Yet another case for using the ignore button.

Lyric

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Thu Apr-16-09 10:35 PM
Original message

Yet another case for using the ignore button.

As most of us have noticed, it's always the same people characterizing any criticism as "bashing" or trivializing genuine critique as infantile "bitching." It doesn't matter what the president does, they'll always find some way to rationalize it. Nothing he does will ever be "wrong" to them. Criticize Obama for even the smallest thing, and someone will inevitably accuse you of wanting a pony or post a picture of a crying baby--it's as predictable as the tides.

I truly believe that these few people are consumed with rage in their hearts; angry because they adore him so much, and cannot seem to tolerate anyone who views him as the flawed human that he is--that EVERY human is. It's something intrinsic in them. They revere Obama to an unhealthy extent, more so than is healthy for any politician, and have felt this way about him long before he was ever elected president. Why they can't acknowledge even his most glaring mistakes is something I don't understand, but if they aren't able to do so now, they never will be.

They feed off self-righteous outrage, especially each other's. They want to stay outraged, they need to stay outraged! They are not interested in discussion, they are only interested in maintaining the status-quo and defending Obama at all costs, even when he's wrong.

Now I'm NOT talking about reasonable folks who have deep admiration for the things the President has done right, but who are still able to acknowledge and critique his mistakes--I'm talking about those who pick apart every single slight criticism of the President, and then post some inflammatory knee-jerk defensive nonsense in response that always seems to end in an "I'm more loyal than you" contest.

I say just let them have their own little Ignore-land space completely free of any and all criticism; we must realize that no matter what the rest of us say or do, they are never going to be able accept criticism of the President they love so deeply, and no amount of logic and reason is going to change that.

On the few whose admiration seems to have overridden their ability to critically examine issues, and who insist upon inflicting their skewed opinions upon everyone who dares disagree with them, I have been using the ignore function liberally. It makes the board a lot more enjoyable, at least for me. I find the hide thread function to be equally beneficial.

I've heard people say using the ignore function is "cowardly." I disagree. It's not that I don't want to hear praise for the President when he deserves it; it's not that I have a problem with calling out true trolls and genuine "bashers;" it's that I am sick and tired of listening to people react like starving jackals at even the mildest criticism! If I wanted to hear vicious knee-jerk rhetoric in defense of anything a beloved President does, I'd read the Free Republic archives or watch an old Fox news broadcast!

So anyway, I just thought I'd put this out. I've seen some good people leave DU or say they are going to leave because of this constant disparaging by those who can't tolerate any dissent. Then they win. Better to just ignore the troublemakers while those of us who are capable of both admiration AND critique where it's deserved continue to celebrate the fact that we, after 8 long years, finally have a president who is smart, intelligent, thoughtful, has exemplary character, tolerant, focused, trustworthy, enthusiastic, inspiring, confident and positive--while still remaining all-too human and unfortunately prone to mistakes that responsible Democrats and citizens need to call him out on, along with the members of Congress who make their own mistakes.

:)