Ok, so I feel somewhat better after that rant. I've had a fever all day, thanks to my incredibly sick siblings, so I've been all over the place. It wasn't so bad. Mixed feelings all around though, for the past few days. (Mostly due to job, and fact that I really really really would rather be doing volunteer work in some third-world country... Is it weird that I run in circles to get to where I want to be? Don't ask, that makes sense in my mind lol...). There is a point and purpose to every single thing I do and say, even if you don't understand. If it weren't someone I know/thought I knew, I would never have lashed out like that; but you know what, I've held back for long enough (what, I'm not sure anymore, as it's all become a blur today...) and this person has worn my patience so very thin... I'm just so very frustrated... I don't remember why though, so it couldn't have been that important. Somehow, I can't understand why I can have a hard time making friends but intentionally losing friends is harder on so many levels.
I had an announcement to make as well, but I don't know that I should. I've been thinking a lot over the past few months about who I am as a person, what I want out of life... Whether or not I want to get married & have kids... That's what graduation does to you, I suppose... It's really over, isn't it... And I realized for the first time in January when I joined the Care2 community that I finally felt like myself again. I know what I love and where I want to end up... I finally found people who think and feel like I do... I felt like I could just live (provided things worked out financially... which is terrifying still, but someday I will pay off all of my loans and finally live the way I've always dreamed...) Do you have any idea how long I've waited for that moment? How it felt to finally belong somewhere without having to change who I am or lie or pretend to be ok with things and people I don't like? In my 21.75 years of life, I have waited and searched... I never really fit in anywhere... and that was ok, because I've never been like everyone else anyway. To be whomever I want to be... After making a few posts in a private blog I've basically used as a diary since sophomore year of high school (as anything before that will be destroyed... how dreadfully embarrassing lol), I decided to flip through it again... It's so interesting... (Yes, I even turn myself into a psych project... because I can!) The week of graduation, "Will" told me that I've changed so much since we first met; I used to be so hardcore conservative, and now I'm so liberal... Yet he has no idea of just how drastic that change has been, and yet how much hasn't changed at all. Another friend who's only known me for about 2 years now said the same thing-- though technically she knew me as a "moderate" or centrist... I guess if you'd known me growing up, I'm a completely different person... (Unless you had read any one of my journals. Then it's kind of obvious what's going on...) But for the first time in a while, I like who I am again. Sure, I can be a total bitch sometimes, and I'm not really great at anything in particular, I can act pretentious and I'm severely introverted so it's like I'm naturally self-centered lol... I prefer to study people than to interact with them, and I have strong emotional responses to both external and internal stimuli that make me seem more than a little weird sometimes, I'm sure. I could spend hours just sitting around watching people live or analyzing what they're doing and why. I know because I've done it before. It's intriguing. I like being an atheist. Religions are interesting, but not for me. Pastafarianism is just plain hilariously fun and silly. I'm positive I have ADD. I think goldfish have an attention span longer than I do. I get bored easily. I'm relatively asexual. I just don't care. I have panic attacks that wake me up at night, but I can never remember why. I find it nearly impossible to say no, even when I know I should, and I can be stubborn and resistant and hold a grudge (sometimes). I worry about EVERYTHING. I worry that I worry too much. But I know who I am, I know what I like, and I'm ok with that. I've endured a lifetime of emotional abuse from both parents, a trend that seems unlikely to end, so this feeling now really means a lot to me. I've been bullied, beaten, suffocated and burned, but I'm still alive and I'm fighting back... I have friends who like me just the way I am, they're just as crazy as I am, and I love them dearly. We don't see each other often due to obvious physical limitations from living hundreds of miles away... My family is always changing. But that's life. (Whoa... could this be that thing they called self-esteem??? Cuz I don't remember what that's like...) I feel like I'm trying to make up for lost time... All I've ever wanted was the freedom to live my life the way I want to... I've spent my life in a prison.
