Twice in the last two days my status comment on Facebook has turned into, um, heated political discussion. Two old friends who I like a lot, whose political stance is way to the other side of the spectrum from mine, waded in and started swinging. In one discussion another commenter kinda started it, then the responses started flurrying, and by the time I got back (because honestly, I'm not checking my Facebook status every ten minutes to moderate it) voices had been raised and feelings were getting bruised, and when I checked in and asked people to moderate their tone it was taken as a direct attack and...oy.
I am all for passionate political discussion. Really. Passion is great. But I'm not comfortable with raised voices, brandished fists, and other signs of hostility. I get lost in other people's anger, I cringe and cower. I have learned (a little) to look like I'm holding up, but the aftereffects of rage can stay with me for days--not least because I tend to think I did something wrong. Better defended people don't seem to have this problem. And I persist in feeling that on Facebook, as with LJ, my little space is my living room, and I don't want anyone in my living room to start laying about with a baseball bat to make a point.
So: I won't post more political status comments on Facebook. Here, at least I feel like it's possible to expand, to ask for clarification (yeah, I know LJ lends itself to flaming very nicely--I just find things a little easier and more leisurely here).
I don't delude myself that Facebook is a place where I can hawk myself or my work (a skill I singularly lack, anyway). I like Facebook because it's a place where I am in contact with a whole bunch of people I would not, otherwise, be in touch with. If it were not for that, I would just ditch the whole concern.
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