I lost a FB friend due to the health care debate

[Narkos]

I posted the following on FB tonight "No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day". Several minutes later, an old school friend who I haven't talked to in many years quips, "well why don't you work at a free clinic...I didn't think so" (I'm a physician). First of all, how would he know if I worked in a free clinic or not, and how would that solve the problem of health care? I really let him have it, basically stating that making a remark on my FB page without so much as a phone call in YEARS is totally unkosher. What do you guys think? Are the phantom wingnuts coming out of the woodwork or what?

[vadawg]

1. im not a user of facebook, but i think by putting stuff online you gotta expect people to reply

and sometimes it might not be what you expect.

[Lex]

2. and in turn they have to expect a reply back that they might not expect

especially if they had a snarky-assed reply to an earnest status update.

[vadawg]

8. yup without a doubt, the internet may have opened up a whole new world to people

but it sure as hell has effected the way people interact with each other on a personal basis..

[eleny]

3. Losing a phantom FB friend...

Sounds like you found a good way to do some FB housecleaning.

Btw, the wingnuts have been out of the woodwork for a long time. They're just more obvious since Obama got inaugurated. The gnashing of teeth makes them more noticeable.

[Narkos]

6. I agree. I went crazy for awhile, wanting to see what everyone was up to

but the fact remains is that I really don't know most of those people anymore.

[eleny]

12. I haven't joined FB....

The idea of people unexpectedly showing up from the past gives me the willies. Sort of like being in a Fun House at the amusement park and a zombie jumps out at you from the past. "Hi eleny, remember we dated in high school?" Ayeeeeeee!!!!!! I mean - a seriously huge "no thanks".

It's not like I was ever so wild and crazy in my youth. But I moved away and moved on.

And don't let me get started about Twitter.

[Witchy_Dem]

16. Have you seen this then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7MuwPlOiNQ

[eleny]

20. LOL

:rofl:

[Ms. Toad]

26. That's great!

So far none of the folks who tormented me from elementary school through high school have asked to be my friend (although they were very fake-friendly at the class reunions).

I do take some evil delight in looking at how they have aged :evilgrin: My worst tormenter looks exactly like the church lady.

[aquart]

19. Actually, it is a wonderful relief to know so many are alive and well.

[eleny]

21. Well, it would be a relief to me if I knew some of them were f'n dead

Just kidding! I couldn't resist.
:dunce:

[aquart]

23. Pity.

[eleny]

24. lol

[Ms. Toad]

4. Well...I don't have facebook friends that I don't have some

connection with.

There are some I interact with mostly in real life. Others I have no current connection with except through facebook but have a years old connection - AND we have had several conversations since reconnecting on facebook. And a few I have ongoing connections with both places - but I can't imagine having a FB friend I haven't talked with (either online or in person) in years.

I thinks perhaps you should clean out your friend list to those you have actually maintained some sort of friendship with.

[Narkos]

7. Agreed n/t

[lynne]

5. Perfect example of why I don't discuss sex, religion or politics on Facebook - nt

[Narkos]

9. I struggle with that

I posted lots of political stuff during the run up to the electio, and then took a break. My feeling is that social networks can be a powerful mechanism for effecting change. It's risky though, as I found out tonight.

[RagAss]

10. You should have reminded him that all that hate may give him a health problem.

[Narkos]

11. LOL! He's a nice guy, I think he got surprise when I shoved it back in his face n/t

[DesertFlower]

13. i posted that message too. so

did many of my friends. no comments from my rightwing friends.

[DefenseLawyer]

14. I had a similar experience today

although I didn't lose any friends. I only occasionally go to thing, but I saw the suggestion for putting up that quote so I went and did so. I was immediately hit with canned responses from a bunch of people. I'm pretty sure they were mostly people from high school (which was sadly a long time ago)or my hometown (whenever someone asks to be my "friend" I just say yes, even though I am not always sure who the heck they are). I played along and ended up spending 45 minutes or so smacking around their lame talking points. It was kind of fun actually.

[Narkos]

25. LOL! I've been doing that for last hour, and it's fun! It's almost unfair, they are so misinformed!

[HughMoran]

15. I knew it was a risk posting it and I'm prepared to lose friends over this

Ed Shultz says the same thing every day on his show.

I guess it's time to put up or shut up - as harsh as that sounds.

[create.peace]

17. hey, it just clears out the weeds, and you find, as i did, that one friend from years past supports

it, and gave me a 'like' and onother left a comment. i don't mince words with people irl. i don't fight but you will always know where i stand!

[donheld]

18. That's ok, I lost friends on FB when I added Hussein to my name

[eleny]

22. Was that during the net craze where people made Hussein their middle name?

[donheld]

27. yes it was