The funny / sad email I got.

So I got this email a little while back:

From:

Flickr HQ

Subject:

An Update to the White House Flickr Account

Dear Flickreeno,

You're receiving this message because you currently follow the White House account on Flickr, which hosted photographs from the Obama Administration. These photos and this account will be updated and live on as the official National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) with the Flickr username 'ObamaWhiteHouse', managed by https://www.archives.gov.

Starting today the incoming Trump Administration will take ownership of the official 'WhiteHouse' Flickr account. If you wish to follow both accounts no further action is required. If you wish to unfollow one or both accounts simply go to the link(s) below and click Follow Button to select the 'Unfollow'.

To unfollow the 'ObamaWhiteHouse' Flickr account go to this link and click the unfollow button: http://www.flickr.com/obamawhitehouse
To unfollow the WhiteHouse Flickr account go to this link and click the unfollow button: http://www.flickr.com/whitehouse
All the best,

The Flickr Team

I don’t check in on Flickr as much as I used to. Unfortunately, I’ve either been too busy, too distracted or just not feeling much of an urge. Flickr redesigned their interface awhile back and in the process killed a lot of what I (and many others) liked about Flickr.
I’m not going to get sidetracked on that because there is a whole other post about that and the recent redesign of LinkedIn...

But, I did check in the other day and I saw this email and was a little disappointed by it.

I was a member and still am of the White House Flickr account. I liked seeing pictures from within the White House during the Obama Presidency because they gave insight and humanized the President.

And admittedly, I liked President Obama. I didn’t agree with everything the President did but that’s not a President’s job. There were a couple of areas where I was very, very disappointed in Barack Obama - I think he polarized out nation much more than ever before although the big sell in his first campaign was in working across party lines.

I’m not saying anyone in this is blameless and I despise the Tea Party turds. I watched them sink a recovery via a government shutdown on principle alone and I have a special bit of hatred for anyone who stands on principle to the detriment of the nation (whether they be on the left OR the right).

Still, I have an inherent belief in the institutions our nation is built upon. Our nation does a very good job of course correcting itself in ways that other countries do not.

When people are getting all very hysterical about the latest campaign cycle try to caution them and point that out but it usually falls on deaf ears.

Anyway, this was the first time I had gotten this kind of email about a group I belong to on Flickr and I was disappointed by it. I was disappointed there was such anger in people. It's not surprising I imagine, when GW Bush was in office he was the object of anger and Obama too was an object of anger but I still can't fathom how people can't respect the office.

I know people point to the man in the office but I have to tell you if you go back and look at that very select club of folks who have been President you will find that it is chock full of very flawed people. Last time I checked no one is perfect and it would probably be better for all of us to remember that.