I just want to say that............

[Herdfan]

I consider you all, every single one of you, a friend.

No matter what you might think of me, I care about what happens to each and every one of you.

I will still be around here and there.

That's all.

 

[Alli]

I consider you a friend as well.

 

[Roller]

I consider you all, every single one of you, a friend.

No matter what you might think of me, I care about what happens to each and every one of you.

I will still be around here and there.

That's all.

Thank you for this. I've enjoyed engaging with you on lots of topics, including cats. The part that I and some others find frustrating is our lack of understanding of how or why you seem to accept political conditions that materially and negatively affect the well-being of you and your family, not to mention millions of others. I don't want or expect you to respond to that here, though. I just posted it because you may sometimes wonder why some of us get so riled up, as they say. Take care.

 

[Citysnaps]

Friends here for sure. For me that transcends politics. Even though our political views are polar opposites, our back-n-forths have always been respectful, without any sideways slams. Forever being curious regarding just about anything, I’m always interested in listening to others’ views.

 

[Eric]

Thank you for this. I've enjoyed engaging with you on lots of topics, including cats. The part that I and some others find frustrating is our lack of understanding of how or why you seem to accept political conditions that materially and negatively affect the well-being of you and your family, not to mention millions of others. I don't want or expect you to respond to that here, though. I just posted it because you may sometimes wonder why some of us get so riled up, as they say. Take care.

For one to actively show so much concern over:

• The price of groceries
• Regular American jobs
• Number of immigrants crossing the borders
• Mental stability

Then, Trump gets elected and makes it far worse than it ever was under Biden by directly sticking it to all Americans and you remain silent the entire time, only to bash Biden in his cancer thread? I cannot ever respect anyone who does this as a person, to me it shows so little respect and common decency. Removing him from the political forum was my compromise over an outright ban.

 

[Katbel]

I consider you all, every single one of you, a friend.

No matter what you might think of me, I care about what happens to each and every one of you.

I will still be around here and there.

That's all.

Nice thoughts: are Canadian friends included?

 

[Herdfan]

Nice thoughts: are Canadian friends included?

Absolutely.

As a kid up through my mid-teens we would go to a place NE of Toronto in Prince Edward County (Picton).

Several families from my hometown all went there which is how my parents found out about it.

So we would go up after baseball for a month. Dad would fish for a week and then go back and work for two weeks and then come back up and fish for another week.

Where I got to spend a month on a lake with ski boats, sail boats and even a wet bike if anyone remembers those.

Great times for sure and I am still in contact with a couple of friends from that time.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

As the only person who has met herdfan on this forum I thought I would weigh in after much thought. First let me say these are not normal times with normal concerns. There's a global move towards authoritarianism and at minimum Trump has upset the global world order which we have largely benefitted from (while others have gotten screwed) and I don't believe it will be reversed. As some rando on Twitter best put it "Was the fall of the Roman Empire this stupid?".

I, like many members on here, come from a time before the internet. We could have opposing views on some key issues without thinking that person was an absolute POS. He's shared with me that he's not happy with some of the things Trump has done but I've never asked for specifics because I know I am hair trigger "But you support this atrocity!?!". Also he comes from a part of the country where largely white people have abused the system which he isn't happy about while the establishment wants us to believe it's all just racists wanting to keep minorities down. We're losing the ability to see value of people beyond politics or their personal experience.

Some fun facts I've been sitting on. He absolutely hates Jesus. Also he has a thing for large black women who have Radiohead's OK Computer in their Top 5. Don't get it but you do you. There's actually an annual convention in Topeka, Kansas for people with the exact same fetish which, thanks again Internet, you have once again failed us.

 

[rdrr]

I agree with most of the sentiments on Herdfan, and I agree that he has the right not only to hold his beliefs and opinions, but also to express those opinions that differ from most of us. He is afforded the inherent dignity that we all have the same right to. I admittedly haven't always honored his dignity.

Where I cannot go is to give him respect as a board member here, because he won't answer simple, direct questions without deflecting or ignoring them. Also, he has personally attacked the dignity of me and my family with his anti-LGBTQ+ stances, which again is his right, but I do have to defend mine.

All that being said, if our paths were to cross, I would be courteous and may even go so far as to break bread with the "Resident Redneck" .

 

[Eric]

I agree with most of the sentiments on Herdfan, and I agree that he has the right not only to hold his beliefs and opinions, but also to express those opinions that differ from most of us. He is afforded the inherent dignity that we all have the same right to. I admittedly haven't always honored his dignity.

Where I cannot go is to give him respect as a board member here, because he won't answer simple, direct questions without deflecting or ignoring them. Also, he has personally attacked the dignity of me and my family with his anti-LGBTQ+ stances, which again is his right, but I do have to defend mine.

All that being said, if our paths were to cross, I would be courteous and may even go so far as to break bread with the "Resident Redneck" .

My mother used to defend my crazy right wing brother by saying things like "oh he means well though, he would help anyone out if they needed it on the street, he's such a good boy".

The reality is he would demanded we close the borders but would hire illegal immigrants, he never paid taxes but demanded that Obama was over taxing people, denounced all science and medical advice from peer reviewed professionals while having only ever achieved an 8th grade education.

You just can't reason with people like this, sure some may be fun at a party but at the heart of it they're typically willfully ignorant and logic does not appeal to them, only ideology.