If I could pretend none of this ever happened, I think at this point I would, because it's just not worth it. (Though the adrenaline rush is AWESOME. I'm a junkie, whatever ^^") This always happens. Every time I think it's over and I can get on with my life... I think about something I should've said, or something comes up again. But life goes on. I can ignore, or I can instigate, or I can escalate, or...? I don't know what will happen next, and I don't care either. I'm riled up and ready to fight, to jump in and see where life takes me. Fuck plans. I've had my life planned out since I was 5. It's time for a change. (I'm becoming so much more aggressive lately... I think it's the politics, but it could just be that I'm finally standing up for myself nowadays. I'm more comfortable with being outgoing when I need to be. I can make phone calls now! You have no idea how big a deal that is...) The freedom I felt in Australia was just incredible... I could just hop on a plane and go anywhere, without fear of anything except the unusually high percentage of deadly creatures lurking about. I could stay in the ocean forever... (Damn you, BP!!! Though we're all at fault to some extent as well...) So maybe I'm acting like a snotty liberal elitist. I am well aware of that. It's intentional, thanks. It's fun. Whatever. I'm pissed off... even though I should ignore trolls, no matter their relation to me.
So BP's top kill failed, and the well will spill til August... [sigh] This cannot be happening... I know I'm an Earth sign, but I have a strong attachment to water, especially the ocean... I once spent Christmas just floating along... Best Christmas ever, except for that one time I got a surprise trip to Disney World.
Anyway, what I actually came here to post was a comment on Obama, about mixed feelings about how things are going. But somehow, I don't care anymore. It is what it is. I am what I am.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Response to "Anonymous." I'll try to be nice, but I'm not making any promises.
"As I stated before, I find the idea of a person being illegal for not being born on a particular plot of land to be anti-human. And laws such as this one invariably promote division amongst people and fail to resolve the real underlying issue." --CG, from change.org, regarding SB1070.
I decided to make this a full post instead of just a comment, because I get the feeling that this will be quite long. This is a response to "Anonymous," who left a comment on my Memorial Day post. I know that the people who actually read any of this know perfectly well who "Anonymous" is, as well as all that's been going on lately, so I'm not going to bother with details. Also, before I start, I want to point out that people are not illegal, actions are made illegal by the imposition of laws. Alright, so here we go:
(Sigh) Something tells me I messed up my Facebook settings again... So let's see if I can do this without being a total bitch... (I assure you, the more I edit this, the more I fail at not being mean... So I'll try to be mature about this.)
Aside from the fact that my comments about "illegal immigrants" was about the racist sport of hunting them down like animals when they had done nothing wrong except exist in a country where we pretend that they have less of a right to be here than anyone else, I never said anything about private property (as everyone has a right to protect their home) nor did I make this a personal issue or attack as you so did me, so your rude, judgmental attitude is most unwelcome here. However in the fairness of free speech, you may have your say, and I mine.
So you're going to make the argument that because you've had squatters in your backyard that I couldn't possibly know what I'm talking about or have an opinion? So you think that I've never interacted with illegal immigrants, talked to them, learned about them and why they're here, and because you have to get the cops to come chase a few lazy, drunk squatters off of your family's property you suddenly know all there is to know about illegal immigrants? Sorry, but I'm not buying it. Please stop with the rude emotional outbursts, as they're not really working in your favor. You've got a lot of people, including some conservative friends, shaking their heads, over this and over your previous healthcare comments as well. (I'm not even going to mention you contacting me when I thought I had made it clear that it's not ok. We're adults now, and although you've proven yourself to behave quite immaturely, I can try to be relatively civil.) However I do wonder why for someone so against "socialism," or whatever you believe socialism is, you don't seem to have a problem with using taxpayer funded police officers to protect your private property...?
Anyway, I understand that you're upset, and I know how this has affected you over the years, and believe me, I do (or did) care, but I honestly believe that you need to calm down, since your overly emotional attacks are unwarranted and I know you're better than that. And I don't think you understand me either (but I think we both already knew that a long time ago...). Open my eyes? I have. You haven't... And I only say that because in the time that I've known you, or known of you, you have always stayed focused on what is in front of you, from only your own very-emotional, egotistical point of view; and because of that, I can say for a fact that you have missed a lot of facts that were really obvious to the rest of us... This issue is so much bigger than your backyard or the Shoprite strip mall, so I'm sorry that you are unable to judge this situation from the bigger picture.
