This post isn't going to be pleasant for many people, in fact, it's probably going to cause some butt hurt, but I really don't give a damn. Strap in, people, because this is going to get bumpy.
People have made posts about racism before, in fact, nothing has been more widely discussed. However, typically it's racism against particular groups - namely white people or African Americans (or is black PC now? I don't know; you tell me. I don't normally give a damn about PCness [that almost sounds like penis] but for once, I'm actually curious.) - and while this will touch on that a bit, this is about something else entirely, and will expand from there.
A family friend has a... We'll go with "cultural" name. At her workplace, she has faced sneers and derision, asking where she's from, where she was born, 'that's not an American name!' Etc. This woman was not only born in America, both of her parents are American as well. Her name is of Palestinian/Jordanian origin, which most people just throw under the "Arab" umbrella, but she was born and raised right here in the US of A. Since the shootings in Orlando, hell, since 9/11, the amount of racism and derision she has faced has been disgusting. Yes, she is Muslim, though she doesn't fully practice the religion beyond observing some of its laws such as not eating pork, etc. She doesn't wear a hijab, she to my knowledge doesn't pray five times a day, and there is nothing beyond her name and perhaps to an educated eye her skin tone and appearance that would make one even remotely assume she was of Middle-Eastern descent.
Her response to our shock at what she has faced is little more than "I'm used to it" in attitude. She shouldn't be. Just because someone is Middle-Eastern in heritage or name does not make them a terrorist, it does not mean they weren't born right here in America, it does not mean they aren't American, and it doesn't mean they're a Muslim - but even if they are a Muslim, that also does not mean they're a terrorist, either.
Muslims outnumber any other people of religion on this planet. In truth, if they wanted everyone dead, we would be. Every religion has its radicals, every religion has its whack jobs. That does not mean that the majority agrees with their views. That does not mean that the minority reflects upon the majority. I will forever stand with the Muslims who follow the peaceful teachings of their religion, just as I stand with the Christians who follow the teachings of love and peace of Christ, though Christians slaughtered Muslims in scores during the Crusades. No religion has its hands clean. Every religion has spilled blood. Every religion has radicals, even today. Stop letting the media turn you against literally a billion plus people for the actions of less than .0001% of them.
Yes, I am aware there are passages of the Quran that preach against infidels and preach war and the like. But the very same can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. For Christians out there, are you aware that Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam? And that Muslims are, by law of their religion, to obey the teachings of their prophets? Are you also aware that Allah is simply the Arabic word for "God" and Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God? Ignorance is what is fueling the hate and religious war that is going on right now, and the more the western world screams about their hatred of Islam, the easier you're making it on terrorist cells to go "Look at how they hate our religion! Look at how they hate us!" You're actually adding fuel to their fire, to their propaganda, making it easier for them to corrupt and recruit young minds to their cause. But you can't see that because you are so horribly blinded not only by what the media and politicians are throwing out but by your own prejudice.
People, this has to stop! It has to! Hate has to stop. I know that sounds naïve and like a pipe dream, to think that hate can end. But it can. It really can. All you have to do... Is stop doing it. Stop judging people based on the color of their skin, or their hair, or their eyes, or their bone structure. Stop judging people based upon their religion. Stop judging people based upon their political affiliation. Stop getting so worked up by the media and what it tells you to like or dislike, who or what to hate. What is or isn't wrong. You know in your heart, no, in your SOUL, what is or isn't wrong. Love your fellow human, no matter the color of their skin or their religion or their political party. Love them even if you think they're fucking morons! Love them even if they piss you off! Don't get angry back, don't respond to hate with hate. Respond to hate with love, with compassion, with kindness.
Hate is a sickness, it's a disease that's running rampant in our world because it's such a very easy thing to do. It's so very easy to hate people. It's so very easy to look at someone and hate them for who they are or what they're doing or what they're saying. The hardest thing is to love them even though everything they believe, or stand for, goes against everything YOU believe or stand for. But my God if we could do that... If every person could do that.. Could love, could forgive, could just let others lead their lives and be who they are without judgment, without condemnation, without vitriol and hatred, there would be world peace. Legitimate, lasting world peace. There would be no reason for war, because people would refuse to kill those they love.
