Some thoughts on my Facebook friends

By Jeff Orvis

Let me start by saying I really like Facebook. Those of us who live alone and have plenty of time on our hands appreciate the opportunity to communicate with a lot of folks any time of the day or night. Years ago, our grandparents often relied on the telephone, especially if they were on a country party line, to keep up on the opinions and news affecting folks they knew.

I am proud to admit that I have over 200 Facebook friends. Many of them are from my childhood. A few are from my years in Independence and one of the reasons why I chose to move back to Belle Plaine is the fact that many of my Facebook friends live here.

I've discovered that more than a few of my friends don't necessarily share my political beliefs. Most of their posts are civil. But a few are troubling. One thing I've learned over the past few years of daily interaction on Facebook is that you should still think before you type. It's been well documented that potential employers often check the posts of their prospective employees to gauge how they might act once they are on the payroll. Since some of my friends are still in high school or college, I wish they would think twice before they hit the "send" button on their posts.

Some of the more off-the-wall posts and thoughts also come from folks who are my age. I freely admit that I am a proud liberal Democrat. I believe that the election of Barack Obama dragged this country kicking and screaming into a new era of governing. If you are objective, you might realize that he has made some mistakes during his tenure. But not all of the things he's been accused of are his fault. The moment the last election results came in, there was a growing faction of people in this country who simply could not stomach the thought of an African-American president. The fact that he is a Democrat has undoubtedly helped the sale of Pepto-Bismol for some folks.

Some of the Facebook posts have really taken a turn toward the ugly. Today I noticed a post of photos of a serene-looking Jackie Kennedy alongside a picture of Michelle Obama, probably taken at a school rally, where she has her arms raised and it looks like she's leading a cheer. The clear message seemed to be that first ladies are supposed to be seen and not heard, at least not in public.

Those of us who supported President Obama realize that we elected a team. Michelle has been a champion of combating childhood obesity. She and her husband have also tried to be models of what a family, especially an African-American family, should be about. The President has said on several occasions that young men should take responsibility if they father children and not abandon them.

Back when Obama first ran for president, I wished that we might elect a first lady separate from the president. I knew that we were entering an era where the first lady would be an unofficial ambassador for the administration. During the primaries, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack mounted an early campaign for the presidency. He had a lot of good traits and has subsequently been a good agriculture secretary. But even if Vilsack was not going to be the president, I would have voted for his wife, Christie, for first lady. I spoke to her a few times when she came to Belle Plaine in the year 2000 as a part of a literacy campaign. The passion she showed for Iowa Stories 2000 made me think that she would be an awesome first lady.

Then I got to witness Michelle Obama. Her energy, sense of humor, compassion and intelligence quickly made me realize that she would do a great job in the White House. Unfortunately some folks, including some of my Facebook friends, don't realize this. Some probably hoped and prayed we would never elect anyone but a white, male, Republican president. And this "ideal" candidate should also have a wife who dresses nice, smiles and is not very often quotable.

Not all of my radical Facebook friends are on the right. One guy, one of my oldest friends, has a clearly different view. Over a couple of good beers awhile back, he said, "I'm convinced Republicans are evil!" While I realize that some of the more prominent members of that party are often easier to laugh at for their bumbling statements and a few are outright dangerous in their views of how this country should be run, some of my Facebook friends post some very intelligent arguments in support of their positions. Not all Republicans are evil, just as not all Democrats are champions of a socialist, welfare nation.

One recent ad on Facebook asked what the Republicans need to do to regain Congress and the White House. Although I really hope that won't happen, I have some thoughts on what the Grand Old Party should do to be relevant and prepared in the event they do regain control. But that's for another blog at another time.

For now, thanks for reading!