As for your comment - You are not the only one who has had to deal with situations like that, and you are certainly NOT the only one with "illegal" immigrants on their front lawn (aside from the people who used to help our lawn guy with our landscaping. They were wonderful...) as you seem to imply. I live next to a park, remember? I (stupidly) wander around by myself at night in foreign countries. I spend far too much time in sketchy areas with drunken guys with weapons. I've never been mugged, but only because I was lucky enough to recognize the danger in the situation and get out just in time. I'm lucky enough to have not been shot for the same exact reason - I made it out and around the corner in time. Yes, as a matter of fact I have been scared by drunken men popping out of no where around my house or apartment or dorm rooms or even on campus, brandishing weapons or various body parts. A friend and I were pretty much sexually assaulted in Scotland outside of a pub. (And I was, around a quiet Philly club, where apparently guys think it's ok to do these things, even when you say no and push them away multiple times...) We're lucky a security guard decided to wander by, after another girl from our group disappeared that night. I've woken up to drunken homeless people wandering around in my back yard, peering through my windows. I've had my home and bedroom broken into, possibly while I was still inside according to the police. Ask me how I slept after that. I've had people seriously threaten to kill me in my sleep. Ask me how I slept after that. Have I had the Old Bridge cops running through my house and back yard every so often, searching for criminals and drunk people? Yes. Yes I have. But I'm also lucky to have lived next door to the local fire chief, before he died, and I'm lucky enough to have fencing and an alarm system and sword and even some gun skills.
There are a lot of reasons why people come here illegally, and I'd bet you all the money in my bank accounts that squatting on your property or in the woods isn't even in the top 1000. One of those reasons the fact that it costs too much and takes too long for some people. Not everyone has the luxury of time, or money, or safety. Not everyone can afford to have a comfortable home, warm food, and the safety of a loving family, especially in war-torn or gang-ridden areas.
As usual, your response is based on your own limited personal encounters with a small group of "the same guys," which unfortunately is quite limited indeed. And as you probably would have guessed, I'm going to go back to psychology on this one. You cannot possibly base an entire opinion of an entire group on a small group of people with whom you've interacted or encountered. That type of generalization is exactly how stereotypes and racism, and really any type of -ism, begin and spread. Extending your hatred for the squatters behind your house to all Mexican immigrants is not only racist but sexist and narrow-minded. It's about the same as saying that because many terrorists are Muslims, that all Muslims are extremist terrorists and should be arrested and banned from the country. It's also about the same as saying that all drunken men are out to harass and/or rape whoever they can, and about as silly as that whole "take our country back" bullshit. So I encourage you to please look at this situation from a view outside of your backyard., and perhaps you will notice that not all Mexicans or immigrants are drunks and squatters who hang out in the woods waiting for some innocent woman to prey on. (I could go on about confirmation bias and outgroup homogeneity, but I have better thins to do with my time than drag this argument out longer than it needs to be. Which I guess I did anyway, instead of leaving it to "you're acting like an idiot" as one person suggested.) Yes, actually it IS that philosophical, if you take it out into the real world, outside of your yard. That whole "This land is your land, this land is my land" wasn't meant to be taken literally. You said- "Some have been caught before and they are in fact illegal immigrants from Mexico; it's not racist either." Ok, so you're saying that because those particular people were illegal immigrants from Mexico, legislation targeting immigrants "in general" but primarily affects Hispanic people regardless of actual citizenship status isn't racist? Or the fact that because these people were in fact illegal immigrants from Mexico, it's not racist to complain about all illegal immigrants from Mexico in general being drunken squatters out to harass and rape you? Sorry, but I really don't see where you were going with that. Yes, those particular people do not belong on your land, and you have every right to make them leave, but that's no reason to demonize an entire group over it. You said it yourself, it's the same guys every time. Clearly, there's a problem with those same guys, not illegal immigrants from Mexico in general.
This isn't about taking sides. The whole in-group/out-group us vs. them mentality is rather childish and immature, IMO, especially regarding this situation. Your family immigrated here too, from Poland, didn't they? They, like many of the current immigrants, purchased land or a house and found work. You should know just as well as I do what it's like to be judged, stereotyped, and put down just because of your ethnicity or race. I know we've talked about that before. Your land is just that, the plot of land your family owns, not public land. Why should I care if they are on PUBLIC property?? Your land is not this entire country, which technically as a whole is considered public property. This "land" we call the United States is not the same type of ownership as your family's. A country is not the same as a house, or a backyard. We are a collective, made up of immigrants and native peoples, living on land stolen from natives and other groups, including the Mexicans. You have a right to keep people off of your family's land, but you have no right to tell people that they can't come into this country. Technically, none of us do. I do believe that we should have border security (hint hint.), simply because the times call for it and we should be able to live without fear, but that doesn't mean I can or should condone people complaining that everyone else in the world is dangerous and that the only way to protect themselves from the evil outsiders is to round them up and demonize them.