Eliminating racism is the first step. Don't look at someone's name or skin tone and see they're Middle-Eastern and automatically assume they're a terrorist or not American, even if they don't speak English fluently - some people are born here in America but speak English as a second language because they spoke their mother tongue in their home growing up. Don't look at an African American and assume they're going to mug you or shoot you, or break into your home or what have you, or that they're living off of welfare because they're too lazy to get a job. Don't look at a white person and assume they're privileged, that they have it easy, that they have a good job and a good life and everything just slides over to them on a silver platter. Don't look at an Asian and assume they can't speak English or that they work in a nail salon, or that they automatically speak/read/write whatever language their ancestors did. Don't look at a Hispanic person and assume they do yard work, or work at Home Depot, or that they're an illegal immigrant.
I could go on but you get the idea. Stop assuming based off of heritage, off of race. Look deeper than that. Get to know the person. Know them for who they are, not where they or their parents came from. And if they DID immigrate and are legal citizens? Congratulate them! If they're illegal? See if you can do anything to help. It costs something like $30,000 to become a legal citizen in the United States. Most people who come here are trying to provide a better life for their children, or are fleeing terrorism or oppression, and many of them can only bring what they can carry and have very limited funds. Many of the illegal citizens WANT to be legal. (Don't give me some BS anecdotal evidence; statistics outweigh your anecdotes.) Hell, they have to pay taxes anyway, regardless of the lies you've been told about that. (Seriously, do legit research. They do.)
The Statue of Liberty says "Bring us your tired, your hungry, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Yet American citizens seem to be screaming "CLOSE THE DAMN DOORS!" And that is so sad, and so completely un-American. We're a melting pot, we have always been a melting pot. We need to help each other, and hold each other up, not beat each other down. So what if the guy/gal beside you isn't a legal American? (Also, stop assuming it's only Hispanics that are illegal citizens; there are a lot of people of other "races", even white people[e.g. Scandinavian, German, etc], that are illegals) That doesn't mean they're any less deserving of your help, or mine.
In fact, if you're so concerned about their legal status, help them achieve it. Put yourself in their shoes for five minutes. Think about what may have drove them to come here illegally, only to find out the overwhelming amount of money they need to become legal citizens. How heartbreaking would that be, to come for a better life, to reach for the American Dream, only to find out it's just as far out of your reach in the country as it was outside of it?
Do you see my point here? We need to help each other; we need to stop worrying so much about what country someone is from, or whether they're "legal" and start worrying so much more about one simple thing. "Caucasian" isn't a race. "Hispanic" isn't a race. "Asian" isn't a race. "Arab" isn't a race. These are simply heritages. We are all one race - HUMAN. We need to focus on that, we need to help each other, we need to love each other, to protect each other, to care for each other, to tear down all of these stupid ass words we use to define each other by that we then use to discriminate whether it's sex, sexual orientation, gender - these are important for one's identity, yes, but in the grand scheme of things, the one main focus needs to be on the pure and simple fact we are all purely human. We need to respect that. Fuck everything else.
We. Are. Human.
Love each other.
Respect each other.
Help each other.
Care for each other.
Have some compassion, some empathy, for the suffering and the struggles of your fellow human regardless of where they live, or what they look like, or what they believe or think.
Listen not with your ears, not with your mind, but with your heart, and with your soul. Let them lead you, and the world will truly be a better place; and isn't that, really, the goal in life? To leave this world in a better place than which we entered it? I've always felt that it was... And unfortunately, in my nearly 30 years... It's only gotten worse. I do what I can for my small part of the world, and to reach out with the Internet to help those that I can when and where and how I can. I only hope that in some way... This causes a ripple in the pond that will become a wave. We must be the change we wish to see... And it starts with one person.
You.
Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label truth. Show all posts
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Thursday, June 23, 2016
The Importance of Decompressing
I know lately my blog has been pretty ranty, and rightly so, really, but right now I want to change things up just a bit. This is a post that's so, so very important, not just for people with chronic illness or mental illness, but for everyone. That's right, everyone. Healthy people, disabled people, people with mental illness, without mental illness, whatever. Everyone can benefit from this post, and honestly, if you found it helpful at all by the end, or agree that it's important, I heavily urge you to share it - not for my benefit or popularity or anything narcissistic like that, but to help other people.
