I usually avoid politics on Facebook. Arguing on Facebook usually brings you exactly no where. You never change anyone's mind; people don't seem to change their mind based on facts and evidence. Fighting on Facebook is a waste of time and energy. I know better than to get sucked in. Really, I do.
This morning, I stumbled across a post by a Facebook friend. In the post, my "friend" is punching down. Punching down really bothers me, like saying that children deserved to be locked up without basic care because their parents fled from an oppressive and dangerous regime without the proper paperwork.
Over the months and years, I've weeded out most of the people that seem to think like that, but this morning I discovered that I was wrong. Apparently, my "friend" believes that the poor deserve to be poor because of poor life choices. Never mind that we live in a world in which some people own seven yachts while others have to set up Go Fund Me to cover their basic medical care needs.
Obviously, i digress. I hate it when people punch down. I broke out the statistics and reasoned arguments. They responded with personal anecdotes and memes. That's the moment I finally walked away.
There are no winners here. I wasted my time. Their opinions changed not at all. I have all the evidence and all the statistics and all the reasoned arguments. It makes no difference.
I can stand here with my pile of swords, but no one really wins.
Until people learn empathy; until people learn to stop punching down and judging that the less fortunate deserve to be poor, the rich will stay rich and leave us where we are, fighting in the ashes over the crumbs.