However, I reserve the right to call 45 by a name which uses words that he has used to refer to himself: "Stable Genius" who has "Unmatched Wisdom." 😉 His brand doesn't need any more advertising than it already has.
(In the spirit of proposal #4, I give you my sources for "Stable Genius" and "unmatched wisdom": https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1181232249821388801?lang=en
and https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/09/14/trump-reminds-everyone-hes-a-very-stable-genius/23812807/
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My former student posted this on FB:
A good friend of mine wrote this elegant request for civility in political debate on social media:
[It's pretty difficult to not label me as a progressive when you talk to me. It's no secret. I want the world to be a better place, and I want my government to pass laws to make that happen. Of course, my idea of "a better place" is different than yours. It would be creepy if our ideas were exactly the same, honestly. That's where discussion and compromise come into play. Or at least they should. I'm apparently "stupid" or "uneducated" for wanting to see certain changes, or I'm probably stuck in my CNN-fueled echo chamber and am simply repeating what I've been brainwashed. Conversely, I must think you're the uneducated one if you want things a different way.
Well, if you're reading up on the issue and have developed your own informed opinion (ie. you aren't just saying it because that's what your echo chamber is saying), then you're not uneducated. I want to hear what you have to say. One of my deep seated beliefs about gun ownership changed this year because I had a conversation with a gun owner whom I respect, and I was able to understand where my biases and discomforts were coming from compared to their own. I took some time to consider what was said on both sides and I realized that in the gun debate, we might be ultimately arguing two separate issues and conflating them.
It's a conversation. It's not a hissy fit because I want it this way and you want it this way, and there's no way either of us is going to bend on the matter. Calling each other names or implying stupidity gets us nowhere. Not even considering an idea, not even hearing the points in favor, because it was suggested by a Democrat, or a Republican, or a Socialist, is counter to discussion, compromise, progressivism, and frankly, even to conservatism. This is the most tense a conversation of this nature should get . . .
Person 1: I have this idea. It's to do this thing.
Person 2: *furrows eyebrows* I'm a little wary of that, but please tell me more.
Person 1: What I mean is this. This is my first major point.
Person 2: I see where you're coming from, but have you considered this major problem--maybe how are you going to pay for it?
Person 1: Yes! This is what I've considered.
Person 2: I'm not comfortable with that, but please continue with your second point.
Yeah, that's an oversimplification. And it's idealistic. But why is it so difficult for people to disagree in a pleasant way? What happened to manners?
Anyway, the Democratic primaries are shifting into a higher gear, so debates are going to explode on my newsfeed, I'm sure. Ray, my kids, and I argue at home about politics all the time. We disagree with each other at lot--like right now, Ray and I can't agree on who is the best Democrat candidate--but we respect each other and don't resort to name-calling or implications of stupidity. I want to debate on Facebook because this is how we communicate as a society now, and we need to be talking about these issues, but I have some personal ground rules I want to lay down.
1) I've decided that I will not comment with a "ready for debate" tone on another person's post unless they have specifically said in the caption that the contents therein are open for debate. I've annoyed a few people over the past few days by commenting on some controversial posts, and I don't want to annoy people--I want an open discussion. However, anything that I post that is of a clearly political nature is by default open for debate. Comment away.
2) If you call me (or imply that I am) stupid, uninformed, uneducated, etc., I will leave the conversation because I don't debate with people who call others names. If you do it to somebody else on my posts, I will call you out on it before I leave the conversation I am having with you, and I will encourage my friend to discontinue communication with you as well. I won't say goodbye; there just won't be anymore comments from me--even if you keep commenting.
3) If I have to say the same thing three times in three different ways, I will bow out of the conversation because after three times it is clear you were never going to consider my point of view to begin with. Again, I won't say goodbye.
4) If you make a statement, and I am unfamiliar with the information contained in the statement, I will need you to provide me with the source of this information so that I can read exactly what you read in order to gain an understanding of the information. Citing your sources is always good practice, for anything.
I love debates. 💕]
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