Guts

I’m actually pretty selective about what I share on Facebook. Partly because I prefer to add my own original content (and I consider comments original content -admittedly, a lot of my internet activity consists of commenting on stuff), and partly because so many things, even if I agree with them in general, have something wrong with them. Even a tip-top left wing meme, if it has a misspelling in it, I’m not going to share it. Another reason is that if it’s a good meme, there’s a good chance that lots of other people have already shared it, and nobody needs to see anything more than once, and if it’s not a good meme, there’s no point.
So, I don’t respond when people put up posts about cancer, or Alzheimer’s, or anything like that, and says “I’ll bet nobody cares enough to share this,” I don’t share. Could be they’re right. When somebody says “Post the last picture you took on your phone” I don’t bother. There are other people who will play that game and they can all have a good time together. But, there is one particular phraseology which truly bothers me, and that’s my subject for tonight’s blog.
“I’ll bet nobody has the guts to share this.” It usually is attached to some right wing message, because they’re all about guts, it is of far greater value to them than, say, intelligence. But it’s really a nonsensical thing to say, since it takes no guts at all to share something on the internet. Anybody in possession of all ten fingers, or even a few less, has what it takes to share something on social media. Making a statement in real life, well, there it depends on your location. If it’s something saying support your local police, you could still say that in real life in most places, but there are some bars where it might get you punched. If it’s saying we should dye the grass in all major league stadiums to look like giant American flags, sure you could say that in public. The people who disagree with that (like me) are not generally violent people. If it’s something about how much you love guns, it still doesn’t take courage to post. Some people will agree with you, some might disagree with you, and most will ignore you, but nobody’s going to go to your house and start shooting at you. We don’t have guns, remember?
So, post what you like, but as far as trying to guilt people into reposting, maybe choose a different phrase. Guts has got nothing to do with it.