Things I Believe/Think
Here are my thoughts on certain subjects with which we may disagree. Not talking about things only makes them worse, sometimes.
1. While I hope never to be faced with the choice, I believe abortion should be legal and available. It isn't my place, or your place, to tell someone what he/she can do with her/his body. It's a decision that affects THEIR life, not yours or mine, so who am I or anyone else to force an idea that may be detrimental for all involved?
2. Gay rights = civil rights. There's nothing wrong with being gay. Seriously. It's not a disease, it's not a sin. Some traditions call it that, but that doesn't mean it is true. After all, there are a lot of things in various holy books that are kiiiinda wacky, and yet no one gives them the attention that they give other topics. There is no reason to hate or fear gay people.
Say, if someone has made you uncomfortable with their advances, be it man or woman, it is that person's fault, not all straights or all gays. Chill.
3. Creationism/intelligent design is hogwash. There is no science in it, no matter what its biggest supporters may say. I don't disagree that our world is wonderful and mysterious and at some times inexplicable. I do disagree with people saying dumb stuff like how dinosaurs lived with humans and how the world is only so many years old and an eye must be divinely created because man it is so complex!
It's a nice idea, and one that makes us feel good because it means there's a really powerful being out there who liked us enough to make us and occasionally watches out for us. The thing is, that's just one type of holy book. There are a bazillion other religions out there that have their own ideas as to how the world was made. Some involve feathered snakes, others involve potters. Just because the Judeo-Christian population effectively took over the world doesn't mean it's got the only explanation for things.
4. Obama is not the antichrist, nor is he the second coming. Sarah Palin is a pretty puppet. McCain is a liar. The Rush Limbaughs and the Pat Robertsons? Hate-mongers. Fox News? Anything but news - it's a televised opinion column. MSNBC? Stop going down the path Fox News has taken.
Side note: Carrying concealed weapons to a presidential rally is one of the dumber things I've ever seen. Much as I disliked our previous president, I never wanted to kill him. Pie to the face, sure. Actual physical violence? Not so much. I don't understand how it is now suddenly very patriotic (to some) to openly threaten the president and suggest secession and the like now that this guy isn't your man. Seriously. Just because you *can* bring a weapon to a rally or even a coffee shop doesn't mean it's a good idea. Even if it's unloaded.
5. The so-called "culture war?" I'm sorry I enjoy reading books and thinking about things other than who Lindsay Lohan's going to date next. I'm sorry analyzing history sometimes reveals things about historical figures that are perhaps on the embarrassing side. OH NO WAIT I AM NOT.
Examples - Thomas Jefferson was a founding father of our nation, a truly great man. Yeeeah, he slept with his slaves. That doesn't condemn him.
- I could go into the particulars surrounding the decision to drop the atomic bomb, but suffice it to say that it cannot and should not be judged solely as a moment of awesome American victory, hooh hah. This, I will admit, is a somewhat obscure example, but it wasn't 15 years ago and it was the basis for the triumph of conservative, "patriotic" forces over thoughtful research and a desire to teach.
6. Oh and hey, it is not unpatriotic to question things like why we go to war. People ought to have a vested interest in what their government/nation is doing, and by not questioning those actions they are essentially giving up their rights as citizens of that nation. Come on, guys, a war against an imagined threat, a war that sucks up lives and money faster than Daniel Day Lewis can drink up your milkshake? It's stupid and it's irresponsible and it hurts EVERYONE (excepting Haliburton, et al.). There is nothing wrong with opposing this.
And the whole "support the troops" thing? It's not the troops I dislike in this war. It's the morons who started it based on lies and personal ambition. Hussein didn't have WMDs. Iraq wasn't involved at all in 9/11. This is about revenge, ambition, and oil. I support the troops by hoping none of them have to die. I don't want their lives completely ruined for no reason other than some BS war. Yes, they elected to serve this country and defend it. I just fail to see how throwing their lives away helps the United States or really anyone else. Let's not waste another generation. They've got a hard enough job as it is.
7. Marijuana is not a scary thing. It isn't a gateway drug, and it's a lot less harmful than tobacco when you get right down to it. I really don't think people should go to jail for having it. Yeah, if you're a jackass mean dealer, then maybe you should go to jail, but that's only if you're being a total dick, like most hard-drug dealers. It's time we stopped humoring Hearst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst#War_on_marijuana) and realize we made a mistake.
