I believe it is time for another installment of Things That Annoy The Crap Out Of Me: War on Women Edition!
But first - a couple of hot topics I've been meaning to blog about but forgot. The Egyptian revolution! Oh man, how exciting has this been? I've been sort of loosely following it, and I am pleased that Mubarak stepped down and all, and I'm very excited to see how things go from here. And now there are all these other things happening in other places, so it's a very interesting and exciting time.
Also, all that crap about "redefining rape?" Yeah, WHAT THE EFF IS THAT. If it's sex with an individual who does not want to have sex with you, IT IS RAPE. And it is NOT OKAY. And if you get pregnant, you should not be FORCED to have the baby. Grr. >_< Which actually leads right into my TTATCOOM rant! Yaaayyy segues.
So, as some of you may have heard, the House of Representatives just voted on whether or not to remove federal funding from Planned Parenthood, which is the largest provider of abortions, sure, but ALSO provides much-needed and often hard-to-obtain health services for countless women, men, and children. It is much more than abortions. It is birth control, which would eliminate the need for so many abortions, you geniuses; it is health care for poorer women and children, which they can't get any other way; they provide screenings for several serious diseases, sexual and not, for men and women; and they are often the only resource for teen mothers or single mothers. So obviously, it's a bigger deal than abortions. And now they're trying to cut the funding for it, which just doesn't make any sense to me at all. I understand that you don't want people to ever have sex ever, conservative Christian Republicans, but newsflash - THEY'RE GONNA. And when they do, they should have access to birth control, STD tests and medication, screening for reproductive diseases and cancers, and general health care for pregnant women and infants. Good to know you're trying to take that all away.
On a similar note, JUSTIN FREAKING BIEBER. Have you guys heard about this? He was interviewed for Rolling Stone and asked, for some ungodly reason, about abortion. And he said he didn't believe in it, which is all fine and dandy, whatever Justin Bieber, UNTIL they pressed him about it and asked "What about in cases of rape?" and HE REPLIED THUSLY: "Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason." ... SERIOUSLY, JUSTIN BIEBER? I mean, okay, if you're saying that you shouldn't abort the baby because the pregnancy resulting from the rape happened for a reason, that's slightly better, but STILL. It could have been worded better. BUT THEN. (Disclaimer: I don't know if this is actually true, but I saw it on the internet, so it probably is, right?) Apparently he tweeted, "To all of my fans who are getting mad over my views on abortion: if you were true beliebers (what he calls his fans, I know, right) you would agree with me." Yes. If you were truly FANS OF MY POP MUSIC, you would AGREE WITH EVERYTHING I SAY. This is how cults happen, people. He's got 7 million followers on Twitter, most of them teen girls who will soon be voting, and he's feeding them this crap. Awesome. Screw you, Justin Bieber.
Third, Lara Logan, the reporter who was sexually assaulted in Egypt last week, and the comments surrounding her attack. Specifically, the ones who are saying she SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED IT, or that she is SOMEHOW TO BLAME. Victim-blaming is never cool, okay? EVER. No one should EXPECT to get raped - people shouldn't have to assume that if they do something, they will get raped. It should not be like this in our world. And the people saying that it's because she's an attractive female who was in a Muslim/Arab area? NO. Just NO. So many things wrong here - first, not all Muslims or Arabs are rapists, you idiots; second, because she was in this area, she deserved to get raped? I don't think so; third, we don't even know who the attackers were - for all we know, it could have been a white Christian man; and fourth, SHE WAS RESCUED BY MUSLIM/ARAB WOMEN AND SOLDIERS. So eff that theory right there. I can't even believe that these things are being said. A woman is BRUTALLY ASSAULTED and people are making it about her looks, her being in the area, the attackers' presumed religion? I cannot even believe this.
What kind of world are we living in where these things have to be issues? It is TWO THOUSAND AND ELEVEN, PEOPLE. This is NOT the fifties. This is NOT the 1800s. Women are PEOPLE, and we have RIGHTS, and people shouldn't be able to just take them away like this. We're living in a country that doesn't want to allow abortion because SOME of our citizens believe in a God who thinks it's wrong (though they don't follow all of the rules that God laid down), but they don't want women to be able to access birth control or health services. We're living in a country that thinks it's the victim's fault if he or she gets raped or attacked, but allowing gay marriage would destroy our morals. We're living in a world where ONE IN SIX WOMEN has been sexually assaulted or raped, and somehow that's all right? Somehow, we're focusing on redefining the terms of terminating pregnancies caused by rape, instead of focusing on, I don't know, STOPPING RAPE FROM HAPPENING? We are more concerned with the "lives" of these parasitic, clump-of-cells fetuses, than we are with the ACTUAL LIVES AND SAFETY OF THE WOMEN CARRYING THEM.