Everything in the world right now is so insanely stressful. It really is. Especially for people who watch the news on the television (I don't; more on that in a bit) or constant surf news websites and/or read newspapers. It seems that the news is 0.01% good news and 99.99% bad news. It's all murder, mayhem, and violence. It's utter carnage. Everywhere. I had to stop watching because it would make me so depressed that I could barely function; it made me believe that there was literally nothing good left in the world, and that the world was going to hell in a hand basket. While to an extent it is, there is still so much good out there, there truly is, but that isn't what the media reports because they would rather stir up the fear, the animosity, etc. At any rate, life is so full of stress for everyone, between the state of the world, politics, work (if you do), relationships (if you're in one), family life (if you have one), well, you get the idea. Then you have the commute to and from work for those that work, which in and of itself is full of its own stresses, and for those who work at home (whether it's a work from home job or being a housewife/househusband) the stress is there constantly, no matter what, and believe me, being a housewife is stressful even if you don't have children. Stress will bog you down and drag you down and make you so irritable and tightly wound that it begins to overflow into everything you do and say without you even realizing it!
Then you have the added stressors of tragic events like the Orlando shooting, or political uphevals like the EU Referendum, what have you, that add further emotional and mental stress into our lives even if we aren't directly involved. While I myself lost two friends in the Orlando shooting, many people were affected by it who knew no one involved simply out of empathy, and as for the EU Referendum, those of us in other countries know what sort of repercussions votes like that can have, both politically and economically, and we thus empathize with the citizens of the U.K. And worry for their future regardless of the outcome of the vote.
Then you can tack on personal added stressors of unforeseen events like car accidents, storm damage to one's vehicle or home, flooding damage, personal injuries, a death in the family, a break up with a significant other... You get the idea here as well. Stress. Is. Everywhere!!!!!
So, what do we do when we want to relax? Well, if you're like the majority of the population these days, you pop onto the computer and get on, say, Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr, whatever. Bad. Idea. Very bad idea. The second you get on any of these, you're flooded with more stressors. Political posts, ideological posts, tragedy posts, stress pretty much starts stabbing you in the eyes, but because you tell yourself it's relaxing time, you trick yourself into thinking you're relaxing when in reality, you're just adding on more stress! Think about it, how often do you get into a debate or argument with someone on the Internet; do you really think that's relaxing? How often do you see a post or meme that irritates or angers you? A story that makes you sad or otherwise upset? This is all added stress! All of it!
While it is important to be up to date with the goings on of the world, it's equally as important to take care of yourself; stress levels today are at record highs and in fact the daily stress of the average high school student, never mind adult, would have had them committed to a psych ward in the 1950s. No joke. Is it any real wonder why so many people are suffering from stress-related depression and anxiety and why so many people are on medications to treat it?
But the truth is... People suffering from stress-induced mental problems don't actually need the medications, they just need to learn how to eliminate stress from their life. I know, I can hear you doing that sarcastic scoff laugh right through my ipad. I've done the same many times when I've read 'eliminate stress' to help reduce chronic pain and Fibro flares. But then I started learning how to eliminate unnecessary stress and holy cow did it work wonders not only for my physical well being but for my mental state as well. How did I do it? Well, let me give you a handy list of some tips and ideas for you to get off the ground with.
Unplug - Stay away from social networking and news websites and skip watching the news on TV. Instead, put on some relaxing music and read a book, watch a favorite movie or TV show, or play a video game.
Unwind - Try a good bath or shower, not just for getting clean but to relax for a while. Give yourself a break to just unwind and decompress after your stressful day.
Decompress - Set aside 30 minutes to an hour of quite time just for yourself, by yourself. What you do during this time, whether you read, listen to soothing music, enjoy a nice cup of tea, or whatever, is up to you, but this is your time.
Indulge - Have a healthy sweet treat; I recommend dark chocolate covered berries or nuts! The endorphin boost is great and there are a lot of benefits to dark chocolate, but don't overdo it - your waistline won't thank you! If sweets aren't your thing, go for whatever your favorite comfort food is, but don't binge; just have a small amount to get that nice 'aaahhh' feeling.
Exercise - Cardio especially is great for this, but any form of exercise provides endorphins and helps relieve stress. Some varieties of yoga are great for relaxing, as well, without being too hard on beginners or people with joint or flexibility issues! Also, a nice evening walk (weather permitting) can be quite relaxing after a stressful day, especially if you can make it to a park or a forest walking trail and spend the time in nature.
Dance it out - One person dance parties are fantastic! Put on your favorite tunes and dance around like a goof ball! It may seem and sound silly, and really, it is, but being silly for the sake of being silly is not only fun, the exercise boosts your endorphins, helps eliminate stress, and the combination of the fun and your favorite music helps to change your mindset. If you have friends about that you can dance it out with, the more the merrier!
