I can't be the only one to notice the sheer lack of class and disturbing comments being posted on social media websites like Facebook.

It's as if the majority of social media users are not only functionally illiterate but they have no restraint in what they post. They have no filter in what they post and it can have far-reaching impacts.

Just ask Sierra McCurdy who was fired from her job over the weekend as a "sandwich artist" in Laurel, Miss., after she gleefully celebrated the death of two police officers in Mississippi. Her comment, "2 police officers was shot in Hattiesburg tonight! Got em." The post was complete with a skull icon and three handguns. She also ranted: "We can turn this b**** into Baltimore real quick. Police take away innocent people lives everyday now & get away w/ it , f*** them...(no mercy)," the post reportedly continued.

Officers Bejamin Deen, 34, and Liquori Tate, 25, died in the aforementioned shooting. Tate happened to be black, like McCurdy, but I doubt Ms. McCurdy knew that before popping off in this age of police bashing in light of manufactured abuse stories. Granted, police abuses occur but they didn't in the case of Michael Brown in Ferguson which started this latest trend.

One blogger on the Daily News website, Solstormgal, wrote: "LOL, I just love it when this narcissistic generation of facebook, tweeters and youtubers gets into trouble."

She has a point: There is a price to pay for eliminating one's filter in what to say and what not to say. McCurdy lost her job just the same way that the young and naïve Danise Helms of Turlock lost hers at Cold Stone after posting a comment on Facebook about Obama's re-election, saying "And another 4 years of the n------...maybe he will get assassinated this term....!!!"

To quote Forrest Gump's mama, stupid is as stupid does.
The fact that those people believe what they write is far scarier and more ominous.

Closer to home, I took notice to the comments posted on Facebook in response to last week's posting of a video showing a Hughson High School student sucker punching another student on campus. It had over 87,000 views as of Monday. A number of people felt the need to add their two cents. Some of the comments were disturbing to say the least.

I'm only going to use their comments (edited of course) to illustrate why it's so disturbing.

Patrick Britt wrote: "So proud of my little brother! Anyone got a problem with how he handled things?"

Well, yeah, Patrick, a lot of us do actually. Rapidly planting a fist in someone's face as quick as possible to catch them off guard - let alone on campus - was hardly fair play and is actually a crime of assault in the real world. If that were my brother, I'd be embarrassed for his lack of restraint. Bigger men know it's better to walk away from a fight.

Kenneth Rosenquist wrote: "Lol right in front of what used to be Mr. Schiffman's classroom. Nice."

Was Kenneth condoning the location or is that his way of being sarcastic about the fight?

Kellie McConnell writes: "That's my little cousin and he f*****d his a** up for b**** slapping him earlier that day talk don't know what happened earlier that day. proud he dropped his a**."

I feel sad that people celebrate someone's pain as payback.

Courtney Bettincourt: "Lol as soon as I saw it I was like "yep that's hughson" stupid people."

Courtney, really. Hughson equates to stupid people? There are a lot of great and intelligent people in Hughson. It's sad that you castigate the whole town.

Coty Baggett: "U get punched in the face and u walk away wat a p----."

Coty, as you liken a man who got punched in the face to female body part slang for the wisdom of walking away from a fight, you at least let us know that you did poorly in spelling.

Chris Chambley writes: " ..... what a b****... he let dude knock the s*** out of him and did nothing. Put ur hands on me you get beat the f*** up, simple and plain."

After reading Chris' comments, I think of a man who recently ruined his life with a similar approach and took the life of another. I wonder if today former Ceres resident Saul Hernandez thinks it was worth it to fetch a gun, take matters into his hands and go looking for the kid who robbed his brother of a cell phone on Aug. 22, 2011. Saul, then 35, ended up killing Alberto Beraza, 16. So for the cost of a cell phone and a wallet, Saul forfeited 50 years to sit behind bars. How stupid.

Many people ruin their lives by doing stupid things, whether it is taking justice into one's own hands or posting crass comments on social media.

Stop and think people. God gave us brains for a reason.

The real problem with shoveling out the rude and spiteful comments is that it denies the very basic expectation of grace in our lives. If we are the offender, we want people to extend grace to us. So why wouldn't we want to be dispensers of grace and not ill will? Sierra McCurdy was gloating over the death of two officers; would she feel the same way if one were her brother or boyfriend?

Parents are no doubt imparting some of those tasteless behaviors to their kids by displaying it themselves. Must our schools have to start teaching American youth the perils of acting without judgement and long-term consequences from thoughtless acts?

Or do people just not care anymore? If that's the case, we are headed for an age of more shocking behavior that will likely be more and more social acceptable.

How sad.

How do you feel? Let Jeff know by emailing him at jeffb@cerescourier.com