Friday, March 5, 2010

Post this or else.....

I'm a little tired of the bullying Facebook status updates that end with "Post this on your status if you support (fill in the blank)" or worse, "I'm proud to support (fill in the blank). 97% of people are too afraid to post this on their status update. I dare you to be among the 3% who will." or words to that effect.

Stop bullying me.

There are many ways to support something -- not just through a Facebook status.

The latest one I almost responded to on Facebook, but I decided that I couldn't make my reply sound anything other than churlish.  And I value the other person's friendship, so a reply was out of the question.

But here's what I have to say about the latest, which was a bullying "show your support for our troops by posting this on your Facebook status" effort.

The statement made was that our military troops are slated to receive only a 1.4% pay increase in 2011, due to the President's request. 

Firstly, it is more than just a President's request that sets salary levels for the military.

Secondly, I support the military 100%.  But my husband, a public school teacher, took an actual pay cut this year and will be expected to take another one next year. And his health insurance now sports a $1,000.00 deductible that must be met by each person covered under his plan.  Two of our boys are in the military (and I think that's great, by the way).  The reality, salary-wise, is that they will end up making more than their dad pretty soon, between their tax breaks, their health benefits and retirement benefits, and their actual pay.

I'm not saying that I think the military should take a pay cut.

But there are other professions equally as important to the infrastructure of the United States -- and public school teachers across the nation are, in fact, taking actual pay cuts.

Okay, that's my rant.

- Catherine

4 comments:

Nostalgic for the Pleistocene said...

CHEERS and BRAVO -- both for your thoughtful take on the pay problem and for the main point about the re-post pressure tactic.

I get these through emails too. "If you do not pass this on then..." (Insert "you don't support the troops" or "you don't love Jesus" or "you don't love me!" as applies). And i don't tell the sender what i think either, because these are people i love and value too! Just wish everybody would cut it out!

Christy Duffy said...

I hate those things on Facebook and via email. I long ago found the delete button was my friend.

I just saw this on-line: "The Detroit metropolitan area has the highest average public school teacher pay among metropolitan areas for which data are available, at $47.28 per hour..." Of course, you'd have to live near Detroit, and I'm not sure I could recommend that!

Unknown said...

AMEN CATH!

Sara said...

Cath....I couldn't have said it better! (You have such a way with words, and I mean that in a very good way!!) And, I second Mandee---AMEN!!