Opinions...If you don't like them, don't read on.
I am a very opinionated person. I always have been. I'm a very passionate person. I always have been. I don't often share my opinions because they are just that - Mine.. I don't want you to be pressing your opinions on me, my body, etc. I don't think you deserve for me to go out of my way to pressure you with my opinions. My opinions are flexible. Life, experiences, and time have shown me that opinions should be flexible. As we learn more, gain more knowledge and get exposed to various bits of life our background for our basis of opinions should grow.
I'm of the school of thought that if you ask my opinion I will share them. I'm not afraid of my opinions, I'm not afraid of the fact that you might have a valid argument that might change my opinions. I like discussing things. I just won't go out of my way to throw my opinions in your face.
That all being said, I'm about to use some word vomit and expel a number of opinions that you may or may not agree with in the following paragraphs. If you don't want to know, stop reading. If you do want to know, by all means, keep reading. If you want to discuss them, feel free. I'm more than open to anyone sharing their opinions and trying to persuade me to see their point of view - as long as it is respectful and thoughtfully done.
On Politics:
All politicians are liars to some extent. The service that they practice requires them to be able to say one thing and turn around and do another. They have to be masters of compromise. That have to gain your favor in order to keep their seats and do their work. Every single one of them will say what they need to to get into office and work from there.
That being said, I don't think all politicians are bad. They are what we make them be, by our systems and our ignorant beliefs perpetuated by our laziness in educating ourselves about current problems.
I Like President Obama. I give the man credit. He was given a shitstorm when he walked into office, and he's done his damnedest to create something of it. He's done his damnedest to address every concern that the nation has had as a whole, in a viable way using compromise. You can't fix something overnight, and our country with our issues certainly was not broken overnight. To expect something to be fixed within the first 6 months to a year that a man is in office is outrageous, unpractical, and completely childish.
Grow Up America.
I love my country with every bone in my body. But love doesn't mean that I'm blind. At least not my love. Your heads of corporations need to remember what responsibility and honor are. Our people, in general, need to remember that yeah, being happy is something we have the right to pursue. It's not something we're automatically granted.
We're acting, as a whole, like petulant little children. It's irritating, it's annoying, and quite frankly I'm sick of it.
I don't give a damn that our president is black or has a funny name. I don't give a damn if our next president is male or female. I don't give a good goddamn if it's a bunny rabbit with a white lab coat. I give a damn that we need and have someone in that seat that thinks about putting everyone in the country first. Not just the rich, not just the poor, but everyone.
I vote, every time I'm able. I exercise my right to voice my opinion on what I want. I do not run with any party line, but I will use my vote where I think the best interests of this country are served. 4 years ago that vote was best served with President Obama. I cried a little when he took presidency. Not because he was a black man. Not because he was a democrat. But because he represented Hope, and Chance. Given a choice, unless a better candidate is placed before me, I will vote for him again. He deserves time to do what he's trying to do. At least the same amount of time as his predecessor had in helping to screw up the country.
I am a woman, and I am disgusted by the women that have been placed before me to push for presidency. Really? Palin? Bachmann? Give me a break. Those two are not only insults to my ideals, they're insults to me as an intelligent woman. I did a little dance when Palin backed out of the possible race. And Bachmann makes me angry on so many levels. If she even gets on the ballot I may have a minor spasm in my brain and learn how to time travel. Hillary Clinton? If she went, I'd actually consider voting for her. She's intelligent, she knows politics, and she conducts herself well.
In general, when things matter, you don't play around. You make intelligent decisions based on what's best for the whole, not just your own little personal feelings. What's best for you isn't always best for everyone else. Sure, I'd like to see a female president. I know that a woman could do just as good a job as a male, if not better. But only the right woman, if you follow me. Putting any old person into power begets nothing but trouble. So if a female that is prepared, good, and fits my ideals is put before me and she's better than my other options, I'd happily vote for her. If she's not, you've got to be kidding me. What do I look like? A sheep?
On Feminism:
I am not a feminist. Not because I don't want to be independent or push female rights. I do. I firmly believe that I, and any other female, am and can be just as good or better at a number of things. I firmly believe that there is nothing that I can not physically, mentally, or emotionally do based on my gender. I firmly believe that there are biological differences that mean that there would have to be compensations for me to overcome to perform at the same level as males in certain jobs. However, it doesn't mean that I am incapable of making those compensations work for me in order to excel at the same job.