If you had read any further back, you would have known that I have been quite hesitant to call the actual Arizona bill racist, but said that it has implications for racial profiling and encouraging racist attitudes and actions, even with the revisions. (Not to mention that it's been done before, and it was considered horrifically racist back then, when racism was still allowed to be overt and and publicly institutionalized.) And you said it yourself- the majority of immigrants in that area are likely Mexican. The racism portion of this comes into play when the majority of people who are stopped and arrested due to this legislation are chosen because of how they look, because they're Hispanic, regardless of whether or not they are actually Mexican, or even whether or not they are citizens. Hispanic, American-born citizens have been harassed, arrested, and even deported already thanks to this law and previous legislature in Arizona, so it's impossible to say this won't affect legal citizens. Blond-haired blue eyed Swedes are not likely to be stopped. Canadians aren't going to be stopped. The undercurrent of social thought is that this bill will be primarily targeting Hispanics and Latinos, as they are considered to be the primary "threat."
It would seem that over the years it's like I've become your own personal therapist, so I apologize if it annoys you as much as it annoys me. But please, as someone who used to call herself your best friend, seriously... There are a lot of things you probably still haven't noticed about yourself, but you seriously have a lot of issues that you need to deal with, including getting out of your little "bubble of me." It's REALLY annoying and (as a good friend has also noticed) has completely exhausted my patience. I've put up with a lot from you over all of this time, and you've said a lot of really rude, racist, and hurtful things to my family and my friends, and I'm seriously done. Please, do us both a favor and just go. Whoops, I guess I slipped and said how I really feel.
It's times like this when I can truly appreciate the cultural and ethnic diversity of my home and family. Tonight, we're making homemade empanadas. Sometimes we make Chinese, sometimes Italian, sometimes my mother's childhood Indian and Guyanese favorites... And not only the food, but the meanings behind it, and embracing differences, are a part of who we are. We were taught to always appreciate and judge only by character and actions, not where someone comes from or how they or their family got here. Many of the "illegal immigrants" I've met and known are the (not some of, but THE) kindest and hardest working people I know, and are so much more than their legal status. And they deserved to be judged for who they are as human beings and not by the racist stereotypes and over-generalizations of the American right-wing... So what good am I doing? What I can. Reaching out. Speaking out. Informing, mobilizing, discussing, donating, writing, joining and sharing. Accepting, and loving, and learning. What are you doing, other than hating and tea parties? (Hmm, that seems just a bit redundant...) Live and let live. I won't bother you if you won't bother me.
P.S. - And I should care because...? I'm serious too. And it's not your land, it belongs to your grandmother and parents. But have fun with your dirt anyway. I'm not the one who needs to shut the fuck up here, as I'm not the troll here. This is my blog and you don't have to read it if you don't want to. Whoops, slipped again.
I decided to make this a full post instead of just a comment, because I get the feeling that this will be quite long. This is a response to "Anonymous," who left a comment on my Memorial Day post. I know that the people who actually read any of this know perfectly well who "Anonymous" is, as well as all that's been going on lately, so I'm not going to bother with details. Also, before I start, I want to point out that people are not illegal, actions are made illegal by the imposition of laws. Alright, so here we go:
(Sigh) Something tells me I messed up my Facebook settings again... So let's see if I can do this without being a total bitch... (I assure you, the more I edit this, the more I fail at not being mean... So I'll try to be mature about this.)
Aside from the fact that my comments about "illegal immigrants" was about the racist sport of hunting them down like animals when they had done nothing wrong except exist in a country where we pretend that they have less of a right to be here than anyone else, I never said anything about private property (as everyone has a right to protect their home) nor did I make this a personal issue or attack as you so did me, so your rude, judgmental attitude is most unwelcome here. However in the fairness of free speech, you may have your say, and I mine.
