USMCTwin
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Everything posted by USMCTwin
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Max Kepler and the Cost of Silence
USMCTwin replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
I agree and don't label it as click-bait either, but if we start valuing threads based on views or pages I think that's where you are headed. It does sow division as others have pointed out when you quote Cuomo it's equivalent to quoting Limbaugh for 'the other side'. Also some of us would like to give Kepler the benefit of the doubt rather than to inflame his character. My whole point is I don't know that this belongs in the Twins news thread, which is why I think your reaction is surprising to you, not that it's because people don't like what they see in the mirror. That seems unnecessarily inflammatory and divisive in of itself. I'll bow out. I've said my piece, it just makes me sad that even TD has become a place where lines are drawn and the other side must be evil. -
Max Kepler and the Cost of Silence
USMCTwin replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
Sure, I get it's a hot topic, but is the goal division and click-bait. If so it is well within the site's right of doing so, but it's so off the norm and not something I would want to be part of going forward. -
Max Kepler and the Cost of Silence
USMCTwin replied to Nick Nelson's topic in Twins Daily Front Page News
This does seem to belong better in the off topic thread. My biggest takeaway is we lack empathy for others, especially those we disagree with. We presume the other side to be evil simply because we don't agree. Unfortunately, this article bears that out to me. At one point I was an avid reader of Aaron Gleeman (quite a ways back). He made a political post at one point we disagreed and he told me he would rather me stop reading his work than disagree. It still bothers me, but when someone tells you who they are you should believe them. I hope that isn't the way we are headed on Twins Daily since this place has been so good at bringing people together and has even been open to other views on the political threads before they became a thing of the past, until this one popped up in the Twins news thread. It's disappointing. Love each other, try to assume positive intent, and always be ready for an act of kindness instead of malice. -
Political Threads on Twins Daily - Policy Update, Please Read
USMCTwin replied to Brock Beauchamp's topic in The Sports Bar
I understand and respect your decision and sympathize with the tough job of moderating them. I will also greatly miss the political threads. Even though I didn't post frequently it became a place I knew I could encounter other world views without the level of vitriol that you find on twitter or other sites. I do hope a solution can be found in the future and that we can work on having better dialogue. Shout out to the moderators! I appreciate your hard work. -
Did anyone enjoy Stranger Things after first struggling to get into it? My brother constantly tries to get me to watch it. About a year ago I watched half of the first episode and stopped. Aliens just doesn't do it for me normally. He started harping on me again and so now I am through episode four. I find it tolerable, but I am certainly not hooked or even really excited. I'm hoping someone can tell me whether I should just abandon ship or keep going.
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I wouldn't say I'm triggered over it. I just think words matter. I guess maybe our distinguishing difference is what someone else previously said I believe you can do/say racist things without necessarily being a racist. It just makes you some combination of unaware, ignorant, or stupid. Heavens knows I have done things that I ought not, but I don't think that makes me racist. I can understand though if you think doing/saying things that are perceived as racist means you are racist. It feels like we are splitting hairs here though so I'll bow out as we both generally agree his attacks are entirely unwarranted and unnecessary.
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I know you didn't state I was excusing his behavior, but others have insinuated as such and I just wanted to first say I am in no way excusing his behavior. I think it is entirely atrocious. I still don't believe it's racism so much as a schoolyard bully. He just picks the low hanging insults. I guess it doesn't really matter so I should just drop it, but I think sometimes words lose their value when they are over-applied.
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I don't know that I buy Trump is a racist or a white supremacist. I definitely think he enables a contingent of his supporters who are and that is terrible and wrong. His ugly attacks are certainly not limited to women of color. Doesn't excuse his behavior in my book, just makes him not a nice person.
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I understand you felt the tone was already set, but escalating wasn’t going to help your cause. In my experience when we soften our tone it causes others who disagree normally to soften theirs as well. Then discussions can happen. If we escalate you get the kind of responses you did. I’m not a MN local (but I am here for the game tonight!) so I don’t see as much of the Omar stuff as you all do. If that statement regarding the military and al Qaeda is accurate then call her out on that and rightfully so. But to just say they are psychopathic there is nothing for people to discuss. It just comes off as an insult. I have been lurking/rarely posting for well over a couple of years. It’s one of the places I frequent to get a liberal slant to help keep me in balance. I certainly was not trying to attack you or put you down. I am just trying to help have a discussion that doesn’t result to rolling in the mud. Enjoy your vacation! I always find it refreshing to use it as a reset from social media as well. Be well!
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Honest question. What was the goal here? If you were intending to foster discussion go after a certain position and explain why you don’t think it’s feasible or you disagree with it. If your intent was to rile them up, then carry on. A couple of other things that bother me. It almost sounds as if you are saying most blacks don’t think for themselves. It’s offensive in the same way that some liberals insinuate the evangelical right don’t think for themselves. We can and should do better. Also referring to the Democratic Party as a plantation seems like the same ilk as calling detention facilities concentration camps. If you want to have a discussion here you will likely need to pick your words better. Otherwise you kind of kill the chance for discussion with your tone/style.
