Cannot be a Wuss

Posting--toughness required!

                                                   

*Not pertaining to this writing site

You want to start a s**t-storm? State your opinion on politics.

Nothing, save religion, raises people's hackles faster. The verbal bricks

 

are guaranteed to start flying, the personal attacks are for sure,

with people calling you an idiot, and your opinions manure.

 

I used to be concerned about angering someone,

May offend? That's a risk I didn't want to run.

 

I've changed my mind. My opinions are part of what makes me, me.

Look, you've a right to your opinion, opinion's are free,

 

but why does it always devolve into personal attacks?

With you lashing out in anger, taking a confrontational tact.

 

Now that I've started stating my views, speaking my mind,

I'll get not just disagreement, but some of the most unkind,

 

personal attacks--the bitterness and hatred have to be seen

to be believed, greet my eyes from the computer screen

 

No matter what, you're going to piss someone off, I've found.

These people you've ticked off will attempt to run your views into the ground.

 

I expected lock step, not! Lighten up, people, it's just

my opinion, okay? The differences in how we discuss

 

topics doesn't have to get so nasty, but it does.

It seems a lost art, arguing without hate, perhaps it never was

 

any different, but I think it so--I think it's fast becoming a lost art because of thin skin-- it's become the cost

 

you have to be willing to pay to express your views,

it's just an extension of the partisan news.

 

The media reports from a well-entrenched belief.

I fail to understand why someone feels the need to hand out grief.

  

I've seen some pretty devastating reviews, mean at heart.

I know that I, for one, initially want to lash out against verbal darts

 

written about something I wrote--I take things personally.

But then I take a step back, and looked at it rationally.

 

Someone disagrees, so they rank on you as a writer--

but instead of lashing out, and becoming a verbal fighter,

 

just respond politely, after all, their being wrong causes me

no lost sleep, no injury,

as someone, I think it was Thomas Jefferson, once said.

So, resist the urge to retaliate against something you've read.