov 2020

her by introducing a small dose of reality. But it caused shock to her system.Poor thing.

Warpy

(111,124 posts)
42. It spells "defensive posture"
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 03:04 PM
Nov 2020

She bought a line of horseshit because it gives her some sort of social identity and larger community. Those are really important to some of us, it keeps the butts in the pews at megachurches and Social Security dollars that should have gone to food flooding in to televangelists who want new private jets to add to their fleet.

My own approach is "who told you that?" or "where did you hear that?" because it wrong foots them, putting the blame elsewhere gets them out of the defensive posture, at least for most people. The few who respond with invective get told "prove it," which is a conversation ender since they know it's bullshit.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
6. Ha!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 11:59 AM
Nov 2020

It's curious -- if I don't want to talk with someone, I simply ignore them. I did find her last message a bit odd. Try as I might, I simply can't remember ever killing any babies.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
19. Right!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:04 PM
Nov 2020

Is it possible that she had a fetus growing inside her skull? Something akin to a stone baby? Should I have suggested emergency surgery to remove her mind? Or would that simply have created more room for dead people and antifa to invade?

As hard as I am laughing as I write this, yardwork, deep down I find it mildly unfair that her vote counts as much as mine.

calimary

(81,091 posts)
25. To which I would answer - "I've never killed a baby in my life!"
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:21 PM
Nov 2020

Birthed a couple. But never killed any.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
8. Seriously.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 12:16 PM
Nov 2020

I, for one, am not going to send her a FB friend request.

If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if she might not have a personality disorder.

Laelth

(32,017 posts)
10. Sounds like a Cluster B disorder to me.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 12:45 PM
Nov 2020

Anyone who uses the phrase, “Everyone knows that,” is a Cluster B suspect in my book. That phrase reeks of massive projection, excessive Narcissism, and an inability to empathize.

-Laelth

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
20. I agree!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:09 PM
Nov 2020

The fellow who runs that FB page zapped the whole post/discussion, and said that there will be no more political discussions there. I assume that there is a likelihood that he heard from her. Speculation on my part, of course. However, on his post saying "no politics," I did respond, "Gosh, that's too bad. The last one was hilarious."

BobTheSubgenius

(11,558 posts)
40. One of the best friends I ever had was a mental health care professional.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:53 PM
Nov 2020

A psychiatric social worker, if you will. Made sure that "consumers" (the appellation they apparently settled on after "patients" and a few others in between) were taking their meds, were able to deal with govt, landlords, utilities and the like. LOVED her job, and she knew more about it than people with the Masters degrees you were supposed to have to get the job in the first place.

This was several years ago, and the DSM4 was still the Bible. She knew it inside out. My point, now that I'm finally getting to it, is...as just one of the reasons I wish she hadn't died, she would be having no end of fun scoping out these people, and making what would probably have been excellent diagnoses.

Ah, well.....

coeur_de_lion

(3,676 posts)
9. Once in awhile
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 12:39 PM
Nov 2020

I poke the trolls on the Daily Mail site just to read the amusing and crazy responses.

QAnon trolling is the most fun of all.

I am so bored now that I don’t need to obsessively read the news looking for a hopeful sign that 45 will soon be history.

I may take up that hobby again.

I would send her a polite email saying you’ve enjoyed talking with her and would like to make a date to further your debate. Send a photo of Don Jr. so she knows what you “look like”.

Stand back and just let her go crazy in her responses. Then ghost her but continue to post her priceless batshit relies to us.

Show kindness to the other side? Not on your fucking life.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
21. My eldest child
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:16 PM
Nov 2020

heard (and saw) me laughing like a maniac when I read her message quoted faithfully in the OP. After I had him read what she wrote, he said that he doubted I kill babies for sport. I assured him that I never have. However, since Don Jr is a "trophy hunter," sending his picture superimposed on a notorious Beatles album cover might put her over the edge!

coeur_de_lion

(3,676 posts)
36. Let's do it!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:39 PM
Nov 2020

Have fun with her. Poor lady hasn’t got the good sense God gave a goose.

