An olive branch

[LoveTown]

The discussions have been getting pretty heated around here lately. Seems most of us have strong thoughts one way or the other about the upcoming election. That's ok, free thought and free speech are two of the things that make our country great.

However, I'm afraid that some of us might be suffering from political burnout and maybe becoming a little sensitive when it comes to ourselves and perhaps a bit insensitive when it comes to others.

I wanted to start this thread to tell everybody that it's ok, that everybody has the right to their point of view and that they are wonderful and intelligent people for taking the time to try to discuss what they feel and why. That sort of thing takes guts and smarts and I applaud and thank all of the people posting here!

Personally I would like to speak to nbcrusader and BluberryPoptart. The two of you have most directly challenged my own views on the world. I have often disagreed with both of you but I have to say that I value the opportunity to communicate with both of you. All political views aside, I think you are both wonderfully intelligent people who take the time and the effort to care about and make the world you live in a better place. Thank you both

Lets please all remember to be kind to each other even when we are hashing out subjects that we feel differently about. It's ok to disagree, it's what makes living interesting!

 

[Klaus]

LoveTown

I think it's more important to treat your political enemy with respect than to win a debate

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I'll agree to that-and I'll particularly agree with the comments you made toward nbcrusader and BluberryPoptart as well, as those are two people I've had a debate or two with in the past myself. .

Everyone should hold out their hands and call a truce or something . Or have a group hug. Whichever. .

Good idea for a thread, LoveTown. .

Angela

 

[LoveTown]

I couldn't agree more Klaus!

 

[LoveTown]

Thanks Angela,

I like your idea for a group hug!

 

[ThatGuy]

Aww, FYM fuzzies.

Sorry to anyone I've pissed off.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Thanks Angela,

You're welcome. .

Originally posted by LoveTown
I like your idea for a group hug!

Thanks !

*Starts going around ging everyone in FYM*

I feel a certain Beatles song coming on...

Angela

 

[LoveTown]

 

[Klaus]

Great idea! Let's forget our political rifts for a moment

A biiiiiig for all of you FYM'ers
"Let's come together, Right now, Oh yeah, In sweet harmony " *sing*

 

[nbcrusader]

LoveTown

I appreciate all who share their views


PM me if you ever think I cross the line between challenging views and personal attacks

 

[verte76]

I'll delurk for this, since it has something to do with my own mini-political burnout. I couldn't agree more with LoveTown, Klaus, and Angela. I hate incivility in politics big time! Honestly, I'd rather know a nice conservative than a rude liberal! Two liberals right here in Birmingham made holes out of themselves, having a power struggle and throwing stupid accusations against each other. They were even threatening to sue each other. Fortunately they settled the dispute out of court. Personally I've been around too many "my way or no way" people on both sides of the political fence, and I'm tired of it. Some people around here think all Kerry supporters are evil, and some people around here think all Bush supporters are evil. I say they're all wrong. Meanwhile my therapist actually told me not to watch the news because of my burn-out. I agree with her. I mean, hell, all I can do is vote.

 

[Leeloo]

I was interested to find out recently where the term 'olive branch' comes from. In ancient times in the middle east, when there were wars, the olive trees were usually trampled in battle or broken off on purpose to hurt the livelihood of the enemy. So they never got to grow very big. When there was time between wars for the trees to grow long branches, it became a way to measure peace. So an olive branch became a symbol of peace

 

[LoveTown]

PM me if you ever think I cross the line between challenging views and personal attacks

Same goes for me. If you ever want to call me on something I said please feel free to PM me anytime


verte, you are totally right. At the end of the day all any of us can do is to make our mark on a ballot. Honestly, I don't think either one of them (Kerry and Bush) are out to hurt the country. They simply want to do what they think is best. The people here at FYM are the same way. We all just want what we think is best. When it comes down to it we are all just human beings trying to have good lives and to give back to the world in our own special ways. Therefore I say that we all ROCK!! hehe

 

[LoveTown]

So an olive branch became a symbol of peace

Exactly Leeloo! I think we could all use a little bit of peace around here

Oh and thanks for telling us the meaning behind the olive branch. I always kind of wondered where it came from.

