(ThyBlackMan.com) It is becoming increasingly harder to have educated civilized debate these days. People do not know how to agree to disagree anymore. Disagreeing makes you an enemy. You can’t even disagree a little bit. You must be all in or you better be ready to fight. Relationships that took lifetimes to build are destroyed in seconds because of a difference of opinion. I blame social media. People rather unfriend, unfollow, or block you. They are unwilling to take a moment to try to understand your position.
They refuse to even listen to it. Write one post they disagree with and they will erase your very existence. This is fine on Social Media platforms (maybe) but the real world is not supposed to be that way. People are wonderfully complicated and our views equally complicated. No two people are the same so it’s inevitable that you will run into someone that the views the world differently then you. You don’t have to agree with them but you don’t have to erase them either.
When the “who” is saying it becomes more important than “what” they are saying, you are endangered of being erased. They stop debating the argument and start attacking the person. They 
understand what you are saying but there is something inside of them that won’t let you agree because of who you are. It’s not always bad things you’ve done either. Take these players who are protesting the police brutality in America. Because they are rich and play ball for a living they shouldn’t have an opinion about police brutality in America. They made it and should be grateful. When did being grateful equate being silent? They are paid to play and should do what they are told. Pass the ball, catch the ball, run the ball, don’t get hit, and you betta not drop it. Yessah massah, whatever you say massah. I guess when you own a company, you own the employees too. Same ole owner mentality. The field just doesn’t have cotton growing on it anymore and the players carry the ball. Some people have attacked the players status so much that they forget athletes from all levels have taken a knee. Student athletes are not rich- are they allowed to talk about Police Brutality in America? What about the regular blue collar 9-5 middle class citizens who don’t play sports at all? Can they own their opinion and display their outrage?
Americans should be able to weigh in regardless of race or class. I guess you should submit your resume before you debate. Your argument can be discredited if you make too much money. But if you don’t make enough money your argument won’t get their attention. It is getting harder to understand the rules. They are too complicated.
Some people don’t listen to the argument at all, they change it.
“Why didn’t you stand?”
” I wanted to bring attention to police Brutality.”
“You’re disrespecting the flag, veterans, and this country.”
We all heard this dialog over and over in the media. He told them why but they dismissed it. We know why he didn’t stand and heard him say it again and again out of his own mouth. Regardless of what he said we hear more rhetoric about the flag and the national anthem then we do about the issue. Some are so upset they are even trying to create rules that force players to stand. This sets a dangerous precedent. One day there may be an owner that isn’t American. If American Owners can make you stand for their Flag what stops Non-American owners from making you stand for theirs? I guess they are not worried that there will ever be a non-white Non-American NFL Team owner (that’s a conversation for another day).
What about that confederate flag? It’s the flags of Confederate States that succeeded from the union. No offense there? We can talk about that later too.
There were a number protests after Trump was elected President. Time after time they were asked why are you marching and what are you protesting? Reponses covered many isms (racism, classism, Trumpism, feminism, etc.). They were being honest about their reasons and their feelings. We believed them even if we disagreed.
I personally like to tell people I understand your position but I respectfully disagree with it. We don’t have to argue or come to blows. We don’t even have to agree. I try to accept that people have different experiences that led them to form conclusions that differ from mine. I am sure some of you may disagree with some of the ideas I have presented here. I believe we can still be friends even if we don’t agree on this issue. I can be friends with anyone regardless of what they choose to do when the anthem is played. I want us to still be friends. You don’t have to hate me. I look forward to embracing everything that makes you unique. That includes your ideas that I passionately disagree with. Please disagree and continue to argue but don’t erase me!
Staff Writer; David Spencer
This talented brother also recently self published a book which is entitled; DarkSkin… One may purchase a copy of it over at; http://www.SoundOfDavid.com.
Also feel free to connect via Twitter; TheSoundOfDavid.
