Once upon a time there was a strong tree.
This tree was the largest tree in the area.
One day, an acorn asked the tree how it grew so strong.
Well, little one, the tree replied, I was once a little acorn just like yourself!
I didn't fall in exactly the ideal spot, with the richest soil, there were many rocks around and it was a bit sandy, but I made the best of my situation, kept my chin-up, dug down as deep as I could, sprouted in the spring time, that's important, then I diligently soaked up as much water and minerals and sunshine as I could.
I had a few competitors around that time, other acorns had sprouted, and there was a lot of tall grass and weeds, but I just kept a positive attitude and did what came naturally.
The little acorn asked, what happened to the other saplings?
Well, the tree explained, they were all cut down by the farmer.
The little acorn asked, why were they cut down and why did the farmer spare you?
The tree thought for a second and then replied carefully, they were inferior, they weren't true to themselves, the wise farmer knew that I was the best and spared me because only a sapling with my work ethic and authenticity could grow into such a mighty tree.
The farmer even placed this nice picnic table in the shade of my branches to reward me for being superior.
That's amazing! The little acorn exclaimed, I'll follow your advice because I want to be just like you!
A whole year passed and the little acorn grew into a formidable sapling.
And then, in the spring, the farmer came to clear the brush.
The sapling was unceremoniously uprooted and bundled up and carried away with all the overgrown grass and fallen twigs.
With it's last dying breath it asked the strong tree, what did I do wrong?
The tree shrugged, you just didn't have the talent for it kid. You doubted yourself. You didn't suck up enough water and minerals and sunshine. You weren't true to yourself.
It's your own fault.
In 2 minutes and 14 seconds,
(IFF) you're wondering "what's the point of this story" (THEN) watch the following,
In 23 minutes and 2 seconds,
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Protesting without dialogue (with the sole intent to silence opposition) is harassment, not free speech.
I'm not a fan of ad hominem attacks, but I'm even less of a fan of censorship and retaliation.
Ad hominem attacks and air-horning your opponent are the tactics of FASCISM (dismantles open dialogue and civil debate).
By voting for my "payout declined" comments and posts, you are supporting the highest-quality-community-approved-content of the top-earners!!!
When you vote for something that's "payout declined" your contribution goes directly into the "reward pool" which gets distributed to all the posts that make more than $20 steem, with the highest percentage of the pool getting distributed to the top-earners who are providing the highest-quality-community-approved-content!!!
So you're not contributing your steem to me, you're contributing your steem to whoever the whales decide "deserves" your steem (but I still get a small rep boost).
Why am I declining rewards?
Imagine a "democratic" system, where you could vote for your elected officials, but your vote only "counted" as much as you "invested" in the election system itself (election tokens)... Now that by itself sounds reasonably "fair".
bUT, now imagine that anyone with a larger "investment" in the election system could ERASE your vote?
Would you continue voting? Or would you just give directly to the candidate of your choosing?
Also, imagine steem without voting. Imagine they just Hard-Forked voting right out of the whole thing altogether.
What's left?
A lot of really awesome stuff, that's what!!
The delegation system is amazing (way better than pa.treon). The steem-token transfer system is amazing (way better than v.enmo or credit-cards or banks). The blogging system is amazing (way better than tw.itter or fa.cebuk). It's all super-awesome!!
Perhaps anarchy already exists and government is merely the highest manifestation of organized crime. – 
+proHUMAN +proFAMILY
Your scathing critique is requested.