She also has terrible taste in presidents.

Let me know how it turns out!

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
43. Don't tempt me!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 03:06 PM
Nov 2020

After writing the OP, I questioned if I really wanted to post it or not. "Is it just me?" I asked myself, "Or was this a wee-bit odd on her part?" The responses here so far have me thinking it isn't just me. Yet I am questioning if her three "LEAVE ME ALONE! GO AWAY!" messages that I didn't respond to, followed by the message quoted in the OP, were fully sincere?

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
22. Unhinged.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:17 PM
Nov 2020

I suspect that she is having trouble accepting the outcome of the election. I could be wrong, of course. But I think I'm right!

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
24. Lots of typos, indeed.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:20 PM
Nov 2020

It was relatively early in the morning when her message reached me. So either she was "pulling an all-nighter," as we used to say in the old days, or she was up early.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
27. Snort!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:23 PM
Nov 2020

Can you imagine all of the wild insults dancing in her head? &quot Insults) flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup," to paraquote a Lennon song? A mixed drink in her cup?

niyad

(113,035 posts)
15. Assuming that you transcribed her response verbatim, there are some serious mistakes. Found?
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 01:25 PM
Nov 2020

Quick?if? Random n? What a sad creature she is.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
28. Copied & pasted!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:26 PM
Nov 2020

I wish that I was capable of creating that myself. Might have allowed me to communicate with her in a more confused manner that she could understand. Alas, I am as "ignorant" and "stupid" as she had previously called me.

Docreed2003

(16,847 posts)
16. You are a much better person that I my friend....
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 01:25 PM
Nov 2020

Imagining myself in that same situation, I can't imagine having the same patience and humor. Thank you for being you and sharing your wisdom with us! You'll never know just how much you are truly appreciated!

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
29. As our friend "yonder"
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:31 PM
Nov 2020

said below, someone has to be her. Were Rudy G to read her message to me, though, I have no doubt that she would be immediately hired on Trump's legal team.

And thank you for your kind words!

PatSeg

(47,244 posts)
17. What jumps out at me is "your kind"
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 01:31 PM
Nov 2020

She is making this about "the other", about us versus them. In her very limited thinking, it is either "you are with us or you are against us", no middle ground whatsoever. Very disturbing.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
32. Yeah. Exactly.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:35 PM
Nov 2020

I feel no need to insult someone simply because they think differently than I do. Or voted for a different candidate. But social media has become anti-social media, I suppose. And she appears to be a very disturbed person.

PatSeg

(47,244 posts)
48. "Anti-social media"
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 04:03 PM
Nov 2020

That is so true. It was meant to bring us together and in many instances it has, but it has also brought out the worst in some people. If there hadn't been professional provocateurs and trolls (plus Trump), I don't think it would have gotten so bad.

For all the people who have used social media to connect with friends and relatives, share ideas and photos, there are also those who will use anything to sow hatred and chaos in their pursuit of power. Add propaganda television and radio to the mix and it would seem that weak and dissatisfied people often can't or won't resist.

Like you, I can handle people who think differently than I do, as long as they aren't being hateful or racist. Attacking people simply because they disagree with you sounds like a manifestation of a much deeper problem.

yonder

(9,654 posts)
18. Someone has to be her. Oh well.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 01:46 PM
Nov 2020

It's interesting she found it necessary to invoke her husband's occupation as some sort of scholarly source of evidence. Either that or an inferred threat: "My husband is a cop and he can arrest people." Ooohh.

Poor woman has derailed.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
35. In the past, had
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:38 PM
Nov 2020

someone tossed down such an impressive intellectual gauntlet, I'd have brought up that I got a 98 on my 7th grade social studies mid-term test.

I've got to remember the speed limit next time I'm driving around LA.

AllaN01Bear

(17,944 posts)
23. l.a pd and a implied threat to have me arrested . im so
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:19 PM
Nov 2020
. and yes los angles pd is very raciest . living in glendora ca, wed hear horror stories about the la pd for years .