I am proud of every female that goes out of her way to do something that it was previously believed that females couldn't do. I have happily worked in male dominated fields and kicked serious butt at it. I've earned the respect of my coworkers and still remained a female.
I am, and always will be, a tomboy. This doesn't mean I don't respect males for their positions in life, and it doesn't mean that I'm a male hater.
Quite frankly, my opinions on this tie in with a few others, which I will wrap up with at the end.
On Race:
Seriously? Give it up. Skin color is dependent on melatonin and genetics. Give me a break, I don't care what your skin color is. If you're a shitty person, you're a shitty person no matter what your skin color is. Or your hair color. I have been on the receiving end of reverse racism. (A black person coming down on me because I was a white female) Yes, it happens. And it's just as shitty when it happens to a white person when it happens to a black person, an asian, a hispanic, or an indian person.
It's disgusting. It's wrong. Don't do it.
On Ethnicity:
Respect your cultures, respect your history. Without our history we wouldn't be here. The good and the bad make us what we are. But don't make it the end all of everything. At some point in time, everyone's ethnicity has been subjugated, ostracized, and mutilated. However, demanding that someone no longer uses something from your culture because they don't understand it is just as petulant as those that use it in ignorance.
This is something I feel very strongly on. "Don't use this icon or this symbol because you don't understand it!" Gets you nowhere. Absolutely no where. It doesn't gain respect. It doesn't gain understanding. It gains irritation and anger. Teach people.
For example:
I have a medium sized dog. She's a very friendly dog, for the most part, but she's protective of me. We go for walks and little children and people always want to pet her. They get excited and run up to her. Every single time someone wants to pet Valkyrie, I make her sit, and I set about teaching both parents and children how NOT to get bit by a dog. I take the time to show them how to approach an unknown dog. I explain why, patiently, it should be done that way. In the end, they get their goal of touching a beautiful animal and feeling her soft fur, and I am slowly teaching people how to deal with an animal that they don't know. I can't reach every single person in the world, but I can teach someone that can then help teach someone else. And maybe, just maybe, by fostering that knowledge and understanding I can keep someone from getting bit by a scared animal. And maybe I can keep innocent animals from getting killed.
I get that people get outraged. I get outraged. But telling someone not to ever dress up like an iconic image does you no good. Telling someone not to use a symbol because they don't understand the full extent of it's meaning, gets you nowhere. People are going to do it just to spite you because you're telling them they can't. Quite frankly, it's human nature. We're a territorial, aggressive bunch.
It doesn't mean that you won't get irritated. It doesn't mean that you won't get angry, or feel belittled by someone else's ignorance. (Which it would be bigger of me to say - don't let someone else belittle you! - but we all know that we can't always control our own feelings) In the long run, in my opinion, you gain more for yourself, your culture, and the future by teaching instead of being an idiot yourself and perpetuating the vicious cycle.
I know I've stated this before, however I'll state it again. I'm a firm believer that everyone has a choice. Every day you're faced with choices. Every day you make choices. Choices to stay or go, continue or stop. I get irritated with people that bitch and moan about their lives and how they'll never have a chance to change anything. You have a choice to further your goals by educating people around you, you can't make them listen, but even if you reach a few people who take the time to spread it on, even randomly, you've furthered your goals.
I can't say that I don't believe in racism, or sexism, or any -ism. These things still exist. They definitely still exist. I do believe, however, that the answer isn't addressing the symptoms - the "isms". I believe that the answer is educating people and teaching them to understand that people should be judged based on their worth as a person. And I'm certainly not talking monetary worth. I'm talking about something much more intangible.
Think of the friend that you know you can turn to, no matter what. They might not always agree with you, but they'll listen. How much is that person worth to you? How much would you do for that person? And just because not everyone you meet isn't that person, perhaps they ARE that person for someone else.
Think of the person that you work with that busts their ass every day to make sure everything gets done. When that person isn't there, or that is removed, how much do you miss that person? Who cares about their ethnicity, their race, or their political beliefs?
No one is ever going to get along with everyone they meet. You're not supposed to. You don't have to. You may dislike how a person reacts to a situation. You may dislike their sense of humor. You may dislike how they treated someone near to you. Human beings are judgemental, territorial, aggressive, and when incited they act like a herd of really dumb sheep.
But in my opinion, I think the answer to dealing with a lot of problems stems from general ignorance. Take time to think it through, educate yourself and those that are offending you. In the end, you tried, and you never know you might have hit a chord that will resonate a lot louder and brighter in the future.