Heroin, though, can go to hell and die.
8. Eating everything on your plate at, like, Olive Garden or The Cheesecake Factory, that is a crazy idea. I know it can be tasty, but really, do you need to eat a volume of food comparable to your own head (that is not a salad with a reasonable dressing)? I hate being a judgmental jerk. It's just that in this instance, you are shutting your brain off and doing what your corporate masters want you to do. Capitalism wants you to consume, and consume a lot, and not just in terms of food.
Which is to say, does everyone really need a giant flat-screen tv and an iPhone and a new car every few years? While I enjoy the tv that Jim bought, and have since been spoiled by it, I still like to use my old CRT tv, because the picture is indeed quite ok and I didn't have a burning need to watch insanely large things in hi-def. What I'm getting at is, this kind of thinking worked in tandem with big banks investing money poorly, and is how we're in such a mess right now. Yeah, I like music as much as the next person, but I have weighed the costs and getting a big fancy stereo system isn't worth going into debt for.
Admittedly, I am speaking from a place where, growing up, we didn't lack for things so bad that dinner was ramen every day. We lived in a nice town with good schools, and were in a fairly liberal, worldly section of, well, the world. It's not like we were Richie McRichenstein either. Yeah, yearly summer vacations to Hawaii or Disneyland or whatever would've been awesome, but those are expensive and thus things you do without. I have been known to buy stupid unnecessary things, but I usually draw the line at, say, a new game console or new clothes every month. AGH I'm not sure where I was going with this other than MODERATION IS AWESOME.
9. Be nice to each other. It's not that hard most of the time, and is fairly rewarding. I'm no angel in this regard, but I do try. When I ask a clerk how they're doing, I genuinely hope that they're having an ok day. Heck, even though I appreciate the sentiment behind wanting to kick a jerk in the nuts, I don't think I could actually do it. Shins, maybe, or a pie to the face. Truly, I am a wimp.
Ok, that was fun. I apologize if I have offended you. This is how I feel about things, though, and pretending to go along with things I do not like is something I kinda don't want to do anymore. Staying silent only leads to pent-up resentment.
<3 and I mean it.
1. While I hope never to be faced with the choice, I believe abortion should be legal and available. It isn't my place, or your place, to tell someone what he/she can do with her/his body. It's a decision that affects THEIR life, not yours or mine, so who am I or anyone else to force an idea that may be detrimental for all involved?
2. Gay rights = civil rights. There's nothing wrong with being gay. Seriously. It's not a disease, it's not a sin. Some traditions call it that, but that doesn't mean it is true. After all, there are a lot of things in various holy books that are kiiiinda wacky, and yet no one gives them the attention that they give other topics. There is no reason to hate or fear gay people.
Say, if someone has made you uncomfortable with their advances, be it man or woman, it is that person's fault, not all straights or all gays. Chill.
3. Creationism/intelligent design is hogwash. There is no science in it, no matter what its biggest supporters may say. I don't disagree that our world is wonderful and mysterious and at some times inexplicable. I do disagree with people saying dumb stuff like how dinosaurs lived with humans and how the world is only so many years old and an eye must be divinely created because man it is so complex!
It's a nice idea, and one that makes us feel good because it means there's a really powerful being out there who liked us enough to make us and occasionally watches out for us. The thing is, that's just one type of holy book. There are a bazillion other religions out there that have their own ideas as to how the world was made. Some involve feathered snakes, others involve potters. Just because the Judeo-Christian population effectively took over the world doesn't mean it's got the only explanation for things.
4. Obama is not the antichrist, nor is he the second coming. Sarah Palin is a pretty puppet. McCain is a liar. The Rush Limbaughs and the Pat Robertsons? Hate-mongers. Fox News? Anything but news - it's a televised opinion column. MSNBC? Stop going down the path Fox News has taken.
Side note: Carrying concealed weapons to a presidential rally is one of the dumber things I've ever seen. Much as I disliked our previous president, I never wanted to kill him. Pie to the face, sure. Actual physical violence? Not so much. I don't understand how it is now suddenly very patriotic (to some) to openly threaten the president and suggest secession and the like now that this guy isn't your man. Seriously. Just because you *can* bring a weapon to a rally or even a coffee shop doesn't mean it's a good idea. Even if it's unloaded.
