Dealing with different ViEwS!

I was drawn into a conversation the other day on Facebook.  It was on the subject of the Child Labor laws being imposed on farm and ranch families.  People were responding to the post of Chris Chinn talking to  House Small Business’ Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy and Trade in Washington DC.  She was defending her right as a parent to keep her kids working on their family farm and the farm of the grandparents.  She was standing up for Agriculture as a whole.

As I was reading there were lots of great comments about wanting kids to be able to work on the farms.  There were also people talking about how growing up on a farm was great for them.  It was really uplifting...then I saw a negative comment from one individual.  I started reading and the more that I read the more frusterated and angry I became.  This person had no idea what they were talking about.  I felt like they had a lot to say but nothing was worth while.  I caught myself no longer reading the good posts but drawn to this nonsense and noise of a negative person.

As I read to the bottom I saw where Chris responded and had just placed factual information into her comments.  I then began to think about this.  I wrote a message to Chris to ask how she dealt with negative comments.  As we talked she made me realize that this person who decided to complain about what we are trying to do for our farms and ranches is just a bunch of noise!  They are only one negative comment among all the good comments.  I learned a very important lesson that day.  I learned that the people who don't want to learn or who don't want to hear what you have to say is to just give them facts.  Nothing less and nothing more.  Don't debate them, don't engage them and don't stoop to their level.  When one person continues to comment and you realize they aren't saying anything to better the conversation or say that you have given them something to think about, then you should cut your losses and walk away.

I almost let this one person, completely consume my happy moments of hearing about how people love the farm and how children should continue to be a part of it and throw it out the window.  From now on, I won't let that happen.  I will state facts and facts only to them and if they continue I will leave the conversation.

I hope you all will follow suit in learning that the you can't change one person if they don't want to learn or hear what you have to say.  But what does matter is all the other people that have supported you and your cause.  Thanks to all those who believe in Agriculture!