I’m up for a good debate on things I’m passionate about. Sports and wrestling are something I will debate with someone until the day I die. Usually, when I feel I’m right, I will defend my reasoning with facts and leave my opinions out of it. It doesn’t always work, but I do let people know I WILL get my point across one way or another. If I do say something and it’s pretty obvious that I was in the wrong, I will keep my mouth shut and move on. I don’t like to do that, but it’s better to lose an argument and remain respectful to your friends than try and win a losing battle and lose more than just an argument.

Somewhere along the line, the form of debate and “agreeing to disagree” have gone out the window in the form of shouting matches. It used to be just political parties getting involved in unnecessary shouting matches, but now it has gotten to the point where everyone is getting involved in them and there’s seems to be no end in sight. There are several political parties in the United States, but you wouldn’t know who they are off the top of your head except for the only two that make mainstream media, the Democrats and Republicans. Both parties claim to know and willing to do what’s best for America, but in all honestly, they are both different sides of the same coin that is playing people like fiddles (I could go on just about this alone, but that’s opening up another can of worms that I’ll hold off for another day). The one thing both parties can say they are good at is shouting at each other, regardless of how true or false their claims are. If you can recall a time during campaign season where the candidates would talk about the issues at hand and NOT go after the other parties, please let me know. The fact that mud-slinging is the main source of reason for voting for a particular party instead of the issues at-hand is sad to me, and it doesn’t look like the problem will go away anytime soon.

Mudslinging and slander have become worse in our everyday lives thanks to social media. I remember when Facebook and at the time MySpace were the main social media juggernauts. It used to share photos and reconnect with friends. MySpace is no more, but Facebook is still around, and Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are now taking over the social media front. Facebook has changed a big deal and at times it’s been for the worst, and I’m not talking about the features. It seems that people tend to air out their problems on there and hope others will either “like” their status and/or post about it. They do this with their political stance, their world issues, their OWN issues…it’s almost like some people HAVE to post about negative stuff to get people to notice.

I’m well aware of the old saying “Misery loves company” but COME ON! Life isn’t always bad. There’s no need to make things such as brave acts or deaths a competition. If you disagree with something and you have to say something, speak your peace with a respectful manner and let it go. Otherwise, keep your disagreements to yourself. No argument should cost you your friends and family. In the word of Socrates, “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser”. It’s okay to disagree with others when it comes to beliefs and ways of life, but let’s try to be humans when we do.