In a troubled world. . .

[trythisonemv]

In this trying political and economic climate, it seems hard to find common ground with people who have opposing viewpoints  of the ways to solve the problems. However, we Re all here on this platform to share our common love of fishing and the outdoors... seems kinda silly that we can all love something so much while thinking the others are swine.  I posit that if we can connect over fishing or hunting that there must be som similarities to our lives and conditions. So when you are approaching a political topic( ots a major election year) why not assume that the person you just were liking a picture of or a post of might in fact have an idea you hadn't thought of. Or perhaps approaching it with the care of listening to them before responding in a critical manner. Of we can see the others points and convey back to them our understanding of it we can find a way to help them see our own views in the same light. It's a crazy world but if we can find common ground in nature then why not try to at least understand where our fellow citizens are coming from. Socio economic status or travel or service can really drive world views so be mindful of that. People don't remember what you said they remember how it made them feel. . . So be open minded but have the resolve to stand your ground with courtesy.  The world is a crap shoot right now so we need to be united if we want to solve the many problems. That being said I choose freedom every time

[WestCentralFisher]

When I was on the Eleven Point River a couple weeks ago, there was a gentleman we happened to run into both when we put our canoes in, and when we came back to pick our vehicle up after we were done. He'd done a different float and while he wouldn't outright say he'd caught fish hand over fist, the look on his face when he said "Oh, it was OK I guess" told me otherwise.

We talked for awhile about fishing and river birds and how to avoid those sweepers on outside bends, and what in the name of everything that was holy made that horrible screeching (hopefully) bird sound you always heard in the night while camping on the Eleven Point. 

Conversation drifted a bit further afield, until it hit current events. I liked this guy, so I'll admit I tensed up. What if he said something that caused this nice chance meeting to sour? And he did express a political opinion, a pretty strident one. And it's not anyone's business what it was, or if I agreed, it anything else. But as soon as he was done, he paused for a second and said the following to us:

"I can't quite tell if y'all agree or not, and that's OK. The fact that you spent the last two days on this river and we can talk this long about fishing means you're alright."

Then we talked a bit more about paddling tactics and parted as friends, only because we were all hungry as heck and heading in separate directions. 

We need way more interactions like this, in my view. 

 

 

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Great point, Alex. It's completely nauseating things always turn political. Makes me not want to be active on the forum anymore. I know others feel the same. And I haven't been because of it. I do not care what any of you think about Trump, Kamala, Biden, immigration, etc. Go play with each other somewhere else. 

Since when is politics the defining personality trait of a person? Grow up.

[fishinwrench]

24 minutes ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

I do not care what any of you think about Trump, Kamala, Biden, immigration, etc. Go play with each other somewhere else. 

There are quite a number of posts on this forum that I'm not very interested in......So I simply don't click on them !  

I don't understand the bitching about what is being posted🤔    If a post, or topic, doesn't interest you then DON'T CLICK ON IT.  

Seems obvious to me, but some of you act like you are forced to read EVERYTHING.  

[Ryan Miloshewski]

12 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

There are quite a number of posts on this forum that I'm not very interested in......So I simply don't click on them !  

I don't understand the bitching about what is being posted🤔    If a post, or topic, doesn't interest you then DON'T CLICK ON IT.  

Seems obvious to me, but some of you act like you are forced to read EVERYTHING.  

I am referring to when a post starts out as apolitical and gets hijacked. Then I just don't read it. 

[Terrierman]

Hopefully we won't have many political hijacks anymore.  I do like though when people hijack a thread to talk about microfishing, which fascinates me even if I've never done any and likely never will.  Vive' la difference.  (I've seen more of Paris in the last 2 weeks than all the rest of my life combined).  Time for a group hug everybody.🫂

[ColdWaterFshr]

I agree with what you guys are saying.   Where I struggle is in "accepting" viewpoints that are just plain wrong, or even just accepting it as a "quaint" little difference of opinion.  Racism, for example, is a big non-starter for me.  I'm not going to share a campfire and sing kumbyyah with you.  I don't care if you're my next door neighbor, and we are in alignment on just about everything else.  There are other viewpoints that I feel almost as strongly about as racism, and I'll not list those all here, but okay, in broad terms, . . . rejection of science, alternative facts, conspiracy theories. . . . . I am not open-minded to considering those perspectives whatsoever.  

If you're okay with that, then I'll participate in a group hug.  😂

[ness]

1 hour ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

Since when is politics the defining personality trait of a person? Grow up.

It’s not. It’s how you communicate  and treat others. 

[Terrierman]

10 minutes ago, ColdWaterFshr said:

I agree with what you guys are saying.   Where I struggle is in "accepting" viewpoints that are just plain wrong, or even just accepting it as a "quaint" little difference of opinion.  Racism, for example, is a big non-starter for me.  I'm not going to share a campfire and sing kumbyyah with you.  I don't care if you're my next door neighbor, and we are in alignment on just about everything else.  There are other viewpoints that I feel almost as strongly about as racism, and I'll not list those all here, but okay, in broad terms, . . . rejection of science, alternative facts, conspiracy theories. . . . . I am not open-minded to considering those perspectives whatsoever.  

If you're okay with that, then I'll participate in a group hug.  😂

Kumbaya bro.

[ness]

9 hours ago, ColdWaterFshr said:

I agree with what you guys are saying.   Where I struggle is in "accepting" viewpoints that are just plain wrong, or even just accepting it as a "quaint" little difference of opinion.  Racism, for example, is a big non-starter for me.  I'm not going to share a campfire and sing kumbyyah with you.  I don't care if you're my next door neighbor, and we are in alignment on just about everything else.  There are other viewpoints that I feel almost as strongly about as racism, and I'll not list those all here, but okay, in broad terms, . . . rejection of science, alternative facts, conspiracy theories. . . . . I am not open-minded to considering those perspectives whatsoever.  

If you're okay with that, then I'll participate in a group hug.  😂

Here’s the deal from my viewpoint:

If I encounter a racist, and I do occasionally, it doesn’t ruin my day. I don’t feel the need to fix them, but I may slide in a comment that lets them know I that know some fine folks of that ilk. I kinda look at it as the long game. Sprinkle a little positive out there, then back off and see what happens. It may take more than one pass.

We kinda got into all these discussions here because of someone who just couldn’t let it slide. It was justified by the (false) idea that it had to be fixed now, or it was the end of the world as we know it. Wrong. 

So, let it go. Read the room. Play the long game.