Brian's Sharebook 

Care2 should be a place where people agree to disagree. Care2 should be a place where people can have strong opinions about issues and politicians. I know that I have said many a harsh word about many of the so-called "leaders" on this planet. But, though I may have lapsed on occasion, I have diligently tried never to directly attack, humiliate,or insult  another Care2 member(I admit there is one troll on this site that I despise.Now I simply try very hard NOT to read anything it posts). My position, though it has taken some time for me to come to it consistently and deliberately, is to discuss only the issues of the news articles, not to directly comment on what other people have written. If a politician is the issue, then I still reserve the right to let loose as I don't believe politicians read this site; I don't believe they care what anyone here writes, and they are public figures. Their right to kid gloves is more or less suspended.

Basically, I reserve the right to comment strongly against right-wing ideology, free market capitalism, exploitation of people and of this planet, religious ideology that increasingly detaches itself from reality, and the politicians that espouse and support many of these items. I try very hard not to comment directly to other Care2 users, though I admit, once in awhile, a troll or two may hook me into responding to whatever bit of hateful tripe they have posted.

Over the course of my participation on this site, I have observed this site degenerate into a cesspool of hateful commentary directly targeting other members, clear political trollism, and personal attacks. I have been directly insulted numerous times, but that is not the worst.

I have been harassed because of my use of the petitionsite. While many people post petitions with a clear goal in mind for a specific group of people to communicate with a specific target, many people  at Care2 also use the petitionsite simply as a means to earn butterfly credits to redeem for trees, farm animals, honeybees, and the other items that Care2 offers as means for us to help the world while we "play" on this site.  I honestly do not think this is a problem, but apparently some of the self-appointed, self-righteous nabobs that overpopulate this site with their own brand of extremism do. 

One person in particular has communicated with me repeatedly to harass me about this issue. As a result, this morning I have closed a great many of my petitions. It does make sense given that said petitions had only gotten signatures in the single digits after several weeks(or months). What doesn't make sense is what right does one Care2 user have to demand that another Care2 user leave Care2. The specific phrase was "Please leave our site." OUR? What kind of snob thinks this site belongs exclusively to their little clique of ideologues more than any other clique...or any one person in particular?   

I have vetted many news stories. I have commented on even more. I have participated in polls. I have posted shares. I have joined groups(though I admit my participation has been somewhat spotty). I have posted petitions: many of these petitions have not had specific targets so much as they have been a. opportunities to generate butterfly credits which people can redeem for the good causes Care2 offers and b. offered as opportunities for people to commit to changing their own behavior for the better. Given the former reason, sure, sometimes my petitions have been frivolous: it's just about earning credits for us all and planting more trees or redeeming them for some other good cause on Care2.   In truth, the petitions for the latter reason typically do less well: apparently, the one thing many users at Care2 don't want to do to save this planet is to change their behavior.

Anyway, this site has become a great deal less fun. As a disabled person, it has been one of my most important social outlets. I am going to have to greatly reduce my participation because I don't come here to be treated like dirt. That is all I have to say.