Wow

I don't talk much about religion, politics, abortion, Covid, BLM, or the hashtag save the children.  I believe that mostly we can't change anyone's mind on their own beliefs.  I try to come at it from a place of understanding that everyone has their own history and thoughts and those reflect in the ways that they believe.  I try to be respectful and would hope that others would also.  It sure doesn't feel that way most days though.
Back in April when Norman died of the Covid 19, I had a friend on facebook who unfriended me and blocked me because I disagreed with him on a meme about the Covid.  According to him I was questioning his intellect and he could not have that.  The meme compared the Spanish Flu with Covid and I simply said I thought it was comparing apples and oranges. I said that because most of the people who died during the Spanish Flu did so of a secondary infection being pneumonia.  The Spanish Flu was before antibiotics.  I was actually shocked to be unfriended and blocked.  But I got over it pretty quick because if that is all it took to end a friendship then there really wasn't a friendship. 
I don't unfriend people who disagree with my opinion.  I may unfollow some who post way too many disrespectful memes.  I don't need to see it all.  And I am still friends and can check in anytime I want to.  I can change back to following if I want to.  I do sometimes unfriend people for other reasons. In fact this week I culled my facebook friends again. If I haven't seen you or talked to you in three years, I don't feel the need to maintain your presence on my page. 
I was trying to add Cassie as a family member and facebook wouldn't let me unless I gave her a relationship label that isn't true.  Now that's annoying.  But it got me looking at other things and I realized I had been unfriended by a family member.  Like this week.  I had already been dismissed and I knew that, but I didn't realize the unfriending.  So let's talk about that.
A video was shared of LOL dolls whose bodies, when placed in cold water, have outfits on.  The lady in the video thought this was totally inappropriate.  I thought it was pretty cool.  So I went on a search and found an article on truthorfiction.com about how these particular dolls had been around for a couple of years and they were advertised as some changing in cold water and some changing in warm water depending on the doll. So I posted the link so it could be read or not. I didn't comment or interject my own opinion. Well my post was removed and that dismisses my opinion or input. Stops any dialogue. Now anyone can post what they want on their page and they can certainly remove other peoples posts on their page.  That doesn't mean that their opinion is the only valid one...they just don't want other people to think differently or say something that contradicts their opinion. 
Today I realized she had also unfriended me.  And for a moment or two that hurt my feelings.  But it certainly doesn't change my opinion.  If you think those dolls are inappropriate then don't buy them.  This really isn't about that hashtag save the children.  This is a way to keep people living in fear.  That their kids are going to get kidnapped in Walmart while shopping with the parents.  I've seen way too many of those posts.  If you do the research you will see that most sex trafficked kids are runaways.  There were like 115 stranger abductions in 2018.  Statistics show it averages out to about 100 a year.  So if you really want to hashtag save the children....put your money where your mouth is and mentor teens, be a big brother/sister, get involved in places that support vulnerable youth.  Don't just post videos and memes and live in fear.  Do something.