Why I Generally Don’t Discuss Politics, Religion, Or Social Issues

I’m a very small dot in the population maps of this country.  Depending on the size of the map I won’t even show up.  Well, let’s face it, I probably won’t show up on any map because I doubt that they even make one big enough for every person in this country to appear, even as a small dot.
I’m not a philosopher.  I do not hold a doctorate in politics, religion, or social development.  I’m not a wise old sage with all the answers to the universe.  I’m just a people no different than any other single people.  Yes, I know the correct word would be person, but I don’t want to use it here so deal with it, who is a little smarter than some and a little dumber than others.
I will on occasion express an opinion on something but that is rare and when I do, I’m smart enough to know that it means exactly squat.  As a rule, I do try to stay away from anything that involves any of the for mentioned subjects.
The reason why I do this is simple.  What the hell do I know?  Yes, I do have an idea of what is going on in most of these subjects but not enough to think that what I say can and will make a difference.  I get real tickled when you have well known people, such as actors, who seem to think they do have these answers and get up there in front of a camera and express their opinions and then I’m appalled when what might be normally intelligent people think they should follow these high profile individuals like they are the profits of some all knowing deity and they need to heed the calling.
Why?  Why is it that someone who has money and has a face or body that is well known to most people is considered to be a leader?
It’s true, I don’t have a lot of money nor is my face, and at this stage in life I sincerely hope my body, are not well known.  I write.  That’s it, I write.  I’m not a well-known writer, I wouldn’t mind it if I were, I think, but that’s it.  I write what I hope, and been told, are scary stories and I’m told they are good.  This does not mean I have any answers to anything.
Yes, I do have an opinion on all these things, but they are mine.  Here’s the thing.  I’m smart enough to know that no matter which side I lean toward, any personally opinion, my stand on any issue is going to be in opposition to about half the people in this country, even the world.  If I want to sell my books why then would I want to alienate half the population?  Does this mean I won’t stand up for what I believe in?  You bet your sweet ass.  I’m just not going to do that on social media and believe me sometimes that’s hard   All that is going to result in someone coming back and saying something stupid, and they would, and allow them to piss me off.  I see enough post on different social media sites to prove that point.
The nice thing about standing up for what you believe in, when you do it in person in a crowd, as an unknown individual you have a louder voice and that voice has more meaning than the lone individual.  You are heard in unison with all the other voices and there is power in that, that has a meaning that goes beyond, because you were a major box office draw last week or on someone’s bestselling list.
Then you have the person sitting alone in their houses posting their opinions as if they are the wisest of them all.  Seriously?  You’re ever bit as small a dot as me and you think what you say sitting there in front of that little machine with access to the whole world, supposedly, through the internet and people are going to think you know more than all the rest of us.  Get your head out of your ass, you don’t.  What you usually do is open a caustic dialogue with you and one or more people going back and forth in a negative narrative.  You end up with everyone involved angry and driving a bigger wedge between a bunch of people who don’t know one from the other.  All you’ve accomplished is to make the gap between the two sides even bigger.  When all is said and done, each person will go on their separate ways and your little post is forgotten.  You are forgotten.  That’s really sad because you might have made a friend that would have stood beside you no matter what you believed in.  Oh well.
So now you know why I stay away from those subjects.  I much rather build a friendship than start a mini war over a stupid post.