Social time - Socialize with people you can relax around, but avoid people who stress you out when you need to decompress.
Hopefully these tips will help, because honestly, decompressing is so important, and stress is getting out of control in society. So, give them a shot, and feel free to let me know if they help and how they work for you!
Everything in the world right now is so insanely stressful. It really is. Especially for people who watch the news on the television (I don't; more on that in a bit) or constant surf news websites and/or read newspapers. It seems that the news is 0.01% good news and 99.99% bad news. It's all murder, mayhem, and violence. It's utter carnage. Everywhere. I had to stop watching because it would make me so depressed that I could barely function; it made me believe that there was literally nothing good left in the world, and that the world was going to hell in a hand basket. While to an extent it is, there is still so much good out there, there truly is, but that isn't what the media reports because they would rather stir up the fear, the animosity, etc. At any rate, life is so full of stress for everyone, between the state of the world, politics, work (if you do), relationships (if you're in one), family life (if you have one), well, you get the idea. Then you have the commute to and from work for those that work, which in and of itself is full of its own stresses, and for those who work at home (whether it's a work from home job or being a housewife/househusband) the stress is there constantly, no matter what, and believe me, being a housewife is stressful even if you don't have children. Stress will bog you down and drag you down and make you so irritable and tightly wound that it begins to overflow into everything you do and say without you even realizing it!
Then you have the added stressors of tragic events like the Orlando shooting, or political uphevals like the EU Referendum, what have you, that add further emotional and mental stress into our lives even if we aren't directly involved. While I myself lost two friends in the Orlando shooting, many people were affected by it who knew no one involved simply out of empathy, and as for the EU Referendum, those of us in other countries know what sort of repercussions votes like that can have, both politically and economically, and we thus empathize with the citizens of the U.K. And worry for their future regardless of the outcome of the vote.
Then you can tack on personal added stressors of unforeseen events like car accidents, storm damage to one's vehicle or home, flooding damage, personal injuries, a death in the family, a break up with a significant other... You get the idea here as well. Stress. Is. Everywhere!!!!!
So, what do we do when we want to relax? Well, if you're like the majority of the population these days, you pop onto the computer and get on, say, Facebook or Twitter or Tumblr, whatever. Bad. Idea. Very bad idea. The second you get on any of these, you're flooded with more stressors. Political posts, ideological posts, tragedy posts, stress pretty much starts stabbing you in the eyes, but because you tell yourself it's relaxing time, you trick yourself into thinking you're relaxing when in reality, you're just adding on more stress! Think about it, how often do you get into a debate or argument with someone on the Internet; do you really think that's relaxing? How often do you see a post or meme that irritates or angers you? A story that makes you sad or otherwise upset? This is all added stress! All of it!
While it is important to be up to date with the goings on of the world, it's equally as important to take care of yourself; stress levels today are at record highs and in fact the daily stress of the average high school student, never mind adult, would have had them committed to a psych ward in the 1950s. No joke. Is it any real wonder why so many people are suffering from stress-related depression and anxiety and why so many people are on medications to treat it?
But the truth is... People suffering from stress-induced mental problems don't actually need the medications, they just need to learn how to eliminate stress from their life. I know, I can hear you doing that sarcastic scoff laugh right through my ipad. I've done the same many times when I've read 'eliminate stress' to help reduce chronic pain and Fibro flares. But then I started learning how to eliminate unnecessary stress and holy cow did it work wonders not only for my physical well being but for my mental state as well. How did I do it? Well, let me give you a handy list of some tips and ideas for you to get off the ground with.
Unplug - Stay away from social networking and news websites and skip watching the news on TV. Instead, put on some relaxing music and read a book, watch a favorite movie or TV show, or play a video game.
Unwind - Try a good bath or shower, not just for getting clean but to relax for a while. Give yourself a break to just unwind and decompress after your stressful day.
Decompress - Set aside 30 minutes to an hour of quite time just for yourself, by yourself. What you do during this time, whether you read, listen to soothing music, enjoy a nice cup of tea, or whatever, is up to you, but this is your time.
Indulge - Have a healthy sweet treat; I recommend dark chocolate covered berries or nuts! The endorphin boost is great and there are a lot of benefits to dark chocolate, but don't overdo it - your waistline won't thank you! If sweets aren't your thing, go for whatever your favorite comfort food is, but don't binge; just have a small amount to get that nice 'aaahhh' feeling.