Does this make me an idealist? Probably. But I'm also a realist. Change never happens overnight. And trying to make it happen? It's right out of a storybook.
Cheers, folks.
(And yes, if you're wondering, I really do believe all the word vomit I just spewed)
I'm of the school of thought that if you ask my opinion I will share them. I'm not afraid of my opinions, I'm not afraid of the fact that you might have a valid argument that might change my opinions. I like discussing things. I just won't go out of my way to throw my opinions in your face.
That all being said, I'm about to use some word vomit and expel a number of opinions that you may or may not agree with in the following paragraphs. If you don't want to know, stop reading. If you do want to know, by all means, keep reading. If you want to discuss them, feel free. I'm more than open to anyone sharing their opinions and trying to persuade me to see their point of view - as long as it is respectful and thoughtfully done.
On Politics:
All politicians are liars to some extent. The service that they practice requires them to be able to say one thing and turn around and do another. They have to be masters of compromise. That have to gain your favor in order to keep their seats and do their work. Every single one of them will say what they need to to get into office and work from there.
That being said, I don't think all politicians are bad. They are what we make them be, by our systems and our ignorant beliefs perpetuated by our laziness in educating ourselves about current problems.
I Like President Obama. I give the man credit. He was given a shitstorm when he walked into office, and he's done his damnedest to create something of it. He's done his damnedest to address every concern that the nation has had as a whole, in a viable way using compromise. You can't fix something overnight, and our country with our issues certainly was not broken overnight. To expect something to be fixed within the first 6 months to a year that a man is in office is outrageous, unpractical, and completely childish.
Grow Up America.
I love my country with every bone in my body. But love doesn't mean that I'm blind. At least not my love. Your heads of corporations need to remember what responsibility and honor are. Our people, in general, need to remember that yeah, being happy is something we have the right to pursue. It's not something we're automatically granted.
We're acting, as a whole, like petulant little children. It's irritating, it's annoying, and quite frankly I'm sick of it.
I don't give a damn that our president is black or has a funny name. I don't give a damn if our next president is male or female. I don't give a good goddamn if it's a bunny rabbit with a white lab coat. I give a damn that we need and have someone in that seat that thinks about putting everyone in the country first. Not just the rich, not just the poor, but everyone.
I vote, every time I'm able. I exercise my right to voice my opinion on what I want. I do not run with any party line, but I will use my vote where I think the best interests of this country are served. 4 years ago that vote was best served with President Obama. I cried a little when he took presidency. Not because he was a black man. Not because he was a democrat. But because he represented Hope, and Chance. Given a choice, unless a better candidate is placed before me, I will vote for him again. He deserves time to do what he's trying to do. At least the same amount of time as his predecessor had in helping to screw up the country.
I am a woman, and I am disgusted by the women that have been placed before me to push for presidency. Really? Palin? Bachmann? Give me a break. Those two are not only insults to my ideals, they're insults to me as an intelligent woman. I did a little dance when Palin backed out of the possible race. And Bachmann makes me angry on so many levels. If she even gets on the ballot I may have a minor spasm in my brain and learn how to time travel. Hillary Clinton? If she went, I'd actually consider voting for her. She's intelligent, she knows politics, and she conducts herself well.
In general, when things matter, you don't play around. You make intelligent decisions based on what's best for the whole, not just your own little personal feelings. What's best for you isn't always best for everyone else. Sure, I'd like to see a female president. I know that a woman could do just as good a job as a male, if not better. But only the right woman, if you follow me. Putting any old person into power begets nothing but trouble. So if a female that is prepared, good, and fits my ideals is put before me and she's better than my other options, I'd happily vote for her. If she's not, you've got to be kidding me. What do I look like? A sheep?
On Feminism:
I am not a feminist. Not because I don't want to be independent or push female rights. I do. I firmly believe that I, and any other female, am and can be just as good or better at a number of things. I firmly believe that there is nothing that I can not physically, mentally, or emotionally do based on my gender. I firmly believe that there are biological differences that mean that there would have to be compensations for me to overcome to perform at the same level as males in certain jobs. However, it doesn't mean that I am incapable of making those compensations work for me in order to excel at the same job.
I am proud of every female that goes out of her way to do something that it was previously believed that females couldn't do. I have happily worked in male dominated fields and kicked serious butt at it. I've earned the respect of my coworkers and still remained a female.
I am, and always will be, a tomboy. This doesn't mean I don't respect males for their positions in life, and it doesn't mean that I'm a male hater.