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I understand your point, but pretty much all of Americans see the Nazi flag and think pure evil. People in the south,or at least a fairly large segment, don't actually see that when they see the confederate battle flag. It's not so much to screw with Liberals. It's like if somebody said Nascar and it's supporters were actually racist. I guarantee you the next race would be overflowing. Not as a screw you, but because they feel like you are attacking their identity. Granted again, I don't agree with them. Obviously my example is flimsy, but I am just trying to make a point. If you disagree that's fine. We can both agree it is a terrible thing to do and we wish/would like to work to make it go away.
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I totally agree and don't want to mince my words or excuse the behavior. I was just trying to say that not everyone who flies it must be racist, even if their actions are shameful.
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If you so choose not to equate those or rather say they can’t see those things in the flag than you are correct that would be racist if it weren’t about southern pride. I do honestly believe that is a very small segment of the people who fly it though.
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It's not totally dissimilar to the same people that get up in arms because they feel Kaepernick disrepects our American flag. It's just proud of being where you came from. Southerners view themselves as hospitable, loyal, and nicer than people in the north. It's SEC SEC SEC (shudders as an anti-SEC person). It's Paul Finebaum's radio show. It's sweet tea. It's going 30 down a road that is 45 because I'm not going anywhere in particular. It's going hunting on Thanksgiving morning while the women are back at home cooking. It's just a different lifestyle and they are very proud of that difference whether you or I agree. For a segment of them it also includes Dixie and the confederate battle flag. I'm okay with a lot of the southern pride thing and even relate to some of it, but I just wish we could all agree some symbols are best left in the past.
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Granted I moved away so my experiences are reduced to trips 'home' at this point, but I actually do think it is dying out. When I was in high school kids wore it to school. Now you see it on an occasional truck, but it is not nearly as prevalent in my city anyways. Of course all of my evidence is almost entirely anecdotal. I think it is a mindset that will eventually just go away. I know doing nothing seems lazy/unproductive, but telling people they must be racist if they do this thing that they don't view as inherently racist just makes them go into insider/outsider mode and all communication is shut down if it wasn't already. Honestly I think we need a better leader in the Republican party or of similar mind to rise up and help.
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Again I don't think it is a good idea. I think it is a terrible decision. I'm just trying to help you understand the rationale other than they must be racist.
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I really do believe the majority of people that fly it are not racist. In my opinion someone telling them they are racist will make them dig their heels in even further. "I will continue to fly it to prove it isn't racist." I really believe if they actually thought it made them racist they would be much more discreet about it. I think it is more about southern pride and I will grant you that it is terribly misguided and hurtful.
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I hate to say this, but I think that it will just have to die off as the people do. Most people I know that still have use for a confederate battle flag consider it more as a Southern pride type thing. I see southern pride when I see it, but that doesn't change the fact that other people (people who were oppressed by it indirectly) see it as a symbol of racism and I can draw the parallel so I have no desire to see it displayed. I prefer to avoid division and unnecessary bad will. There are other objects/ideas we can rally around together. I just don't think telling anyone that has a confederate battle flag they are racist is either necessarily true or helpful.
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Sigh... Is it possible they are either misguided or ill-informed?
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Our tax rates are actually not that out of line compared to other countries if you consider federal plus state taxes. I was in the Marine Corps there is plenty of waste in the defense budget as well. I don’t have all the answers I readily admit that but I don’t think TCJA is what will make our roads fall apart.
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To be honest I don’t have the answer. I feel like there is a ton of crony capitalism and political waste. I would love to reign that in. I have my doubts either party will do it. I do find it somewhat ironic that you seem to be insinuating we can’t do those 3 things, but most of the Democratic candidates want to forgive massive amounts of student debt. I really don’t have the answers as to what should be cut, but I refuse to believe me being happy that the child tax credit was increased is selfish because now the nation can’t fix roads.
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If this is directed at my response I guess I reject the notion that we can’t lower taxes for middle class families, pay for infrastructure, and continue to support government services. I don’t believe I said in any of my support of what Trump has done that I think we should forego any of those things. At some point we have decided that if we don’t agree it must be because your idea is wrong headed and inherently bad. I also reject that idea. To be clear I’m not intending to say you are doing this just what I sense in politics in general and part of the reason I enjoy reading here but tend to avoid posting.
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Haha. Yes he does. This is his safe haven from our 5 kiddos 7 and under.
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Quick off topic:Now that I have come out of hiding here as a consistent reader. What happened to DaveW? I just haven't seen a post in a long time and was hoping he was doing well.
