4 ms·

There seems to be more hatred for this country, from within, than ever before in my life. This has been trending all day: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FvckT

There seems to be more hatred for this country, from within, than ever before in my life. This has been trending all day: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FvckTheForth&src=trend_click https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FvckTheForth&src=trend_click Yet I still love it more than not. That seems to make me an "other" to so many of these people.

mmm_grayons 6y ago
22% of Americans use twitter. Most tweets are from 10% of those people. There are many people who yell and scream so loudly on-line that people believe their numbers to be much greater than they are. It frustrates me when someone takes action because "people on twitter are mad". Decisions are being made based on who has the most active thumbs. Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-tw...
- chance_state 6y ago
  So only 72,600,000 Americans use Twitter? And that's your argument that it's insignificant?
  - cywick 6y ago
    No, the argument is 78% of Americans don't use Twitter at all, 20% have Twitter accounts but are not very active, and only 2% are responsible for the vast majority of tweets. In other words, what you see on Twitter, especially when it comes to somewhat more extreme messages, is not representative at all for the US population as a whole.
    - slim 6y ago
      how many people vote in elections ? just to compare the representativeness of the samples
      - mmm_grayons 6y ago
        Forty to sixty percent, though that doesn't say anything about the representativeness of voters or twitter users.
benatkin 6y ago
That isn't hatred for this country. That's a #hashtag. If you look below the surface the sentiments of many of them seem to be similar to this excerpt from Frederick Douglass: "Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men, too, great enough to give frame to a great age. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men. The point from which I am compelled to view them is not, certainly, the most favorable; and yet I cannot contemplate their great deeds with less than admiration. They were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and for the good they did, and the principles they contended for, I will unite with you to honor their memory." https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html He then goes on to say what's wrong with the fourth. I won't spoil it. It's worth reading and re-reading.
ncallaway 6y ago
I love this country. But I hate this country. I love the ideals that this nation was founded upon, but I hate that we've never lived up to those ideals. I love that we've moved over time to make this a more perfect union—to move ever closer to those ideals; but I hate how slow this movement has been, and how long it has taken. I would fight and die for this country if I needed to defend it, but I also want to spend most of my life fighting this nation to make it better. Strong criticism of something doesn't mean that it's hated—it might mean that it's loved, but very very imperfect. The best way to celebrate the 4th of July—to me—is to reflect on the many ways that this union could be more perfect, and to work on moving us in that direction.
- tathougies 6y ago
  No sorry, people setting up autonomous zones proclaiming Americanism has failed is hatred of country, not an attempt at reform.
  - ncallaway 6y ago
    Funny enough, I was part of the protests in Seattle that led up to the autonomous zones. Proclaiming Americanism failed to live up to its ideals isn't hatred. It's a simple factual statement that's painfully obvious. Harsh criticism is necessary to reform. You can't move towards that more perfect union if we don't open our eyes to the problems of the systems. If you reject all criticism out of hand as unpatriotic, then you cut off your ability to make progress.
    - tathougies 6y ago
      Signs saying 'now leaving the USA' are not saying america has failed to live up to its ideals. It's saying... we don't want to be part of America anymore. That's fine, I'm not knocking you, but this is just revisionism. I don't reject criticism as unpatriotic. I was made aware of no-knock warrants from Ms Taylor's unfortunate death, and I am against them. I am in favor of most police reform. I am not in favor of the riots, CHOP, knocking down statues, or continued protests drawing thousands of individuals during a time of pandemic.
rconti 6y ago
Solution: Don't use twitter. It's the best way to seek out the most toxic trolls on the planet.

mmm_grayons 6y ago

22% of Americans use twitter. Most tweets are from 10% of those people. There are many people who yell and scream so loudly on-line that people believe their numbers to be much greater than they are. It frustrates me when someone takes action because "people on twitter are mad". Decisions are being made based on who has the most active thumbs. Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-tw...

chance_state 6y ago
So only 72,600,000 Americans use Twitter? And that's your argument that it's insignificant?
- cywick 6y ago
  No, the argument is 78% of Americans don't use Twitter at all, 20% have Twitter accounts but are not very active, and only 2% are responsible for the vast majority of tweets. In other words, what you see on Twitter, especially when it comes to somewhat more extreme messages, is not representative at all for the US population as a whole.
  - slim 6y ago
    how many people vote in elections ? just to compare the representativeness of the samples
    - mmm_grayons 6y ago
      Forty to sixty percent, though that doesn't say anything about the representativeness of voters or twitter users.

benatkin 6y ago

That isn't hatred for this country. That's a #hashtag. If you look below the surface the sentiments of many of them seem to be similar to this excerpt from Frederick Douglass: "Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men, too, great enough to give frame to a great age. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men. The point from which I am compelled to view them is not, certainly, the most favorable; and yet I cannot contemplate their great deeds with less than admiration. They were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and for the good they did, and the principles they contended for, I will unite with you to honor their memory." https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html He then goes on to say what's wrong with the fourth. I won't spoil it. It's worth reading and re-reading.

ncallaway 6y ago

I love this country. But I hate this country. I love the ideals that this nation was founded upon, but I hate that we've never lived up to those ideals. I love that we've moved over time to make this a more perfect union—to move ever closer to those ideals; but I hate how slow this movement has been, and how long it has taken. I would fight and die for this country if I needed to defend it, but I also want to spend most of my life fighting this nation to make it better. Strong criticism of something doesn't mean that it's hated—it might mean that it's loved, but very very imperfect. The best way to celebrate the 4th of July—to me—is to reflect on the many ways that this union could be more perfect, and to work on moving us in that direction.

tathougies 6y ago
No sorry, people setting up autonomous zones proclaiming Americanism has failed is hatred of country, not an attempt at reform.
- ncallaway 6y ago
  Funny enough, I was part of the protests in Seattle that led up to the autonomous zones. Proclaiming Americanism failed to live up to its ideals isn't hatred. It's a simple factual statement that's painfully obvious. Harsh criticism is necessary to reform. You can't move towards that more perfect union if we don't open our eyes to the problems of the systems. If you reject all criticism out of hand as unpatriotic, then you cut off your ability to make progress.
  - tathougies 6y ago
    Signs saying 'now leaving the USA' are not saying america has failed to live up to its ideals. It's saying... we don't want to be part of America anymore. That's fine, I'm not knocking you, but this is just revisionism. I don't reject criticism as unpatriotic. I was made aware of no-knock warrants from Ms Taylor's unfortunate death, and I am against them. I am in favor of most police reform. I am not in favor of the riots, CHOP, knocking down statues, or continued protests drawing thousands of individuals during a time of pandemic.

rconti 6y ago

Solution: Don't use twitter. It's the best way to seek out the most toxic trolls on the planet.