I had a thought.
Hullo, LJ. It's been a long time since I posted here, I know.
And now I'm back to rant (I call it a thought. It's a sort of a rant, I guess. Or an observation. Or complete bullshit, but you know...).
It's about the current societal mood, as I see it. It was touched off by thinking about Ferguson and NY and Stuff.
If you've had your fill of that, don't read.
If you're interested at all in my unsolicited opinion,
I had a thought. It's probably not going to be popular, but you know, I have so very rarely been popular and this is so important to me that I'm okay with not being in the cool kids club.
So here's my thought.
Obama has been in office for six years. Ish. Close enough. From day one, there have been a lot of people who have been unhappy with him. Hell, since before day one, but let's start from day one. They've been unhappy with his plans, with his goals, and -- please note here that I am NOT saying that all of these people who have been unhappy feel the same way -- a lot of them were unhappy about the fact that there was now a brown-skinned man running the country. Well. Had been elected to be the figurehead of the country.
But what can they do do? He's the president. Whether they voted for him, whether they approve of him or not, there he is, for at least four years.
Then, he got elected *again*. Another four years. But what can they do? Plot, plan, gripe, disparage, sure, but they can't *really* do anything because ultimately, there he sits. So they bide their time and they (sort of) (somewhat) (okay, not really, but they're just words) bitetheir tongues and settle in to wait him out. They're not going to have to put up with him for another term, fortunately.
Then the 2014 mid-term happens and all of that plottinng and planning and campaigning pays off and they actually finally get a chance to *do* something. To *change* things in their favor. They get to take a deep breath, *finally* and see that things are headed their way again.
And it's like the cork that has been holding in all this bottled up frustration and displeasure and *disgust* just got yanked out and now it can all come glugging out. What a freaking relief! They don't have to be polite or patient or pretend they're something they're not anymore. Now, *finally* it feels safe to say and feel and do all the things they've wanted to do and say and feel for SIX. YEARS. MAN. Wouldn't you celebrate? Wouldn't you put on your Vindicated pants if you'd had them in storage for six years?
So I get it. I think I finally get why I'm seeing this stuff about stereotypes and bad behavior. I think I get why the reaction to upset about people getting shot and killed is not to be upset over the deaths, but to be upset about the protests and the people who want justice.
It's because after six years of playing nice, people are finally free to be who they really are. It's safe to not be PC anymore, so they're going to throw off the smothering blanket of PC with a vengeance.
To which I say: do it. Bring it. Relax and let it all hang out.
I used to baffle people by saying I preferred life in the South to life in the North as someone whose skin is a shade of brown. Here's my reasoning: At least in the South, you know where you stand. If people don't like you, they're not nearly as shy about telling you so.
So I say again: Shake it off. Be yourself. Speak your mind. I like to know where I stand. I like knowing where you stand, too.
You can comment if you like. You don't have to, but if you do, try to be civil. I don't mind if you disagree. Heck, tell me I'm wrong. Show me examples of how wrong I am.
If you're just out to be rude, though, please don't bother.
And now I'm back to rant (I call it a thought. It's a sort of a rant, I guess. Or an observation. Or complete bullshit, but you know...).
It's about the current societal mood, as I see it. It was touched off by thinking about Ferguson and NY and Stuff.
If you've had your fill of that, don't read.
If you're interested at all in my unsolicited opinion,
I had a thought. It's probably not going to be popular, but you know, I have so very rarely been popular and this is so important to me that I'm okay with not being in the cool kids club.
So here's my thought.
Obama has been in office for six years. Ish. Close enough. From day one, there have been a lot of people who have been unhappy with him. Hell, since before day one, but let's start from day one. They've been unhappy with his plans, with his goals, and -- please note here that I am NOT saying that all of these people who have been unhappy feel the same way -- a lot of them were unhappy about the fact that there was now a brown-skinned man running the country. Well. Had been elected to be the figurehead of the country.
But what can they do do? He's the president. Whether they voted for him, whether they approve of him or not, there he is, for at least four years.
Then, he got elected *again*. Another four years. But what can they do? Plot, plan, gripe, disparage, sure, but they can't *really* do anything because ultimately, there he sits. So they bide their time and they (sort of) (somewhat) (okay, not really, but they're just words) bitetheir tongues and settle in to wait him out. They're not going to have to put up with him for another term, fortunately.
Then the 2014 mid-term happens and all of that plottinng and planning and campaigning pays off and they actually finally get a chance to *do* something. To *change* things in their favor. They get to take a deep breath, *finally* and see that things are headed their way again.
And it's like the cork that has been holding in all this bottled up frustration and displeasure and *disgust* just got yanked out and now it can all come glugging out. What a freaking relief! They don't have to be polite or patient or pretend they're something they're not anymore. Now, *finally* it feels safe to say and feel and do all the things they've wanted to do and say and feel for SIX. YEARS. MAN. Wouldn't you celebrate? Wouldn't you put on your Vindicated pants if you'd had them in storage for six years?
So I get it. I think I finally get why I'm seeing this stuff about stereotypes and bad behavior. I think I get why the reaction to upset about people getting shot and killed is not to be upset over the deaths, but to be upset about the protests and the people who want justice.
It's because after six years of playing nice, people are finally free to be who they really are. It's safe to not be PC anymore, so they're going to throw off the smothering blanket of PC with a vengeance.
To which I say: do it. Bring it. Relax and let it all hang out.
I used to baffle people by saying I preferred life in the South to life in the North as someone whose skin is a shade of brown. Here's my reasoning: At least in the South, you know where you stand. If people don't like you, they're not nearly as shy about telling you so.
So I say again: Shake it off. Be yourself. Speak your mind. I like to know where I stand. I like knowing where you stand, too.
You can comment if you like. You don't have to, but if you do, try to be civil. I don't mind if you disagree. Heck, tell me I'm wrong. Show me examples of how wrong I am.
If you're just out to be rude, though, please don't bother.