 

[verte76]

I agree LoveTown. I don't think either Bush or Kerry mean to hurt the country. They are both honestly trying to do what they think is right. No one in FYM wants to hurt the country. We all want what's best for the country. We just don't agree on what's good and what's not good for it all of the time. That's OK. I once made a terrible mistake in an election. I voted for someone in a local election because he was a Democrat. After the election, which he lost, I found out that he had been involved in political dirty tricks against his Republican opponent. I was horrified and really angry with myself for voting for the hole. Needless to say I didn't give a that he'd lost. I'll never do this again.

 

[LoveTown]

I have to admit that I've done that before too verte, I just voted for somebody because they were democrat. However, I have to say that I learned my lesson and I have voted Republican a few times since then..hehehehe.

 

[Klaus]

Thanks Leeloo, that was an interesting story, i didn't know that!

Let's all enjoy the shade of our FYM-Olive Tree, and celebrate the things that unite us.
And in our next dispute on FYM let us all remember not to brake off an olive branch on purpose

 

[LoveTown]

Let's all enjoy the shade of our FYM-Olive Tree, and celebrate the things that unite us.
And in our next dispute on FYM let us all remember not to brake off an olive branch on purpose

 

[BluberryPoptart]

Thank you Love Town It's been so long since anyone had anything but scorn for me, this means a lot

 

[BluberryPoptart]

I also want to say that even before I saw this I had decided I was not going to post in any more political threads. I feel like my opinion is not welcome here and makes people mad and drags the forum down. I have been too outspoken but not ashamed of my views. But when it reaches a point where all that happens is either I get into a fight or I am dismissed as stupid, it's not even entertaining anymore. Thank you again Love Town for being so thoughtful and I want you to know you never did anything I consider to be unkind.

 

[Klaus]

BluberryPoptart
I'm not sure if i shared your view once yet - and i remember a hot debate in the war forum , but that does not mean that you're not welcome here

 

[LoveTown]

I also want to say that even before I saw this I had decided I was not going to post in any more political threads. I feel like my opinion is not welcome here and makes people mad and drags the forum down. I have been too outspoken but not ashamed of my views. But when it reaches a point where all that happens is either I get into a fight or I am dismissed as stupid, it's not even entertaining anymore.

I was afraid you might be feeling like this. You certainly were taking a lot of heat for your views and I felt it might come to the point where you stopped posting.

I don't want to see you leave. If only people who have similar views post here this forum will become VERY boring. Maybe we all just need to take a step back for a bit over the election. That seems to be the issue tearing us all apart. Please think about it Bluberry, take some time if you need it, but please come back. I know you would be missed terribly if you never posted here again

 

[BluberryPoptart]

Thank you for seeing what I was going through, some of the others would have just said no one did anything to me It reached its breaking point yesterday when I realized no one even took me seriously and I was becoming a joke on top of being hated for my views. I really really don't want to talk about the election anymore, maybe some other things sometime. Thank you for seeing what was happening on this forum, and caring enough to say something

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Agreed ^^^^-don't be afraid to come here-your views are as welcome here as anybody else's is, BluberryPoptart. .

I don't think either Bush or Kerry mean to hurt the country. They are both honestly trying to do what they think is right. No one in FYM wants to hurt the country. We all want what's best for the country. We just don't agree on what's good and what's not good for it all of the time. That's OK.

I can go with that. .

Originally posted by verte76
I once made a terrible mistake in an election. I voted for someone in a local election because he was a Democrat. After the election, which he lost, I found out that he had been involved in political dirty tricks against his Republican opponent. I was horrified and really angry with myself for voting for the hole. Needless to say I didn't give a that he'd lost. I'll never do this again.

Aw, verte . It's okay. People make mistakes like that all the time-that's how you learn things, right? That's a shame that the guy you voted for turned out to be such a creep. From your post, it sounds like his opponent took the high road and didn't stoop to that kind of thing, and for that, I give the opponent some kudos .

Also, I, too, extend thanks for the info on the olive branch-it's always neat to hear where these kinds of things originated from. May those branches continue to grow.

