Opinions and Feelings

Right now I'm trying to decide if I'm going to stop visiting a new community I've been frequenting for a little over a month now. For the most part the people are nice, but much of the discussion revolves around politics and other topics that generally people have a wide variety of views on and can easily spark disagreements and arguments.

To be clear before I go any farther, I do not associate myself with any political party as I don't really pay that much attention to it. I find it confusing and everyone is lying no matter which side they are on so no point really. I'm also not extremely religious. I believe in God but I have some beliefs that some more religious folks would take offense to.

Over all I try to keep an open mind about most topics. I'm willing to listen to both sides and while I may not agree or change my mind I can discuss the topic in a friendly manner. I also try to express my opinions with out telling anyone else that they are wrong.

My problem now is not the fact that these topics are being discussed on this board, but more the manner of how the "discussion" develops. I've found that I am the odd person out so to speak with my views of the world. I am in the minority in what I think about most of the topics. More than once now I've expressed my opinion only to have it responded to with venom and hate. I'm told that I'm not being attacked, but my opinion is and isn't that basically the same thing?

Today after reading a couple posts to an opinion that I gave, my feelings were sorely hurt. The topic was about how as part of the new health care changes the age of dependency is being increased from 23 to 26. This means that as long as a child is a full time student they can stay on their parents insurance. The parents do not have to keep them on their insurance, but they can if they wish to do it to help their child out.

I posted that I do not feel this is a bad change as it takes longer now to get through college than it used to. The response I got was that these kids need to "get off momma titty and join the military" and that "no adult should be taking care of another adult who is capable of working". And that if a person is really sick, no emergency room will turn away even a "snot nosed brat".

This really stung as I was one of those who was on my parents insurance through college until I was 23. I didn't live at home, I worked 25-30 hours a week which was all the store would give me. I worked holidays, weekends, summers, all of it. My college life wasn't what you see in movies. It wasn't all parties and fun all the time.

I can't claim to have had a hard childhood. My parents gave me everything I needed and even some things I didn't growing up. And they did the same for my sisters. But when it came to college I was on my own. I got student loans and worked. The only things they could help me with was insurance.

I gave them a brief look into my experience and why I feel the way I do about the topic and was met with a "I think you are taking this to personal". How can I not when he is throwing insults at the very type of person that I am? He may not of specifically called me a "snot nosed brat" but he might as well of and it hurt.

A few days ago there was a discussion about if age makes you more caring and less selfish, and not surprising most of them said that all the 10-20 year olds are all "me me me". And while I don't disagree with this, they also think themselves to be the least selfish and very caring. This coming from people who in every other thread complain about how they should get to keep all their hard earned dollars, and even in this thread saying "no adult should take care of another adult". If that isn't selfish what is?

If everyone refused to help another person because it required a bit of work or might cost them a bit more money we would have tons more homeless and starving and probably be a third world country. I understand that the system isn't perfect and that there are those who abuse it. But I'd rather see those that need help get it than take it all away just to keep it from those who abuse it.

What totally baffles me in this, is that these people are parents. Parents who I would of thought would do anything to help make sure their children are successful in life. Yet here they are saying they'd refuse to keep their kids on their insurance as long as they can if they can't afford their own. That they'd just kick them out of the house at the age of 18 and let them sink or swim.

Maybe I'm just too young to understand this. But I can't imagine that I could do that to my own children when I have them.

I still don't know if I'll be going back to that forum. Not all the threads are like this, but over half of them are so it limits my participation if I try to avoid the controversial ones. I also don't like not being able to be me. Not being able to state my mind and not be chewed out for it.

I'll think on this some more. For now I'll just give it a couple days.