So you're going to make the argument that because you've had squatters in your backyard that I couldn't possibly know what I'm talking about or have an opinion? So you think that I've never interacted with illegal immigrants, talked to them, learned about them and why they're here, and because you have to get the cops to come chase a few lazy, drunk squatters off of your family's property you suddenly know all there is to know about illegal immigrants? Sorry, but I'm not buying it. Please stop with the rude emotional outbursts, as they're not really working in your favor. You've got a lot of people, including some conservative friends, shaking their heads, over this and over your previous healthcare comments as well. (I'm not even going to mention you contacting me when I thought I had made it clear that it's not ok. We're adults now, and although you've proven yourself to behave quite immaturely, I can try to be relatively civil.) However I do wonder why for someone so against "socialism," or whatever you believe socialism is, you don't seem to have a problem with using taxpayer funded police officers to protect your private property...?
Anyway, I understand that you're upset, and I know how this has affected you over the years, and believe me, I do (or did) care, but I honestly believe that you need to calm down, since your overly emotional attacks are unwarranted and I know you're better than that. And I don't think you understand me either (but I think we both already knew that a long time ago...). Open my eyes? I have. You haven't... And I only say that because in the time that I've known you, or known of you, you have always stayed focused on what is in front of you, from only your own very-emotional, egotistical point of view; and because of that, I can say for a fact that you have missed a lot of facts that were really obvious to the rest of us... This issue is so much bigger than your backyard or the Shoprite strip mall, so I'm sorry that you are unable to judge this situation from the bigger picture.
As for your comment - You are not the only one who has had to deal with situations like that, and you are certainly NOT the only one with "illegal" immigrants on their front lawn (aside from the people who used to help our lawn guy with our landscaping. They were wonderful...) as you seem to imply. I live next to a park, remember? I (stupidly) wander around by myself at night in foreign countries. I spend far too much time in sketchy areas with drunken guys with weapons. I've never been mugged, but only because I was lucky enough to recognize the danger in the situation and get out just in time. I'm lucky enough to have not been shot for the same exact reason - I made it out and around the corner in time. Yes, as a matter of fact I have been scared by drunken men popping out of no where around my house or apartment or dorm rooms or even on campus, brandishing weapons or various body parts. A friend and I were pretty much sexually assaulted in Scotland outside of a pub. (And I was, around a quiet Philly club, where apparently guys think it's ok to do these things, even when you say no and push them away multiple times...) We're lucky a security guard decided to wander by, after another girl from our group disappeared that night. I've woken up to drunken homeless people wandering around in my back yard, peering through my windows. I've had my home and bedroom broken into, possibly while I was still inside according to the police. Ask me how I slept after that. I've had people seriously threaten to kill me in my sleep. Ask me how I slept after that. Have I had the Old Bridge cops running through my house and back yard every so often, searching for criminals and drunk people? Yes. Yes I have. But I'm also lucky to have lived next door to the local fire chief, before he died, and I'm lucky enough to have fencing and an alarm system and sword and even some gun skills.
There are a lot of reasons why people come here illegally, and I'd bet you all the money in my bank accounts that squatting on your property or in the woods isn't even in the top 1000. One of those reasons the fact that it costs too much and takes too long for some people. Not everyone has the luxury of time, or money, or safety. Not everyone can afford to have a comfortable home, warm food, and the safety of a loving family, especially in war-torn or gang-ridden areas.