Exercise - Cardio especially is great for this, but any form of exercise provides endorphins and helps relieve stress. Some varieties of yoga are great for relaxing, as well, without being too hard on beginners or people with joint or flexibility issues! Also, a nice evening walk (weather permitting) can be quite relaxing after a stressful day, especially if you can make it to a park or a forest walking trail and spend the time in nature.
Dance it out - One person dance parties are fantastic! Put on your favorite tunes and dance around like a goof ball! It may seem and sound silly, and really, it is, but being silly for the sake of being silly is not only fun, the exercise boosts your endorphins, helps eliminate stress, and the combination of the fun and your favorite music helps to change your mindset. If you have friends about that you can dance it out with, the more the merrier!
Social time - Socialize with people you can relax around, but avoid people who stress you out when you need to decompress.
Hopefully these tips will help, because honestly, decompressing is so important, and stress is getting out of control in society. So, give them a shot, and feel free to let me know if they help and how they work for you!
Triggering - What It Is, Isn't, and Why It Isn't A Bad Thing
(EDIT: Fixed autocorrect of psychologist to psychiatrist... It was meant to be psychologist. Stupid iPad.)
Good day to you lovely person, whomever and wherever you are! First and foremost, allow me to open by stating that I am a mostly-recovered PTSD sufferer (I still occasionally have flashback-nightmares, but this is normal) and suffer from anxiety, bipolar affective disorder and depression (Yes, it is possible to have depression while also being bipolar.) All of these conditions have been diagnosed by doctors and psychologists, the latter of which aren't looking to just throw pills at me as psychologists cannot prescribe prescription medications.
That being said, it's time to discuss the over abundance of the usage of the word "trigger." Anymore, people are using it to describe any negative emotion, emotional discomfort (or physical discomfort brought on by emotional discomfort), etc. That is not what triggering is. At all. Triggering is, specifically, when a symptom of a diagnosed mental illness is provoked by specific subject matter. Got that down? Good! Now, let's move on to emotional discomfort in general - we'll get back to triggering later - and other negativities and why they aren't bad things.
When you experience negative emotion and emotional discomfort, sure, it's unpleasant and everyone would prefer to avoid it, but realistically, that isn't possible - and it isn't healthy. You need to experience negative emotion to have a healthy emotional balance and to grow emotionally and as an individual. People born with disabilities and mental illnesses that stunt their emotional spectrum often have extreme difficulty fitting into society due to this lack of growth as a person; they can't relate and empathize as well with others. Experiencing negative emotion can also be cathartic - have you ever watched a movie that made you cry your eyes out, and found yourself feeling better later on than you had in days or even weeks? It hits an emotional release valve and allows you to feel and express emotions that you had been keeping closed off.
Now, on to triggers, and why they aren't bad. The primary healing factor in recovering from my PTSD was... Exposing myself to triggers. In fact, that is the primary course of non-medication therapy. Exposure to triggers, be it with anxiety or PTSD, is like drawing venom from a wound. Or, for another analogy, like hitting the same spot over and over until it eventually goes numb. Yes, it's painful, and it sucks, and it's the hardest thing you're going to do. But avoiding triggers is literally the worst thing you can do for your mental health unless otherwise specified by your mental health professional!! There was a time where looking at a stranger much less touching them would have my anxiety so incredibly triggered I wouldn't be able to catch my breath from how hard my heart was racing, and I would be dizzy from not only the loss of oxygen but from the shift in blood pressure. Now? The past two weeks in a row I've gotten my nails done - basically spending about an hour holding hands with someone I've never looked at before much less met, talking with them and joking around, laughing, etc. Trigger exposure has done that for my anxiety. I still have anxiety attacks from time to time, but typically they have to do with my health or with conflict going on around me.
More and more evidence is flooding into the mental health community that trigger exposure is highly beneficial in recovery from PTSD and treatment of anxiety with, of course, consultation with your mental health provider. Avoiding triggers isn't the way to go, it's the opposite of trying to help yourself, it's hiding from the problem, it's in fact letting your mental illness control you, and avoiding true recovery/treatment and help. It's time to stop hiding. It's time to stop telling the world to change because you have a problem when in reality you're telling the world to change because a problem has you. Take control of the problem. You have the strength, you have the ability, and you have the tools to do it. So do it.
