On Violence and Social Media

This is a collection of observations and statements I've made on Facebook in the past two weeks, in response to all the violence and madness swirling through the headlines, and the resulting ire streaming down our social media walls. I hope it helps someone. (I have provided a timeline of events to give context.)

July 5, 2016 12:35 am CDT--Alton Sterling, shot and killed by police in Baton Rouge, LA

July 6, 2016 c. 9:00 pm CDT--Philando Castile, shot and killed by police in Falcon Heights, MN

July 7, 2016 c. 12:00 pm CDT--I posted a comment on Facebook based on my first, emotional reaction to the news of Philando Castile, stating that I would march in protest if the officer involved wasn't convicted. In reply, I got a message from an old friend so angry and hateful that I took the whole post down, sent that person a private message, and after a few minutes of reflection, posted this:

July 7, 2016 12:38 pm CDT--

I'm sorry.
Our country is so divided right now, and everybody is so angry. 
I think we can begin peace by someone admitting that all sides have at least one valid point, and one genuinely good reason for their anger. 
Anger stems from old hurts, and hurts get to be that old because the one who inflicted them never made amends. So, on behalf of parents, children, lovers, attackers, cheaters, thieves, entire systems of philosophy, theology, economics, government, entire races, whole species...
I'm sorry, and I love you.

July 7, 2016 1:11 pm CDT--

Friends, I'm sorry I didn't learn this sooner:
our anger level in this country right now makes it painful for others when we share "opinion pieces" about a myriad of topics. For the foreseeable future, I'm going to TRY (because I may fail) to only "Share" positive or strictly informational things, and just "Like" things with which I agree, but which may hurt some of you. Please let me know if you can still see my "Like"s, and I'll try to change that setting. America's way too angry right now.

July 7, 2016 8:58 pm CDT-July 8, 2016 c. 2:30 am CDT--Mass shooting of Dallas police officers and bystanders by PFC (Ret.) Micah Xavier Johnson

Photo by Dallas Police Department

July 8, 2016 1:07 pm CDT--

And then we wake to this. Police put their lives on the line for us, as do firefighters, EMS, our military, anybody who walks INTO a situation that we would naturally haul ass away from out of fear--and I honor them for that. The police have a great deal of authority in our everyday lives, and I want to be sure they are held accountable, only because I don't want ANYBODY dead. That's the whole point. Yes, ALL lives matter.

July 8, 2016 3:56 pm CDT--

Save a friendship. Before you de-friend anybody, consider just using the tiny gray downward arrow at the right-hand side of any post [on Facebook]. It gives you a drop-down menu, from which you can choose "Hide this post." There's a lot of anger swirling around right now; don't let your friends' need to vent make you do something you'll regret.

Violence and hatred are destructive forces; 

they cannot create anything except more of themselves. 

Please try Compassion.

Pathetic Fan Girl Dies Happy

And THIS is why I Tweet, people!  For all time, I now have documentary evidence that Richard Schiff, once "Toby Ziegler" of The West Wing, one of the members of my Crushes Hall of Fame, addressed me personally, even though he doesn't have a clue who I am and couldn't care less!  *gasp, scream, swoon, cue the closing credits*

I Demand a Re-do!

The day just ended was certainly a momentous one.  Let us be perfectly clear--one aspect of it was a decidedly bad thing.  Nevertheless, it was momentous.  Let's get the bad news out of the way first, shall we?



St. Apollonia,
Patroness of Dental Sufferers

It's the kind of thing that rends a mother's heart.  My beloved Brigid the SuperToddler chipped one of her two front teeth today.  She was blissfully playing on the couch, laughing at the adventures of her latest Nick, Jr. crush, Pocoyo, when she fell off the couch literally teeth-first.  Dammit, why does it ALWAYS have to happen when they're enjoying themselves the very most?  It makes such a sweet moment--listening to the giggling with utter abandon that only a toddler can do--instantly become such a sad one!  I count my blessings that she did not injure her mouth in any other way, no bleeding or swelling, and based on the dentist's phone advice, she seems to be fine.  I have some signs I have to watch for, but if none of them occur, we just let her go on about her merry way.  Within half an hour, she was laughing again and showed no signs of the tooth being tender, or indeed that anything negative had happened at all.  Still, it was most of the day before I could let go of the guilt that we mothers are so good at flailing ourselves with, even though there was absolutely nothing I could have done.  I can't bear to think that tooth will be that way for another three or four years, but all I can say at this point is, THANK GOD for baby teeth!!!  When I was a kid, I kind of used to think of this system as one of the Almighty's more cruel jokes; after all that trouble of teething, then I had to lose them, bleed and freak out and everything, and grow new ones AGAIN?!  (It probably would've helped if my parents hadn't banned all mention of Santa Claus and Tooth Fairies from our house.)  NOW, I understand the wisdom of His plan on the whole teeth issue.

But, on a lighter note, I took a bold step into a brave new experience today, and finally opened a Twitter account.  I have to say honestly that I don't see myself using it nearly as often as I do Facebook, but then I refused to get involved with any social media outlet for years and cannot imagine living without them now.  So many bloggers are on Twitter, it seemed like it was high time I got involved.  However, I'll completely come clean and admit that I'm hoping to increase my Klout score, not so that I can say I know how to win friends and influence people, but because I'd like to be eligible for some of the major book perks!