I participate in a Facebook nostalgia group for the part of the USAF I was in.

[MineralMan]

It's interesting to chat with others who did the same job I did. It's a closed group.

The other day, a right-wing old-timer in the group (about the same age as me) posted a rant about how some performers sing the National Anthem. It began in classic old-timer NCO fashion, with "Listen up!" Then it more or less accused everyone who didn't perform the National Anthem the way he liked it of being "anti-American." His thread had a couple dozen likes and a few "You got that right!" replies. It hit me just wrong, though.

So, I posted my own thread, not about that, but about the fact that the intelligence work we were doing while in the USAF was not political in any way, and that those of us who were doing that work back in the 60s and 70s never even discussed politics. We were all just doing the jobs we were supposed to be doing. I mentioned that we were all in that Facebook group to reminisce and get all nostalgic about those days, not to stir up political discord.

My thread got 150 likes and a bunch of posts seconding that opinion. The original poster of the other thread chimed in, saying that he was never coming back to the group, which was no longer made up of patriots. "Good," was the response of several others to that.

[yardwork]

1. Good. We all must resist in our own ways. Good on you.

[MineralMan]

2. We can counter right-wing morons, and we should.

However, if we can do it in a non-confrontive way that simply takes a different approach, it often works best, I think. We needn't act like right-wingers to make our point.

[dawg day]

3. That was a great way to deal with it.

I'm in a craft group where politics is forbidden. One person keeps putting in little anti Obama digs, like skes knitting some flag scarf, and says our LAST president didn't respect it. I finally broke and said if she kept that up, I was going to post the photo of T picking his nose every time. She flagged me, of course!

[MineralMan]

5. Thanks. I wanted to make a point, but didn't want to

confront the guy directly. That group is supposed to be free of disputes.

[lunasun]

31. Or ask for examples . How did Obama not respect the flag ? Wth

[dalton99a]

4. And if you don't know the words, sing it like Trump

[MineralMan]

6. I didn't want to confront old "Sarge" directly.

But, yes, Trump doesn't know the words.

[Hoyt]

7. Good response. Wonder if he would like Rosanne Barr's version.

[keithbvadu2]

13. Trump supporter Roseanne... You beat me to it.

Trump supporter Roseanne... You beat me to it.

[HipChick]

8. I never understand why folks need to proclaim that they are leaving a FB group..

[Beringia]

9. I wonder why some people proclaim their love or some such

on anniversaries on facebook. Like, why don't they just tell the person themselves, why include the whole extended clan.

[MineralMan]

23. Oh, they tell the person, too. I see it all the time.

Public declarations are welcomed by some people. You should see my feed. I'm on a class of '63 alumni group for my home town. Buncha old fogies we are.

[JHB]

10. To get in the last word, at least in their own heads

Like this guy, who just had to get in that it was everyone else who wasn't being "patriotic".

[Polybius]

11. Many do it here too

I think they are the ones who want to be swayed to stay.

[Phoenix61]

12. Good for you. I'm not at all surprised you

found a diplomatic way to handle it. I had someone I know tell me that CNN lies all the time. I asked him “Want to throw down the gauntlet? Let’s talk about FOX and all their lies.” Not surprisingly, he decided he didn’t really want to go there. Snowflake.

[pecosbob]

14. I observed the same apolitical environment when I served

but I must admit that I saw signs of the rise of a 'christian soldier of god' clique at the end of the seventies and this scared me.

[yaesu]

17. Sadly, Its still alive and well today. nt

[tekriter]

15. MineralMan - what was your USAF AFSC?

I was a 32853 - Electronic Warfare Systems Specialist.

ECM - Extra Cleanup Man. Worked on the Rivet Joint project in the 70’s.

[MineralMan]

18. 20351 when I was discharged. Russian Linguist/Analyst

[yaesu]

16. My fav National Anthem performance was by Jimi Hendrix, Aug 1969 on a Farm. nt

[MineralMan]

19. I'm quite sure the person I'm talking about did not like it.

[RVN VET71]

20. Happens to a lot of old dudes.

Tendency to get myopic somehow extends from the eyes to the heart and mind. But if this guy really quit the group because he was unable to deal with a different point of view about the anthem, I kind of pity his lonely, bitter old butt.

C'est la vie, c'est la triste!

(Maybe he'll find a puppy or a kitten to soften his heart.)

[MineralMan]

22. Nah. I went and looked at his Facebook page. He's a proud Trumpeter.

No hope for him. I'm an old dude, myself. I can't imagine falling into that mode.

[RVN VET71]

24. My best man fell into that mode.

Sad, very sad.

[MineralMan]

25. Yes, it is sad. So many older people have fallen into

a bitter place. The world is passing them by, and they're holding onto their fixed ideas no matter what. I know too many who have gone that way. The last years of their lives are consumed by anger and hatred. What a pity!

[oldsoftie]

21. People like that; their world gets smaller and smaller and smaller

"I wont shop there anymore". "I wont listen to their music anymore" "I wont watch that network anymore" "I wont eat there anymore" And so on and so on.
And its not exclusive to only the RWer types either.

[MineralMan]

26. My ex father-in-law was like that. He was a Navy Captain, long ago,

and must have loved whatever authority he had in those days. Once he retired, he no longer had any authority at all, so he blustered at everyone in his rage at becoming irrelevant. He was a hard person to be around, for sure. I was his target for awhile, but never allowed him to overpower me, which drove him absolutely nuts. In the end, he alienate everyone around him, including his own offspring.

When my former wife and I ended our marriage, in a reasonable and comfortable way, I told her that she had just a couple of years to come to some sort of understanding with her father, or she would probably face considerable guilt after he died. She took my advice and ended up re-building a relationship with him, which was a good thing for him, since his last few years were spent almost helpless.

[oldsoftie]

28. Wow. Thats quite a story. sad. nt

[AllaN01Bear]

27. this

[Karadeniz]

29. You handled that perfectly...missed your calling in the diplomatic corps!

[lunasun]

30. I was real young working part time at a place on the day when Marvin Gaye sang the

national anthem. I couldn’t believe how so many of the white guys watching it in the place freaked out and were all pissed off
So long ago but I still remember it today because I was so shocked at their group reaction being young and naive
and I thought it was so cool

https://m.

Now I’m old and just at people who have reactions like that
Scared? What ? How could you not feel the patriotism ? Oh yeah I know why but still

Like you said , if they do not like it = it’s not right
Good work MM