Good day to you lovely person, whomever and wherever you are! First and foremost, allow me to open by stating that I am a mostly-recovered PTSD sufferer (I still occasionally have flashback-nightmares, but this is normal) and suffer from anxiety, bipolar affective disorder and depression (Yes, it is possible to have depression while also being bipolar.) All of these conditions have been diagnosed by doctors and psychologists, the latter of which aren't looking to just throw pills at me as psychologists cannot prescribe prescription medications.
That being said, it's time to discuss the over abundance of the usage of the word "trigger." Anymore, people are using it to describe any negative emotion, emotional discomfort (or physical discomfort brought on by emotional discomfort), etc. That is not what triggering is. At all. Triggering is, specifically, when a symptom of a diagnosed mental illness is provoked by specific subject matter. Got that down? Good! Now, let's move on to emotional discomfort in general - we'll get back to triggering later - and other negativities and why they aren't bad things.
When you experience negative emotion and emotional discomfort, sure, it's unpleasant and everyone would prefer to avoid it, but realistically, that isn't possible - and it isn't healthy. You need to experience negative emotion to have a healthy emotional balance and to grow emotionally and as an individual. People born with disabilities and mental illnesses that stunt their emotional spectrum often have extreme difficulty fitting into society due to this lack of growth as a person; they can't relate and empathize as well with others. Experiencing negative emotion can also be cathartic - have you ever watched a movie that made you cry your eyes out, and found yourself feeling better later on than you had in days or even weeks? It hits an emotional release valve and allows you to feel and express emotions that you had been keeping closed off.
Now, on to triggers, and why they aren't bad. The primary healing factor in recovering from my PTSD was... Exposing myself to triggers. In fact, that is the primary course of non-medication therapy. Exposure to triggers, be it with anxiety or PTSD, is like drawing venom from a wound. Or, for another analogy, like hitting the same spot over and over until it eventually goes numb. Yes, it's painful, and it sucks, and it's the hardest thing you're going to do. But avoiding triggers is literally the worst thing you can do for your mental health unless otherwise specified by your mental health professional!! There was a time where looking at a stranger much less touching them would have my anxiety so incredibly triggered I wouldn't be able to catch my breath from how hard my heart was racing, and I would be dizzy from not only the loss of oxygen but from the shift in blood pressure. Now? The past two weeks in a row I've gotten my nails done - basically spending about an hour holding hands with someone I've never looked at before much less met, talking with them and joking around, laughing, etc. Trigger exposure has done that for my anxiety. I still have anxiety attacks from time to time, but typically they have to do with my health or with conflict going on around me.
More and more evidence is flooding into the mental health community that trigger exposure is highly beneficial in recovery from PTSD and treatment of anxiety with, of course, consultation with your mental health provider. Avoiding triggers isn't the way to go, it's the opposite of trying to help yourself, it's hiding from the problem, it's in fact letting your mental illness control you, and avoiding true recovery/treatment and help. It's time to stop hiding. It's time to stop telling the world to change because you have a problem when in reality you're telling the world to change because a problem has you. Take control of the problem. You have the strength, you have the ability, and you have the tools to do it. So do it.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
"I Want Equality, But Not Like This!"
So as many of you are aware, the US Senate recently passed a bill called the National Defense Authorization Act - or NDAA - that will, if reconciled with a House bill, require women turning 18 on or before January 1st of 2018 to register to be drafted in the event of a draft, just as men have done since the Selective Service act was put into place in 1917. It has caused one hell of an uproar. I see tweets and tumblr posts all over the place of women proclaiming, "I want equality/equal rights, but not like this!"
Well, honey, let me lay this out really simply for you.
If you don't want to be treated exactly like men, you don't want equality, you want privilege.
This bill has brought the true guise of feminism to the forefront once and for all. Women are screaming about how their daughters shouldn't be forced to do this, while their sons and fathers have been buying their rights to vote with a blank check to the government payable up to and including their life should said government decide to cash it since 1917. You can't pick and choose what you get when it comes to equality. You can't. If it isn't cool for your daughters, it isn't cool for your sons, either. If you want to throw a fit, then don't throw a fit over the NDAA bill, throw a fit over the Selective Service act as a whole, otherwise all you're saying is, "We want privilege, not equality. You can have all of the drawbacks, treat me like a pampered princess because I have a uterus."