As usual, your response is based on your own limited personal encounters with a small group of "the same guys," which unfortunately is quite limited indeed. And as you probably would have guessed, I'm going to go back to psychology on this one. You cannot possibly base an entire opinion of an entire group on a small group of people with whom you've interacted or encountered. That type of generalization is exactly how stereotypes and racism, and really any type of -ism, begin and spread. Extending your hatred for the squatters behind your house to all Mexican immigrants is not only racist but sexist and narrow-minded. It's about the same as saying that because many terrorists are Muslims, that all Muslims are extremist terrorists and should be arrested and banned from the country. It's also about the same as saying that all drunken men are out to harass and/or rape whoever they can, and about as silly as that whole "take our country back" bullshit. So I encourage you to please look at this situation from a view outside of your backyard., and perhaps you will notice that not all Mexicans or immigrants are drunks and squatters who hang out in the woods waiting for some innocent woman to prey on. (I could go on about confirmation bias and outgroup homogeneity, but I have better thins to do with my time than drag this argument out longer than it needs to be. Which I guess I did anyway, instead of leaving it to "you're acting like an idiot" as one person suggested.) Yes, actually it IS that philosophical, if you take it out into the real world, outside of your yard. That whole "This land is your land, this land is my land" wasn't meant to be taken literally. You said- "Some have been caught before and they are in fact illegal immigrants from Mexico; it's not racist either." Ok, so you're saying that because those particular people were illegal immigrants from Mexico, legislation targeting immigrants "in general" but primarily affects Hispanic people regardless of actual citizenship status isn't racist? Or the fact that because these people were in fact illegal immigrants from Mexico, it's not racist to complain about all illegal immigrants from Mexico in general being drunken squatters out to harass and rape you? Sorry, but I really don't see where you were going with that. Yes, those particular people do not belong on your land, and you have every right to make them leave, but that's no reason to demonize an entire group over it. You said it yourself, it's the same guys every time. Clearly, there's a problem with those same guys, not illegal immigrants from Mexico in general.
This isn't about taking sides. The whole in-group/out-group us vs. them mentality is rather childish and immature, IMO, especially regarding this situation. Your family immigrated here too, from Poland, didn't they? They, like many of the current immigrants, purchased land or a house and found work. You should know just as well as I do what it's like to be judged, stereotyped, and put down just because of your ethnicity or race. I know we've talked about that before. Your land is just that, the plot of land your family owns, not public land. Why should I care if they are on PUBLIC property?? Your land is not this entire country, which technically as a whole is considered public property. This "land" we call the United States is not the same type of ownership as your family's. A country is not the same as a house, or a backyard. We are a collective, made up of immigrants and native peoples, living on land stolen from natives and other groups, including the Mexicans. You have a right to keep people off of your family's land, but you have no right to tell people that they can't come into this country. Technically, none of us do. I do believe that we should have border security (hint hint.), simply because the times call for it and we should be able to live without fear, but that doesn't mean I can or should condone people complaining that everyone else in the world is dangerous and that the only way to protect themselves from the evil outsiders is to round them up and demonize them.
If you had read any further back, you would have known that I have been quite hesitant to call the actual Arizona bill racist, but said that it has implications for racial profiling and encouraging racist attitudes and actions, even with the revisions. (Not to mention that it's been done before, and it was considered horrifically racist back then, when racism was still allowed to be overt and and publicly institutionalized.) And you said it yourself- the majority of immigrants in that area are likely Mexican. The racism portion of this comes into play when the majority of people who are stopped and arrested due to this legislation are chosen because of how they look, because they're Hispanic, regardless of whether or not they are actually Mexican, or even whether or not they are citizens. Hispanic, American-born citizens have been harassed, arrested, and even deported already thanks to this law and previous legislature in Arizona, so it's impossible to say this won't affect legal citizens. Blond-haired blue eyed Swedes are not likely to be stopped. Canadians aren't going to be stopped. The undercurrent of social thought is that this bill will be primarily targeting Hispanics and Latinos, as they are considered to be the primary "threat."
It would seem that over the years it's like I've become your own personal therapist, so I apologize if it annoys you as much as it annoys me. But please, as someone who used to call herself your best friend, seriously... There are a lot of things you probably still haven't noticed about yourself, but you seriously have a lot of issues that you need to deal with, including getting out of your little "bubble of me." It's REALLY annoying and (as a good friend has also noticed) has completely exhausted my patience. I've put up with a lot from you over all of this time, and you've said a lot of really rude, racist, and hurtful things to my family and my friends, and I'm seriously done. Please, do us both a favor and just go. Whoops, I guess I slipped and said how I really feel.
It's times like this when I can truly appreciate the cultural and ethnic diversity of my home and family. Tonight, we're making homemade empanadas. Sometimes we make Chinese, sometimes Italian, sometimes my mother's childhood Indian and Guyanese favorites... And not only the food, but the meanings behind it, and embracing differences, are a part of who we are. We were taught to always appreciate and judge only by character and actions, not where someone comes from or how they or their family got here. Many of the "illegal immigrants" I've met and known are the (not some of, but THE) kindest and hardest working people I know, and are so much more than their legal status. And they deserved to be judged for who they are as human beings and not by the racist stereotypes and over-generalizations of the American right-wing... So what good am I doing? What I can. Reaching out. Speaking out. Informing, mobilizing, discussing, donating, writing, joining and sharing. Accepting, and loving, and learning. What are you doing, other than hating and tea parties? (Hmm, that seems just a bit redundant...) Live and let live. I won't bother you if you won't bother me.