Quite frankly, my opinions on this tie in with a few others, which I will wrap up with at the end.
On Race:
Seriously? Give it up. Skin color is dependent on melatonin and genetics. Give me a break, I don't care what your skin color is. If you're a shitty person, you're a shitty person no matter what your skin color is. Or your hair color. I have been on the receiving end of reverse racism. (A black person coming down on me because I was a white female) Yes, it happens. And it's just as shitty when it happens to a white person when it happens to a black person, an asian, a hispanic, or an indian person.
It's disgusting. It's wrong. Don't do it.
On Ethnicity:
Respect your cultures, respect your history. Without our history we wouldn't be here. The good and the bad make us what we are. But don't make it the end all of everything. At some point in time, everyone's ethnicity has been subjugated, ostracized, and mutilated. However, demanding that someone no longer uses something from your culture because they don't understand it is just as petulant as those that use it in ignorance.
This is something I feel very strongly on. "Don't use this icon or this symbol because you don't understand it!" Gets you nowhere. Absolutely no where. It doesn't gain respect. It doesn't gain understanding. It gains irritation and anger. Teach people.
For example:
I have a medium sized dog. She's a very friendly dog, for the most part, but she's protective of me. We go for walks and little children and people always want to pet her. They get excited and run up to her. Every single time someone wants to pet Valkyrie, I make her sit, and I set about teaching both parents and children how NOT to get bit by a dog. I take the time to show them how to approach an unknown dog. I explain why, patiently, it should be done that way. In the end, they get their goal of touching a beautiful animal and feeling her soft fur, and I am slowly teaching people how to deal with an animal that they don't know. I can't reach every single person in the world, but I can teach someone that can then help teach someone else. And maybe, just maybe, by fostering that knowledge and understanding I can keep someone from getting bit by a scared animal. And maybe I can keep innocent animals from getting killed.
I get that people get outraged. I get outraged. But telling someone not to ever dress up like an iconic image does you no good. Telling someone not to use a symbol because they don't understand the full extent of it's meaning, gets you nowhere. People are going to do it just to spite you because you're telling them they can't. Quite frankly, it's human nature. We're a territorial, aggressive bunch.
It doesn't mean that you won't get irritated. It doesn't mean that you won't get angry, or feel belittled by someone else's ignorance. (Which it would be bigger of me to say - don't let someone else belittle you! - but we all know that we can't always control our own feelings) In the long run, in my opinion, you gain more for yourself, your culture, and the future by teaching instead of being an idiot yourself and perpetuating the vicious cycle.
I know I've stated this before, however I'll state it again. I'm a firm believer that everyone has a choice. Every day you're faced with choices. Every day you make choices. Choices to stay or go, continue or stop. I get irritated with people that bitch and moan about their lives and how they'll never have a chance to change anything. You have a choice to further your goals by educating people around you, you can't make them listen, but even if you reach a few people who take the time to spread it on, even randomly, you've furthered your goals.
I can't say that I don't believe in racism, or sexism, or any -ism. These things still exist. They definitely still exist. I do believe, however, that the answer isn't addressing the symptoms - the "isms". I believe that the answer is educating people and teaching them to understand that people should be judged based on their worth as a person. And I'm certainly not talking monetary worth. I'm talking about something much more intangible.
Think of the friend that you know you can turn to, no matter what. They might not always agree with you, but they'll listen. How much is that person worth to you? How much would you do for that person? And just because not everyone you meet isn't that person, perhaps they ARE that person for someone else.
Think of the person that you work with that busts their ass every day to make sure everything gets done. When that person isn't there, or that is removed, how much do you miss that person? Who cares about their ethnicity, their race, or their political beliefs?
No one is ever going to get along with everyone they meet. You're not supposed to. You don't have to. You may dislike how a person reacts to a situation. You may dislike their sense of humor. You may dislike how they treated someone near to you. Human beings are judgemental, territorial, aggressive, and when incited they act like a herd of really dumb sheep.
But in my opinion, I think the answer to dealing with a lot of problems stems from general ignorance. Take time to think it through, educate yourself and those that are offending you. In the end, you tried, and you never know you might have hit a chord that will resonate a lot louder and brighter in the future.
Does this make me an idealist? Probably. But I'm also a realist. Change never happens overnight. And trying to make it happen? It's right out of a storybook.
Cheers, folks.
(And yes, if you're wondering, I really do believe all the word vomit I just spewed)