on anthems and irony

[exbex]

Irony is a difficult concept to teach. When I present the concept to students, I define it as what happens when the reality (or truth) is right in front of someone but he, she, they are unable to see it. Students struggle with this definition, so I often add another definition, that of irony being the opposite of what is expected occurring

Comments

[taass64]

All i can say is .... Agreed. People are being criticized for exercizing the right those doing the criticizing think they are protecting.   Irony of enormous magnitude, such that my anger, or maybe it is overwhelming frustration, is causing me to lose faith in human animals, and hope for this nations survival.

[exbex]

My favorite is the people who think players shouldn't take a knee because "sports isn't the place for politics." Dude, if that is so, then there should be no anthem singing, no White House visits at all.

[spencer5460]

The divisiveness, fear and hate Agent Orange has wrought in this country grows more painful by the day. What's even worse is knowing that he does it on purpose. It's not that he as any great feeling or conviction about any one thing or another. We are all merely puppets and he pulls the strings. Up until recently I would try to argue my view against Agent Orange's BS, but after his unconscionable comments regarding Puerto Rico, I decided to stop. I feel that to argue is just to fall into his trap. It's what he wants. He wants us all to scrap with each other while he stands back and laughs at the drama he causes. He lives for chaos. He feeds off it.

[exbex]

THere's a place for debate and discourse. The internet isn't the best place, of course, because of what all of us remember a time without it know; that the inability to be present with someone, to hear tone of voice, to read body language, and just the reminder that we're talking to people with feelings is muted so much over the internet. Silence is not the road to take, and sometimes things have to get messy. I don't know that I agree with this idea that he's hoping to create chaos; I'm not sure he's that intelligent. I don't want to underestimate him, but the thing about people who have as much privilege as he does, is that they really often don't understand. LIke, they seriously don't get it.

I read this today and I thought it gave a really good perspective: http://exbex.tumblr.com/post/166057952665/elodieunderglass-star-anise-krokodile-replied