With all that has happened in the last week regarding the Ferguson indictment decision, a lot of back burner issues have come to the forefront and is now boiling over. Everyone has an opinion. Some folks are clearly staying out of it for numerous reasons, some are tap-dancing around the root causes and others are bluntly stating their positions. I'm sure you have your own thoughts on the matter at large, the repercussions, the back story and so on. Even those I know who do not involve themselves with "other people's drama" and never watch the news or read articles, unless something directly pertains to them, will eventually have an opinion.
It is why I find it interesting a Pagan news source has stated they will no longer cover divisive topics. It seems to me when you use the word "News" in your name, you are expected to provide all the news and not just cherry-pick which topics will keep things civil. Not only that, but really, if you have more than a handful of people commenting on any topic, you are going to get a discussion, and discussions come from personal viewpoints - many of which can be divisive due to being based on opinion. Here is my example:
Recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
2 slices white bread
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons grape jelly
Place bread on a plate. With a butter knife, smear peanut butter on one slice, wiping knife clean onto other bread slice. With same knife, smear jelly on second slice of bread. Put two pieces of bread together, peanut butter and jelly facing each other, then cut sandwich diagonally. Serve. Makes 1 serving.
Now comes the comments:
- Alternatives to peanut butter? My son has an allergy.
- What brand of peanut butter? I don't want GMOs or support a company that uses them in any of their products.
- Does anyone have a suggestion for gluten-free bread?
- Can it be any kind of jelly? What about preserves? I don't like grape jelly.
- Is the bread vegan?
- I grew up with PB&Js and now can't stand them. What about bananas and honey?
- Where can I get fair trade bananas and raw local honey at this time of year?
- I can't afford all of this. Why can't we just stick with peanut butter and grape jelly? The generic kind?
- WHY DO YOU HATE THE EARTH?!!!!!111!!!
Do you see where I'm going with this? It's easy to see why some people post nothing but kitten pictures or just post links to their businesses. Or, you'll see people delete comments and even unfriend and block people. Over PB&Js. I'm not even talking about something like Ferguson. And, if you don't take a position, you risk getting unfriended anyway, just because you can't not have one.
So I ask you: Where do we go from here? Do we have to take a position? Do we have to care? Or should I follow the advice of the sales guru and not get involved in other people's drama? Where does the line become blurred and other people's drama become more?
(And for the record. I hate grape jelly. I go for orange marmalade! I also don't like peanut butter, but once in a while, I get a craving for it.)