ON INSULTS AND FACT CHECKING.

Facebook can be so predictable sometimes.

It's the only one of those Social Media type things I use and I do post there on a fairly regular basis and comment on other posts when i feel I've something to say on whatever topic is in question.  I do occasionally comment on Youtube too but the reactions there are pretty similar.

I can't be bothered arguing with total strangers much these days.  It's pretty pointless and only leads to stress that I can do without.  What I normally do is comment and then walk away.  I hardly ever respond to a follow up comment.  Life is so much easier that way.

But you always know what's to follow.  Comment after comment of abuse, attempts at insults, those stupid gif/meme things and always, always ridiculous accusations.  I often wonder if people dishing this sort of thing out actually take the time to read what you've said?

A case in point recently that I didn't respond to but will answer here.

BBC Northern Ireland, NORTHERN IRELAND is the words you should keep in mind here, had full coverage and even sent a camera crew to cover Boxer Kellie Harrington's gold medal win at the just finished Tokyo Olympics.

Now don't get me wrong, fair play to the girl and I wish her every success for the future but she is from Dublin and was representing the Republic of Ireland's Olympic team so I questioned what relevance this had to Northern Ireland sport?

Yes there are other points here which are for another day.  I realise that several competitors at the games from NI chose to represent ROI and others represented the Team GB & NI team.  But your Irish I hear you say....again another thing for another day.  Why Team GB & NI is not just Team UK is yet another which I won't go into right now.

No sooner was my comment on when within milliseconds the abuse began.  You can probably imagine the sort of usual stuff it said without me repeating it here.

But one comment in particular I'd like to look at in detail.  My comment was described as 'Racist' and 'Sectarian'.

So then, number one 'Racist'.

Kellie Harrington is white.  I am white too.  So 'racist'?  In what way am I racist against someone who is the same race as I am?  I never mentioned or commented on her skin colour whatsoever?

Number two.  'Sectarian'.

I don't have the slightest idea what religion Miss Harrington is (neither do I particularly care) and I would safely assume that the person making the accusation has no idea what religion I am?  Taking a stab in the dark I would think that she is probably Christian.  I am Christian too?  You get where I'm coming from here?  

It does irritate me being accused of things that I'm quite clearly not but I don't lose much sleep over it.  Sticks and Stones and all that sort of stuff apply.  It's not the first time and won't be the last I'm sure.

But it passes the day. 

 

SO HERE'S THE THING ON SUFFRAGETTES AND LATE NIGHT 'DOCUMENTAIRIES.

My sleep routine has been pretty much all over the place for years now. Mostly I sleep during the day and am up and about most of the night.

Much of the time I do watch some Documentaries on those irrelevant Sky History Channels or even some of the true Crime programmes that are very much a constant now as part of their programming schedule.

They irritate me greatly sometimes.

Documentaries are supposed to be factual.  Right? So how come many of them, but not all, still peddle ancient myths, rumours and lies as truth? 

For some unknown reason they seem to be having a lot of programs recently about the Suffragette movement.  Don't know why and am assuming it's some sort of anniversary that I'm not aware of.

They are nearly always celebratory in nature.  You can imagine the sort of thing?

I have a few problems with that in general.  

Were the aims of the movement justified? Absolutely.  100%.

But should we really be celebrating an organisation that was happy to use bombing. arson and various other violent methods as legitimate?  Not in my world.  No.  Tell the history yes but please don't glorify it.

One thing in particular they get wrong time and time again.

The death of Emily Davison.

And yes in your mind already is the thought that that was the woman who threw herself in front of the King's horse in an apparent suicidal move to attract attention to the cause. 

Only she didn't.

Five minutes research will clearly show that it was an accident and she did not, as commonly perceived, commit deliberate suicide.

Modern technology has slowed the footage down and analysed it thoroughly.  She was, in fact, trying to place a sash of some sort around the horses neck as it rode past and couldn't get out the way quickly enough and was sadly killed in the process.

But still the fact checkers don't seem to able to do a quick Google search on these programs and are still telling the old myth over and over and over again.

Not good and not professional.