This should not be something you are angry over. In fact, this is something that, if feminism was truly FOR equality, should be regarded as a monumental and historic victory. FINALLY, for the first time since 1917, women are regarded as equals to men in the respect of the draft. No longer are our men alone in having to sign off on saying "ship me off to war, Uncle Sam!" So they're allowed to vote. No, finally, there is equality. This is a victory for equality. But there is no celebration. There's outrage.
For once, I can say thank you to our Senate for revealing the overwhelming hypocrisy that is feminism. You don't want to be equal. You don't want to be treated equally to men. You want to be treated like women, with all of the privilege of men, yet all of the kid gloves that society has always demanded women be treated with. Doors opened for you, chairs pulled out, no need to be shipped out for war in a draft, let the menfolk go and die for you while you sit safe and sound getting your hair done and your manicures bitching about man spreading and the mythical wage gap. Rarely do I say this in sincerity to any individual, rarely am I so incensed that I truly mean these words out of disgust and outrage... But now, I do. Fuck. You. You are a bunch of lying hypocrites who want nothing more than preferential treatment.
This is why I am a woman against feminism. This is why I am an egalitarian. This is why I will forever fight for TRUE EQUALITY. True equality isn't about getting preferential treatment because I have tits and a uterus, true equality isn't sitting around bitching and whining and making shit up to complain about via biased statistics that I don't even fucking bother to fact check because God forbid I become disillusioned with the dogma I've been brainwashed with. True equality is just that - everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, EVERYFUCKINGONE, being treated the same. And I do. I treat everyone the same. I don't care if someone is being shitty to me, I don't care if it's a man or woman, a child or an adult, a disabled individual or an able-bodied individual. I treat everyone the same way; with kindness, with a smile, with good cheer and friendliness and compassion. Because goddammit, THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
I'm so fucking tired of two-faced assholes in this world saying they want one thing but when they get it they cry because it's not what they wanted after all because they didn't realize that there's ACTUALLY drawbacks to it! So much for all of that male privilege right?
You should go check out Arlington Cemetery sometime. Or Gettysburg. Antietam. There are so many places, historical sites, where men have shed blood on our own soil for the very rights you have to whine and bitch and moan about all of that male privilege they supposedly have. MEN died for that. Yes, there were female casualties too, typically nurses and civilians, but the overwhelming, breathtaking majority of people who have fought, bled, cried, sweat, and died for your rights, your privileges, your freedoms in this country have been men. They've been Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Marines (Semper Fi!), Army, and even the Coast Guard in some cases. And in some cases even their children have suffered for their service from radiation exposure in Japan during World War II and Agent Orange (amongst other colors) exposure in Vietnam and on the ships and planes that carried the chemicals. That shit altered their DNA and subsequently that of their children, leading to health and mental disorders; not to mention the PTSD of the combat veterans that went untreated for so long due to lack of knowledge of the disorder to properly treat it.
We all have so many men - and yes, I'm aware there were women too, and I'm not taking away from their contributions nor denying their service, however that isn't my point here - to thank for what we have. For everything we have. Yet all you ungrateful humans do with your freedoms is spit on men, an entire gender, simply because they're men. Simply because you perceive things that you feel are unequal and rather than working either better yourself or stand up for yourself to stop it from happening to you - or for fuck's sake just getting over yourself - you decide to tear apart an entire gender who has a menagerie of injustices of its own to deal with and overcome that you're completely, WILLFULLY, blind to.
I'm so sick of it, I really am. It's time to grow up, wake up, and start actually acting like a human rather than defining yourself and everyone else by what's between their legs; and most importantly, it's time to stop expecting the world to change just for you because something makes you uncomfortable. Everyone has things that makes them uncomfortable. Guess what? PEOPLE GET OVER IT. It's a part of life.
Step outside of your comfort zone of feminist propaganda and dogma and start researching and reading from unbiased sources. Start talking to people who AREN'T feminists, hear what they have to say with an open mind, be willing to listen and to learn, hear them out. You may just be surprised at what they have to say. Moreover, you may just be surprised at how much you didn't know.
Well, honey, let me lay this out really simply for you.
If you don't want to be treated exactly like men, you don't want equality, you want privilege.
This bill has brought the true guise of feminism to the forefront once and for all. Women are screaming about how their daughters shouldn't be forced to do this, while their sons and fathers have been buying their rights to vote with a blank check to the government payable up to and including their life should said government decide to cash it since 1917. You can't pick and choose what you get when it comes to equality. You can't. If it isn't cool for your daughters, it isn't cool for your sons, either. If you want to throw a fit, then don't throw a fit over the NDAA bill, throw a fit over the Selective Service act as a whole, otherwise all you're saying is, "We want privilege, not equality. You can have all of the drawbacks, treat me like a pampered princess because I have a uterus."