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
37. I visited my brother
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:43 PM
Nov 2020

a couple of times when he lived in LA. Based upon that and a number of reports I've read since, I don't think there is any question that racism has infected police there. None at all.

leftieNanner

(15,058 posts)
26. At least
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:23 PM
Nov 2020

she spelled "you're" correctly.

So there's that.

You are far more patient than I could have been.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
38. It may be that
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:46 PM
Nov 2020

I have a sick sense of humor, and take alomst as much pleasure in talking to people like her, as I do in killing all those babies. And after killing the babies, forcing them to vote for antifa, er, I mean Democrats.

leftieNanner

(15,058 posts)
44. And that's after you cash that check
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 03:12 PM
Nov 2020

from George Soros!

I'm still waiting for mine, but his office told me "the check is in the mail."

generalbetrayus

(507 posts)
30. I try to stay away from these useless back-and-forths on Facebook, but
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:34 PM
Nov 2020

I got into it a couple of days ago with another, equally loony woman commenting on a thoroughly sane Facebook friend's post. I finally told her I was throwing in the towel and presented her with the Mark Twain quote: "Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
39. Love the Twain quote!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:52 PM
Nov 2020

It was a cold, rainy day here in the northeast. I was hoping that there might be an intelligent discussion about the election results. Was I ever wrong!

Three other people that I don't know joined in to say that I was right, and that she was not worth talking to. I suspect that she felt ganged up upon by a mob of baby-killing antifa members. Too close for comfort!

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
41. Right.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 03:01 PM
Nov 2020

Such a nice couple. Match made in heaven.

On the other hand, I like to imagine that her husband was thinking, "Why are you telling me about this?"

fantase56

(441 posts)
33. I never let an opportunity to read an H2O Man "humble essay" pass me by....
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:37 PM
Nov 2020

My wife engages on Facebook and occasionally wants to read me excerpts from some of the insane postings, which I usually politely decline. You can't fix stupid. Thanks for the laugh.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
45. Thank you!
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 03:15 PM
Nov 2020

I try to maintain some contact with various people in the media, most of whom are liberal. The fellow who runs this fb page used to be open-minded, but after a health crisis, has become a conservative christian. I accept that serious health issues can result in brain damage, and still communicate with him every so often.

Usually, I am able to have at least a little influence on some journalists. However, I was not successful this summer, when I submitted an op-ed in a regional newspaper. I wrote about attending a local Black Lives Matter rally, and being surprised that the confederate/KKK people kept shouting out the title of Dick Gregory's 1964 autobiography. The paper's editor contacted me, saying she would have to remove mention of the book's title to publish the op-ed. No thank you.

N_E_1 for Tennis

(9,663 posts)
34. One of my fondest...
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 02:37 PM
Nov 2020

A group of neighbors were gathered on our street after the mail was delivered it happens from time to time. We live in a small enough town that news travels quickly and these are generally gab fests and gossip..er..town news is shared.

It happened long enough ago that the vivid details are not so brilliant so brevity is all I have.

Like you after a time of discussions floating around one individual broke from his side conversation with another. With raised voice the old verse of “you’re killing babies” rose above the din.
Picking out the Democrats in the group we received a virtual finger stabbing with that refrain voiced over and over.
We locked eyes, the phrase was directed toward me and I answered...
“Of course, you can’t eat them alive”.

Well verbal bombs were launched and we disbanded quickly. That persons house is up for sale.

I should note I live in a very red area of northern Michigan except on our little street. Out of 15 families 7 are Dems. Quite unusual.

H2O Man

(73,506 posts)
46. Strange world.
Mon Nov 16, 2020, 03:46 PM
Nov 2020

My older daughter lives in Boston, and currently works for the city council. She said that after the election, a group of "pro life" activists surrounded a local Planned Parenthood building, and were engaged in chanting in a language she is unfamiliar with. I guess they are everywhere.

I really like the governor of Michigan. I would love it if she eventually became president.

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