5. The so-called "culture war?" I'm sorry I enjoy reading books and thinking about things other than who Lindsay Lohan's going to date next. I'm sorry analyzing history sometimes reveals things about historical figures that are perhaps on the embarrassing side. OH NO WAIT I AM NOT.
Examples - Thomas Jefferson was a founding father of our nation, a truly great man. Yeeeah, he slept with his slaves. That doesn't condemn him.
- I could go into the particulars surrounding the decision to drop the atomic bomb, but suffice it to say that it cannot and should not be judged solely as a moment of awesome American victory, hooh hah. This, I will admit, is a somewhat obscure example, but it wasn't 15 years ago and it was the basis for the triumph of conservative, "patriotic" forces over thoughtful research and a desire to teach.
6. Oh and hey, it is not unpatriotic to question things like why we go to war. People ought to have a vested interest in what their government/nation is doing, and by not questioning those actions they are essentially giving up their rights as citizens of that nation. Come on, guys, a war against an imagined threat, a war that sucks up lives and money faster than Daniel Day Lewis can drink up your milkshake? It's stupid and it's irresponsible and it hurts EVERYONE (excepting Haliburton, et al.). There is nothing wrong with opposing this.
And the whole "support the troops" thing? It's not the troops I dislike in this war. It's the morons who started it based on lies and personal ambition. Hussein didn't have WMDs. Iraq wasn't involved at all in 9/11. This is about revenge, ambition, and oil. I support the troops by hoping none of them have to die. I don't want their lives completely ruined for no reason other than some BS war. Yes, they elected to serve this country and defend it. I just fail to see how throwing their lives away helps the United States or really anyone else. Let's not waste another generation. They've got a hard enough job as it is.
7. Marijuana is not a scary thing. It isn't a gateway drug, and it's a lot less harmful than tobacco when you get right down to it. I really don't think people should go to jail for having it. Yeah, if you're a jackass mean dealer, then maybe you should go to jail, but that's only if you're being a total dick, like most hard-drug dealers. It's time we stopped humoring Hearst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst#War_on_marijuana) and realize we made a mistake.
Heroin, though, can go to hell and die.
8. Eating everything on your plate at, like, Olive Garden or The Cheesecake Factory, that is a crazy idea. I know it can be tasty, but really, do you need to eat a volume of food comparable to your own head (that is not a salad with a reasonable dressing)? I hate being a judgmental jerk. It's just that in this instance, you are shutting your brain off and doing what your corporate masters want you to do. Capitalism wants you to consume, and consume a lot, and not just in terms of food.
Which is to say, does everyone really need a giant flat-screen tv and an iPhone and a new car every few years? While I enjoy the tv that Jim bought, and have since been spoiled by it, I still like to use my old CRT tv, because the picture is indeed quite ok and I didn't have a burning need to watch insanely large things in hi-def. What I'm getting at is, this kind of thinking worked in tandem with big banks investing money poorly, and is how we're in such a mess right now. Yeah, I like music as much as the next person, but I have weighed the costs and getting a big fancy stereo system isn't worth going into debt for.
Admittedly, I am speaking from a place where, growing up, we didn't lack for things so bad that dinner was ramen every day. We lived in a nice town with good schools, and were in a fairly liberal, worldly section of, well, the world. It's not like we were Richie McRichenstein either. Yeah, yearly summer vacations to Hawaii or Disneyland or whatever would've been awesome, but those are expensive and thus things you do without. I have been known to buy stupid unnecessary things, but I usually draw the line at, say, a new game console or new clothes every month. AGH I'm not sure where I was going with this other than MODERATION IS AWESOME.
9. Be nice to each other. It's not that hard most of the time, and is fairly rewarding. I'm no angel in this regard, but I do try. When I ask a clerk how they're doing, I genuinely hope that they're having an ok day. Heck, even though I appreciate the sentiment behind wanting to kick a jerk in the nuts, I don't think I could actually do it. Shins, maybe, or a pie to the face. Truly, I am a wimp.
Ok, that was fun. I apologize if I have offended you. This is how I feel about things, though, and pretending to go along with things I do not like is something I kinda don't want to do anymore. Staying silent only leads to pent-up resentment.
<3 and I mean it.