This should not be something you are angry over. In fact, this is something that, if feminism was truly FOR equality, should be regarded as a monumental and historic victory. FINALLY, for the first time since 1917, women are regarded as equals to men in the respect of the draft. No longer are our men alone in having to sign off on saying "ship me off to war, Uncle Sam!" So they're allowed to vote. No, finally, there is equality. This is a victory for equality. But there is no celebration. There's outrage.
For once, I can say thank you to our Senate for revealing the overwhelming hypocrisy that is feminism. You don't want to be equal. You don't want to be treated equally to men. You want to be treated like women, with all of the privilege of men, yet all of the kid gloves that society has always demanded women be treated with. Doors opened for you, chairs pulled out, no need to be shipped out for war in a draft, let the menfolk go and die for you while you sit safe and sound getting your hair done and your manicures bitching about man spreading and the mythical wage gap. Rarely do I say this in sincerity to any individual, rarely am I so incensed that I truly mean these words out of disgust and outrage... But now, I do. Fuck. You. You are a bunch of lying hypocrites who want nothing more than preferential treatment.
This is why I am a woman against feminism. This is why I am an egalitarian. This is why I will forever fight for TRUE EQUALITY. True equality isn't about getting preferential treatment because I have tits and a uterus, true equality isn't sitting around bitching and whining and making shit up to complain about via biased statistics that I don't even fucking bother to fact check because God forbid I become disillusioned with the dogma I've been brainwashed with. True equality is just that - everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, EVERYFUCKINGONE, being treated the same. And I do. I treat everyone the same. I don't care if someone is being shitty to me, I don't care if it's a man or woman, a child or an adult, a disabled individual or an able-bodied individual. I treat everyone the same way; with kindness, with a smile, with good cheer and friendliness and compassion. Because goddammit, THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS.
I'm so fucking tired of two-faced assholes in this world saying they want one thing but when they get it they cry because it's not what they wanted after all because they didn't realize that there's ACTUALLY drawbacks to it! So much for all of that male privilege right?
You should go check out Arlington Cemetery sometime. Or Gettysburg. Antietam. There are so many places, historical sites, where men have shed blood on our own soil for the very rights you have to whine and bitch and moan about all of that male privilege they supposedly have. MEN died for that. Yes, there were female casualties too, typically nurses and civilians, but the overwhelming, breathtaking majority of people who have fought, bled, cried, sweat, and died for your rights, your privileges, your freedoms in this country have been men. They've been Navy, Air Force, National Guard, Marines (Semper Fi!), Army, and even the Coast Guard in some cases. And in some cases even their children have suffered for their service from radiation exposure in Japan during World War II and Agent Orange (amongst other colors) exposure in Vietnam and on the ships and planes that carried the chemicals. That shit altered their DNA and subsequently that of their children, leading to health and mental disorders; not to mention the PTSD of the combat veterans that went untreated for so long due to lack of knowledge of the disorder to properly treat it.
We all have so many men - and yes, I'm aware there were women too, and I'm not taking away from their contributions nor denying their service, however that isn't my point here - to thank for what we have. For everything we have. Yet all you ungrateful humans do with your freedoms is spit on men, an entire gender, simply because they're men. Simply because you perceive things that you feel are unequal and rather than working either better yourself or stand up for yourself to stop it from happening to you - or for fuck's sake just getting over yourself - you decide to tear apart an entire gender who has a menagerie of injustices of its own to deal with and overcome that you're completely, WILLFULLY, blind to.
I'm so sick of it, I really am. It's time to grow up, wake up, and start actually acting like a human rather than defining yourself and everyone else by what's between their legs; and most importantly, it's time to stop expecting the world to change just for you because something makes you uncomfortable. Everyone has things that makes them uncomfortable. Guess what? PEOPLE GET OVER IT. It's a part of life.
Step outside of your comfort zone of feminist propaganda and dogma and start researching and reading from unbiased sources. Start talking to people who AREN'T feminists, hear what they have to say with an open mind, be willing to listen and to learn, hear them out. You may just be surprised at what they have to say. Moreover, you may just be surprised at how much you didn't know.
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