(no subject)
Seriously, I get online, check one email, and my blood begins to boil. Is being somewhat informed always going to trigger my genocidal tendencies? If so, I might just opt for a good brain pithing lest my desire to be somewhat a part of the world leads me down darker roads. Ignorance is bliss.
Let me explain just a little. I'm queer, you may have noticed that, and being a queer means that I have to come to terms with those who react though ignorance many times compounded by a glaring lack of compassion, critical reasoning ability, or a shred humanity beyond the basic capacity for speech and a semi-erect gait. Usually, I have nothing more to deal with than the occasional stare, glare, smirk, laugh, or rude comment. On occasion, I've been pursued for a short distance and heckled. In this, I have been relatively lucky, I realize this and am grateful to whatever power has watched out for me thus far, but others arent so fortunate. There are a good number of people out in this world who feel it is their right to utterly destroy others they have never met, and have no personal quarrel with beyond the victim having crossed some invisible and arbitrary threshold of tolerance in the attacker. Then there are the cowards who spread ignorance and fan the fervent flames of fear (I like that) so as to incite the dim herds into carrying out their own twisted desires upon the targets of their hate. How utterly horrible these cretins must feel inside to lash out at those different from themselves when no wrong has been done, to steal away life and happiness without provocation, to persecute the innocent. What self-loathing could inspire such wretchedness?
To wit: the reward offered by a heretofore-unknown radical fundamentalist Jewish group for someone to kill attendants and participants of an otherwise peaceful World Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem. [read story here] Did God not give commandments to His chosen people? Was not the fifth of the famous ten: Thou Shalt Not Murder? I dont remember any footnote *Except for the faggots, dykes, and queers; blacks, browns, and yellows; poly-, ana-, and other monotheists. Then its open season. Happy Hunting! - Yaweh"
So what would the fallout be if a flyer of similar caliber was spread around notoriously liberal neighbourhoods calling for the extermination of Christians, Jews, and/or Muslims? What if the morbidly faithfull's universally rabid quest for any remaining spark of persecution for adherents of these religions was given merit? They would simply do what they have done for the past 3000 years, they still the voice of all who are not of like mind by sword or pen. I had thought we were graduating to the pen here in the civilised world, but no.
There are people next door to you who believe that hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were brought upon us for this country's supposed leniency toward gays and lesbians, and who still believe that AIDS is Gods punishment for homosexuality despite the evidence showing that the people most hurt by the disease are African women and children. What about the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis that have occurred around the globe in recent years in countries that are notoriously intolerant of us: Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, India? And these fevered brain-trusts are the people we are supposed to turn to for a definition of morality and values? Considering that I am 17 times more likely to be killed for just being myself than the average American, I am feeling a little persecuted, myself, and stories like this only add to the sense of looming danger. Just consider that: 17 times more likely to be killed for being queer. For being gender and sex variant, I have a 1:612 hope for a violent end. Someone fetch me a scratch-off ticket.
Here is where I am ashamed to admit a kinship with those who seek my demise, I find myself wishing violence upon my oppressors. Happily, this in no way conflicts with the tenets of my belief system, saving me from gross hypocracy.
I need some chocolate milk and a bag of cookies, but Ive only got a packet of alfalfa sprouts and 15 lbs. of frozen tart cherries. Thank Deity for tomorrow.
Let me explain just a little. I'm queer, you may have noticed that, and being a queer means that I have to come to terms with those who react though ignorance many times compounded by a glaring lack of compassion, critical reasoning ability, or a shred humanity beyond the basic capacity for speech and a semi-erect gait. Usually, I have nothing more to deal with than the occasional stare, glare, smirk, laugh, or rude comment. On occasion, I've been pursued for a short distance and heckled. In this, I have been relatively lucky, I realize this and am grateful to whatever power has watched out for me thus far, but others arent so fortunate. There are a good number of people out in this world who feel it is their right to utterly destroy others they have never met, and have no personal quarrel with beyond the victim having crossed some invisible and arbitrary threshold of tolerance in the attacker. Then there are the cowards who spread ignorance and fan the fervent flames of fear (I like that) so as to incite the dim herds into carrying out their own twisted desires upon the targets of their hate. How utterly horrible these cretins must feel inside to lash out at those different from themselves when no wrong has been done, to steal away life and happiness without provocation, to persecute the innocent. What self-loathing could inspire such wretchedness?
To wit: the reward offered by a heretofore-unknown radical fundamentalist Jewish group for someone to kill attendants and participants of an otherwise peaceful World Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem. [read story here] Did God not give commandments to His chosen people? Was not the fifth of the famous ten: Thou Shalt Not Murder? I dont remember any footnote *Except for the faggots, dykes, and queers; blacks, browns, and yellows; poly-, ana-, and other monotheists. Then its open season. Happy Hunting! - Yaweh"
So what would the fallout be if a flyer of similar caliber was spread around notoriously liberal neighbourhoods calling for the extermination of Christians, Jews, and/or Muslims? What if the morbidly faithfull's universally rabid quest for any remaining spark of persecution for adherents of these religions was given merit? They would simply do what they have done for the past 3000 years, they still the voice of all who are not of like mind by sword or pen. I had thought we were graduating to the pen here in the civilised world, but no.
There are people next door to you who believe that hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were brought upon us for this country's supposed leniency toward gays and lesbians, and who still believe that AIDS is Gods punishment for homosexuality despite the evidence showing that the people most hurt by the disease are African women and children. What about the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis that have occurred around the globe in recent years in countries that are notoriously intolerant of us: Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, India? And these fevered brain-trusts are the people we are supposed to turn to for a definition of morality and values? Considering that I am 17 times more likely to be killed for just being myself than the average American, I am feeling a little persecuted, myself, and stories like this only add to the sense of looming danger. Just consider that: 17 times more likely to be killed for being queer. For being gender and sex variant, I have a 1:612 hope for a violent end. Someone fetch me a scratch-off ticket.
Here is where I am ashamed to admit a kinship with those who seek my demise, I find myself wishing violence upon my oppressors. Happily, this in no way conflicts with the tenets of my belief system, saving me from gross hypocracy.
I need some chocolate milk and a bag of cookies, but Ive only got a packet of alfalfa sprouts and 15 lbs. of frozen tart cherries. Thank Deity for tomorrow.