Angela

 

[LoveTown]

I really really don't want to talk about the election anymore, maybe some other things sometime. Thank you for seeing what was happening on this forum, and caring enough to say something

I know what you mean about the election. I found myself starting to get mean about it and that is when my eyes started to open to how you might be feeling. I for one, read every single one of your posts and I did take them seriously. Unfortunately sometimes they degraded into being just short of name calling contests. I KNOW that is not what you intended them to be when you started them. You just wanted to state your views on things and I admire that. It can't be easy for you or the other more conservative members of this site to express your thoughts to all of us more liberal types. I think you showed a lot of bravery and dedication to your beliefs. I really admire that. Don't be a stranger here ok? I'm sure there are other very interesting topics you are passionate about and I would love to have the chance to discuss them with you!

 

[BluberryPoptart]

Thanks again Love Town, you too Klaus and Angela If I do say so myself, it was one of the bravest things I've ever done stating the views I have in a hornet's nest of those who hate everything I stand for. I do believe there are others who feel the same as me who do not post their true feelings because they do not want to deal with being bashed and I can understand that.

 

[LoveTown]

I can understand it too Bluberry. Hopefully if we all work together to keep our more negative sides in check we can make FYM a friendly place where everybody feels they can state their views.

I ask all FYMers to do just ONE thing. If you come across a post and it makes you mad and you are tempted to say something mean spirited please take a deep breath, count to 10 and think about the situation a bit BEFORE you post.

And yep, I have to remember to do this myself!!

 

[verte76]

Oh, I really don't want anyone to quit FYM. Bluberry Poptart, you're as entitled to your views as anyone else. I think in general this is a pretty intense election campaign, for reasons beyond our control. Maybe it's because it's the first post-9/11 campaign and there is more anxiety out there. I honestly don't give a that not everyone has my point of view, and FYM would be boring as hell if we all had the same ideas. If it were boring as hell I'd definitely *quit*. I mean, heck, even though I'm basically a liberal, I have some ideas that would commonly be classified as conservative. I'm a practicing Catholic, and I'm really into Mary and the saints. This is considered conservative in the Catholic Church. I love going to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on the grounds of my church, and also wearing saints' medals and collecting holy cards. One of the paintings I sold at our recent show was of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a patron saint of charities. I work for a charity. So, I don't really fit into anyone's idealogical box. I'm just me. Also I am the only Democrat in my medieval re-enactment society branch. Everyone else is Republican, but we're all friends. Anyway, we used to have an unwritten agreement on a figure skating discussion bb I was a member of. It was during the Olympics and there was a ton of flaming going on. It was horrible! I quit it got so unpleasant. Some new moderator saved the situation by implementing a voluntary rule that said if a post really pissed us off, we should wait 24 hours before answering. I agreed to come back to the bb and see if it worked. It did. There were two total holes who had to be expelled because all they ever did was personally insult other members. But everyone else got together, agreed to try the rule, and it worked. That was important. We didn't start liking the same skaters, but we did agree not to flame each other.

 

[sarit]

I was interested to find out recently where the term 'olive branch' comes from. In ancient times in the middle east, when there were wars, the olive trees were usually trampled in battle or broken off on purpose to hurt the livelihood of the enemy. So they never got to grow very big. When there was time between wars for the trees to grow long branches, it became a way to measure peace. So an olive branch became a symbol of peace

The term also comes from the biblical Noah's Ark story. When the earth was flooded and there was no land in sight, god ordered Noah to sent the dove away from the ark. When the dove finally returned, it held an olive branch in its beak (after several times when she returned "empty handed"). It was a sign that the flood would come to an end soon because that meant that the water level was down (as you said, the olive tree isn't tall).
Because of that, the image of a dove with an olive's branch in its beak symbolizes hope and peace.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I've been coming here a lot lately, where I haven't so much in the past, but I've found myself getting a little burnt out from coming here/watching the news channels and reading the papers. That said, I have really enjoyed reading the posts, though I might not agree with all of them, and consider myself better informed than I was just a few weeks ago.

FYM = Group hugs =