Sometimes I just can't let stupid go unchallenged

Well Done RH. Education is just paper, common sense is learned in life. Sadly many people dont have an education in common sense and knowing your rights.

 

@RightHand

I know...I know...I Know, RH. I feel and share your pain. It is frustrating and disappointing when some folk don't understand their own country's Constitution, and history.

 

On a side note. Responsibility is not only the standard meaning that includes obligation.

More importantly it's roots are in the word 'respond' as in having the ability to pause, reflect and respond. Not just react. The word isn't 'reactability' which is how so many people respond. =)

 

Great post, Righthand!

 

The below graphic is what the post that was copied and pasted into this thread was actually about. I was objecting to two things: first, that Independence Day has nothing to do with the Civil War; and second that I find it repugnant to "celebrate" a war. That was it. Apparently, that I had the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence incorrect (which I freely admitted) seemed to be of more importance than the association of the Civil War with Independence Day and completely took over the thread and cast doubt into my intelligence. Even after I suggested that there was no affiliation between the two, another poster commented that: "We are celebrating the war that led to our independence." That's a bit closer to what I was taught Independence Day is all about (though I still disagree with the "celebrating" part) but it still does not explain why anyone would suggest that the Civil War is in any way connected to Independence Day.

I'll address each of your points separately. First, inasmuch as I am an attorney and spend more time dicing apart language than I'd like to admit, I'm not a walking dictionary. When I think of a "celebration" I think of something joyful and uplifting. Absolutely let's celebrate our country's independence! Let's definitely be proud of what we stand for, who we are as a nation and be utterly grateful to those who made and make it possible. But to "celebrate" a war sounds, to me, like something that isn't what we're about. Commemorating a war, sure. Remembering it and giving it the respect and acknowledgment it deserves, absolutely. But celebrating something that invariably results in death and destruction, to me, sounds awful.
Regarding the significance of the Civil War - I'm not trying to imply in any way, directly or indirectly, that the Civil War was not significant. My only point is that the graphic indicates that an Independence Day celebration is a celebration of the Civil War. It makes me think that the person who created the graphic thinks that Independence Day is a day commemorating the Civil War, which I do not believe is accurate. I believe it is to commemorate and celebrate our hard earned (and maintained) independence. If I'm wrong about that, I'll have to call up my high school US history teacher and have a chat with him!

 

Hi @Marianne. I'm sure you are a nice person, but you come across as condescending and defensive - probably just a communication style based on your occupation. I certainly hope you did not join SM simply because you felt slighted about a public drubbing you received in social media over a year ago...

BTW - it appears that the graphic is in reference to a sporting event, likely a baseball game. In sports, a Civil War is usually about a regional based rivalry between cities or teams. For example, in my state every time the Ducks play the Beavers it called the Civil War regardless of sport or date. It's possible that you may have misunderstood what that graphic was really representing.

In any event, there is a wealth of knowledge here about self reliance and survival. Hang out and explore...

 

Civil War and war for independence were two separate wars. Independence Day is for the signing of the Declaration of Independence... where in the blue blazes did uou get that it was a celebration of war? text is a difficult medium of communication so taking offense is easy to do and totally not worth the effort.

When you get offended over a mere post it's time to 1)get the facts straight and 2) pull back on the emotional drama and assume a misunderstanding.

 

You know, you're not the first person to tell me that I sound condescending and defensive in writing. It's absolutely not my intent at all. I try to be different but I don't know how to be. I've never been told that about the way I speak to people or interact face to face. Just goes to show that diction alone doesn't convey what we're trying to say. Also goes to show that I should NOT try to write fiction!

I found this forum because I googled my own name (I'm trying really hard to keep a low social media profile in order to draw more attention to and further my career) and this was the only thing that came up that wasn't related to my work so I took a gander at what it was since it seemed totally foreign to me. I must say that I was surprised to read the vitriol and it hurts to be called stupid and not have an opportunity to defend yourself. But, as Game of Thrones has taught me, words are wind.

You're right that the graphic was in connection with a sporting event. But not knowing that sometimes rivalries are referred to as Civil Wars (duh on me) combined with the mention of Independence Day, I was utterly confused.

Now that I'm here, though, I'm finding it to be an exciting and interesting place. Hopefully I can learn more here - maybe even how to write without sounding like a jerk!

 

I agree with you that Independence Day is not about the Civil War. That was absolutely my first (and I think most important point). It was pointed out to me, though, that it's not about the actual signing of the Declaration of Independence because that took place the following month but about the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress. I may have misunderstood what the "celebration" was referring to in the graphic, but it may be reasonable since the word "celebrating" is written just underneath the big, bold capital "CIVIL WAR" above it. In any case, even putting aside the discussion about the appropriateness (or even relevance relative to the graphic) of celebrating a war, my goal was mostly to point out that Independence Day has little to do with the Civil War other than they're both important parts of US history.

Don't even get me started on my own personal opinions about most lawyers. The lack of professionalism and ethics in my industry make me ill. I know that I'm just one person in a sea of people out there, but I strive every day to be fair, ethical and to treat my clients, colleagues and even adversaries with respect and kindness. There's enough negativity out there in the world - I don't need to add to it.

You're right, I did miss that. My apologies.

I couldn't agree more. I'm not sure if you're referring to the original Facebook post that was copied and pasted here or the comments that followed on this forum. If the former, you might see near the end that I wasn't really interested in pursuing it and that I knew that I wasn't expressing myself properly so I did pull back. If the latter, it's hard to see your own name followed by a bunch of comments from people you don't know discussing how stupid, idiotic, etc., you are. Either way, I am grateful for being given the opportunity to join this forum and to learn more about your different perspectives and ideals. I'm mostly interested in topics such as health care, gun control, immigration and taxation. I guess a lot of people are because the folks running for president seem to bring these things up daily.

 

I'm relatively new here as well... think you've come to the right place for opinions though...

 

You are more than welcome to hang out with us and learn/discuss on these topics and others. I suggest you introduce yourself here: New Member Introductions

 

Welcome to the mad house Marianne.....being one of the notable filberts here (among many) I just want to say, they can be a hard audience at times....but can also be very generous too. Enjoy the ride. Who knows, the place may grow on you, and you on them. (Just a hint....keep your membership and enthusiasm for the Democrat Party under your hat....most folks here are just a tad on the conservative side. )