P.S. - And I should care because...? I'm serious too. And it's not your land, it belongs to your grandmother and parents. But have fun with your dirt anyway. I'm not the one who needs to shut the fuck up here, as I'm not the troll here. This is my blog and you don't have to read it if you don't want to. Whoops, slipped again.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Proud to be an American...???
Trying to control my rage right now. Some people seriously need to learn to fuck off -_-" but aside from that... I've been shopping for bumper stickers. No reason in particular I guess, because I haven't a clue what I would actually do with them, but mostly liberal things to counter the lame "W '04!!!" shit I see on all the hummers. And I'm sick and tired of being called "un-American" because I think a national healthcare system is a great thing, or because I refuse to say the pledge of allegiance until the words actually mean something (see my post on Will Phillips too btw, Nov. 2009. My reasons go a quite a bit farther than just gay rights, but they're valid just the same. We do NOT have liberty and justice for all, and until we do, those are empty words and empty promises!!!) & I haven't said it since high school; or because I am for allowing people to become citizens, & I think most "terrorism" in this country is either misguided "patriots" (for whatever cause) or complete bullshit designed to scare us into submission (or false wars for oil... just sayin'...), & we should get the fuck out of Iraq/Afghanistan because we're killing innocent people for no reason, inciting them to anger against us, and therefore creating more extremists and "terrorists."
I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. I'm sick and tired of people saying that only those with conservative values are true patriots, or true Christians, or whatever, because it's all complete and utter bullshit. So I found the perfect bumper sticker - I don't hate America. I hate the people who do hateful things in the name of America. Hunting "illegals" is NOT American. Denying citizenship to people born here is NOT American. Using your religion as an excuse for pushing your views on others is NOT American. Picking and choosing what parts of the Constitution you like is NOT the American way! Discrimination is NOT the American way! (However hypocrisy seems to be... -_-") This is NOT the home of the free-- I'll say it again, we don't have a fucking clue what freedom is in this country. And we won't, until we can as a collective group get our act together and actually follow what we preach, live what we stand for - Freedom, Justice, Peace, Fairness, Safety, Solidarity, Strength, Prosperity-- FOR ALL. Protecting our fellow citizen, as well as those who need our help. We're not some exclusive club, where a small majority get to decide who belongs, and who's a "real" member. I truly believe the founding fathers would be embarrassed and horrified to see what we've become... (Granted, they were fully aware the general populous were complete morons, and they weren't perfect in the least bit either-- in fact they were narrow-minded and downright racist-- but that's why they made the Constitution a living document, which is meant to change with the times... So that we could evolve into something greater. But let's face it- our way of life is dying... Our country is falling apart. All the more reason to change...)
If we're going to be the Protector of the world, then let's actually protect - end war and violence, end hatred, instill peace and stability. We're supposed to be the Land of Opportunity, but we can't forget that opportunity isn't just for the people already here. It's for ALL people of the world. Yes, that includes the people scrambling across the border. (Clearly we're doing something right if people still want to come here... What, I haven't a clue, but think about how much their countries must suck if this is better - a land built on institutionalized hatred and discrimination, where friends and neighbors turn their backs and/or guns on each other over political opinion, religion, little issues devoid of the big picture... We are a sad, sorry state.) If we are the Land of Freedom, then let's actually be the Land of Freedom! We're Americans! We're arrogant and rude and think we're better than everyone else! So c'mon, let's show them why we're here! Our army's slogan was "Be All You Can Be." So let's do that. If we're going to call ourselves the best, we have to actually BE the best. So let's make them all jealous
, k? There's no point in being proud of being American if it doesn't actually mean anything, let alone what we pretend it does.Happy Memorial Day... Keep in mind the millions who live and die to keep us safe-- our soldiers, our vets, their victims... and hope that someday there won't be a "need" for this pain...
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