By Craig McKee
Is standing up for what you believe worth losing friends over?
Sometimes those friends don’t give you a choice. Other times, you can decide to stay away from certain subjects with certain people.
Recently I parted ways with two people I’ve known for more than a quarter of a century. Admittedly, we haven’t hung out for some time, but we do have a history. I don’t think we’re going to be adding to it, though.
In fact, there are five people I connected with on Facebook who are no longer among my online friends. The short version of the story is that they don’t much like my opinion that 9/11 was an inside job and a false flag operation. But they took it further.
Over the weekend of September 8-11, I was attending the Toronto 9/11 Hearings when I made this comment on FB: “So, according to the U.S., a “specific” and “credible” threat has emerged about a terror attack in NY. But there’s a “great deal of uncertainty” and the warning is being done “out of an abundance of caution.” When are people going to see this bullshit for what it is?? Social control and manipulation through fear!”
So far so good. One of my buddies retorted: “Yup, yet another grand scheme by American authorities. Maybe you should spend just a little of your time this weekend considering the 2700+ dead and their families?”
It was the old, “How can you disrespect the victims and their families by questioning 9/11?” argument. It’s not enough that these friends think I’m wrong, they also think that at long last I have left no sense of decency. Or something like that.
It got worse: “Craig, I consider myself open minded and have read up on the conspiracy theories (Griffin et.al.) and feel that the authors (sorry but this includes you) have a bizarre agenda to create so called ‘fact’ out of conjecture. I have yet to read anything really compelling –it all seems like acute paranoia. Sorry if you feel insulted by my comments.”
I love it when people add an apology after they’ve just trashed you. It’s as if they only meant the trashing in the nicest possible way. Of course, I’m flattered to share a “bizarre agenda” with David Ray Griffin, although I’m not sure he’s thrilled to be sharing one with me.
This exchange ended here, but this person, who I’ll call unfriend #1, would make a return on the back of an even more colourful full frontal attack from another longtime friend-like person. We’ll call him unfriend #2.
I posted a link last week showing that the FAA monitoring system on Sept. 11, 2001 was indicating that Flight 175 was still airborne after it was alleged to have crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
I suggested that this was further evidence that commercial airliners with passengers did NOT hit the WTC. Someone I used to work with wrote back, “Get real.” He unfriended me immediately (we would call him unfriend #3, but he doesn’t actually come back into the story). Unfriend #2 called my comment “reprehensible,” which got a “like” from unfriend #1.
Unfriend #2 went on: “It is an irresponsible and dangerous opinion, I believe. Luckily you live in a country that you are allowed opinions no matter how ridiculous and not be thrown in jail. I know exactly why you were unfriended – you bully anyone who thinks differently than you and my blood pressure goes up when I read your conspiracy ‘stuff’ I consider you a friend from way back but I think you have become obsessed and unhealthy.”
Yes, how lucky we all are not to be thrown in jail. How nice to be “allowed” our opinions. On old high school friend, who I’ve connected with again through FB, came to my rescue: “Craig has never ‘bullied” me or anyone I know. He expresses and discusses his opinions but does not “impose” them. The people that feel pressured could just be reacting with immaturity because they do not want others to have differing opinions from their own.”
Maybe there’s hope after all, I thought.
Unfriend #2 ended with this announcement: “To me you have unfortunately become obsessed and any obsession is very unhealthy. I am de-friending you for no other reason except my health. I cannot stand your opinion and yes, you do have a right to your opinion. It’s just that I really do feel sick when I think of you and others actually believing some of this stuff.”
So now I’m dangerous, obsessed and suffering from acute paranoia (very unhealthy indeed) I’m already down two friends, and I decide that I’m disgusted enough with both unfriend #1 and #2 that I officially “unfriend” #2 and then block them both. Three down.
Actually, it’s really five down. Last fall there was another exchange.
From an acquaintance I obviously didn’t know well enough: “Not long ago the conspiracy theorist came out from whatever rock they live under concerning 9/11 towers being blown up by the government………..my opinion is it is utter nonesense and hurtful to people who lost loved ones that day. Besides if if if it was the government do you really think all the people involved in doing such a horific event could keep such a secret……….surely one of those people now no longer in government, someone in cia fbi nsa………hasn’t written a book in order to cash in and become a bmillionaire !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next you’ll be telling me Saddam Insane was really a nice guy, who cared about humanity and the greater well being of our planet………..and was not really hung and lives in Akron Ohio working in a walmart…………so Craig take your theories and shove them where the sun don’t shine.”
Okay, he’s not William F. Buckley, but he makes up for it with sheer dull-witted venom. (I got a laugh out of “nonesense” at least.)
Another FB friend joined in: “When you fear mongers attack peoples emotions and psyche, expect to be targetted in return, cause in the long run you guys are just as evil as the governments you try to attack. When theories are debunked, you call them closed mind yet you want them all to accept the shit you spew.”
I told him to apologize for calling me evil; he didn’t, so he’s now unfriend #4. In person, however, we are now “friendly.”
Should I treat 9/11 just like any other subject I’m interested in, and mention it only once in a while? At one time maybe, but, as Geena Davis said near the end of Thelma and Louise, “Something has crossed over in me, and I can’t go back.”
Learning about 9/11, especially since starting this blog, has changed me forever, because it has helped me to connect so many dots I couldn’t connect before. It has helped me to see how so much chaos, violence, and misery is artificially caused by the very powerful elite that runs a good chunk of the world.
9/11 is like the doorway to a shadowy world of control, manipulation and deception. The elites revealed themselves to us with this atrocity, kind of like when the Klingons have to de-cloak to fire on their enemies. But most of us weren’t paying attention when it happened. We’re still not.
This destructive event was the work of people who have a cynical contempt for all of us, for freedom and decency. We’re cattle, or more likely sheep, to these people. They hold all the cards. They have most of us believing that anyone who questions how freedom and human decency are being corrupted is a wack job or doesn’t care about victims. The elites have successfully made the word “conspiracy” seem like a synonym for delusional fantasy.
I have a friend in Toronto who I visited while I was there in September. I met this person while we were both attending York University, and we’ve been close friends ever since. She was someone who opened my eyes to a lot of injustice in the world – my safe, middle-of-the-road political views have never been the same.
But in Toronto I got a rude shock. Not only did my progressive and brilliant friend not agree with me about 9/11, she didn’t even think it mattered that much. Ya, the U.S. might have found out about the plot and let it happen, she allowed, but so what?
I spent a good part of our visit, too much of it really, trying to convince her she was wrong. But in the end, she maintained that I was wasting much time I could be spending making the world better in some concrete, practical way.
This taught me a hard truth. If I really believe in what I’m saying and writing about, then I’m going to have to be prepared to go there alone at times. I’m going to have to decide when to put away what I care about to get along and when to put truth ahead of everything. Sure, many friends are supportive (even if they don’t agree), and I’ve met new friends from all over the world who believe as I do.
But in the end, the passion I have for exposing what I believe to be the truth about 9/11 comes with no guarantee of moral support or any other kind of support.
Many around the world have paid an infinitely higher price for 9/11. Those killed that day, those killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Millions of lives have been destroyed based on a massive and obscene lie. And freedoms we all take for granted are being stolen away right under our noses.
Losing a few friends isn’t such a great price to pay.
Link:
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1526/720/Standing_Up_For_Unpopular_Truths_About_9_11_Comes_At_A_Personal_Cost.html
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