Well, it's June...

...and I've not posted much here since the advent of Facebook.

However, it's not that my views or my passion about those views have changed. Rather, I've largely become convinced that expressing them is a waste of time. Not that diverse viewpoints are a bad thing...but if you were to look at many topics I posted on Facebook, you'd see that political/religious topics largely just turn into bitch-fests and places to sling mud.

I have taken a break from Facebook just for that reason. I know, this will automatically import to Facebook, but oh well. My point in taking the break is that I've largely been edging closer and closer to saying things to people that I felt I may one day regret. One can only listen to endless insults and endless thoughtless, mindless, blind and bigoted opinions for so long without going crazy. Part of my Facebook break was a trimming of my friend's list by nearly half. Another is to be able to go back, be who I am with my views, but not get as caught up in it when someone not just disagrees, but does so by being excessively snarky and insulting. Frankly, while I like to debate (and do so with civility and with facts in hand), I do get tired of just hearing rants and smug superiority with a lack of information/facts/knowledge on a subject. Henceforth, I'm largely going to ignore such comments...if someone can't take time to have an informed opinion, their opinion really is irrelevant.

My view on the *real* problem, I feel, with our society is that people do just that...form opinions in absence of (or worse, in spite of) facts. People believe what some talking head says, or some soundbyte from a Congressman, or (more likely) a snippet of something said by someone whose *opinions* they agree with...and they hold that belief as though it were a sacred object. Example...birthers. Or truthers.

Those opinions are so resilient to facts, logic, or reason, that debating them is pointless. For every fact you might bring up, the "zealot" has a dozen counters to it that they *believe* as strongly as they believe in their own heartbeat. Never mind if it's dead wrong...doesn't matter.

Why bother with that?

I have my views...some are opinions of the way I *think* something *should be* done. Others are just what I accept as fact. I don't mind debating them, but rants and childish taunts/name calling is not what I'm interested in. That just earns one my ignoring them.

How long will this Facebook break last...who knows? I will be back, for those who actually care (I'd hope that, now, it's most of my friends list). Until then, enjoy the silence...