What is wrong with this picture? What is wrong with the world?
I can't even think about this anymore.
Showing posts with label compassion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compassion. Show all posts
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Attention, today's LGBT youth - It Gets Better.
If you have a Facebook or a Twitter, I'm sure you noticed that yesterday was the Spirit Day thing, where (according to Facebook) 27,990 people wore purple in honor of all the gay teens who committed suicide recently, as well as just to show support to the LGBTetc community. There have been several suicides recently, cases in which these kids were being bullied and picked on for being gay.
There's also a project on YouTube that's been going on since September, the It Gets Better Project, where dozens of celebrities have made videos telling LBGT youth that life gets better, that getting bullied right now sucks, but it's not worth killing yourself because as you get older, as the world becomes more accepting, and as you come into who you are and become proud of it, life does get better. I think it's part of or associated with The Trevor Project (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trevor_Project), which is also just amazing.
These projects are beautiful and awesome, and some of the videos in the It Gets Better project made me choke up a little, but the fact that they have to exist is sickening. The fact that children are killing themselves because their peers are so close-minded is just awful.
This subject makes me so angry. The people who say being gay is a choice, the people who don't want gays in the military or to be able to marry or adopt children, it's all just so frustrating. There are some things I'd like to say to those people:
First of all, IT IS NOT A CHOICE, YOU IDIOTS. Did you ever CHOOSE to be straight? When were you offered this choice? Birth? How can a baby make such an important decision? And I was never offered the choice - maybe I would have liked to be gay. God knows there are some things I would have liked to change, had I known we got a CHOICE. Were you also offered a choice on skin color, religion, gender? And why in the WORLD, with people like you walking around passing judgment on others for things they can't help, WHY would ANYONE choose to be gay? Or black? Or speak any other language besides English? With people like you making everyone who isn't JUST LIKE YOU feel like an abomination that doesn't deserve to be alive, WHY would anyone choose anything else? Also, sidebar - someone explain to me where the "God doesn't make mistakes" line of thought comes in.
Secondly, SHUT THE EFF UP ABOUT GAYS IN THE MILITARY, OH MY GOD. Seriously, there are people willing to go and die for their country, and you're going to tell them they can't? WHY? What could you POSSIBLY have to lose? I thought being in the military was just about the best thing an American could do, and here you guys are not letting everyone play. That's not fair. Women are allowed. Blacks are allowed. Asians are allowed. People not even from this COUNTRY are allowed, so why not gays? Woman isn't catching, and as far as I know neither are black, Asian, or foreign, so why are you so afraid that people will "turn" gay? Furthermore, what does being gay have to do with your ability to hold a gun, fly a plane, and drive a tank? The more people willingly signing up for war, the less likely your perfect straight-as-an-arrow sons will be drafted. Isn't this a good thing? Or do you just want to keep the glory of being in the military away from the gays? That's pretty selfish. =/
Third, Neil Patrick Harris and his boyfriend of like, five years, David Burtka, just adopted twins:
Look at these two. Just LOOK at them, and tell me that they shouldn't be allowed to be married, to be parents, to be IN LOVE. Look. Look at all the cute:
How can they possibly be wrong? :D <3 And there is just no argument about the babies turning out gay - I'm pretty sure NPH's parents aren't a gay couple. I don't think David's are either, actually. Hmm. How strange. I don't think Ellen DeGeneres was raised by two gay parents either, nor was her wife, Portia De Rossi. This is so weird! It's almost like the parents' sexualities make no difference on a child's sexuality! So, if we assume this is true, just, you know, based on all the evidence around us as seen in just about every single family in the world, then it simply CAN'T be true that gay parents would make a gay child! Wow. Learn something new every day, huh?
Seriously, though, it's just disgusting that there are people out there who treat their fellow human beings like this. In Sarah Silverman's It Gets Better video, she says that adults go around banning gay marriage and protesting adoption by gay couples and talking about gay people like they're the scum of the earth, and then they're all surprised when their children start bullying their gay peers. You're all shocked at the hatred and anger your children are expressing - WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY LEARNED IT? Why is it so bad to just let people be happy? Just let people love, whoever or whatever they want to love. How can it POSSIBLY hurt you if two men you don't know get married? What harm could POSSIBLY come to you and yours if two women decide to raise a child together? Do you really think that child will turn out any worse than your 14-year-old-daughter's kid?
I am so tired of hearing about these idiots. Listen, if there are any gay kids out there who happened upon this blog (thanks for reading, btw :D), pay attention: THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO LOVE YOU. There are people ON YOUR SIDE. There are people willing to fight for you, who've never met you but want you to be happy anyway, who never want to see you go through this pain. There are people you can talk to. Please, please, if you're a gay kid or teen being bullied at school, please don't hurt yourself. There are so many things out here to live for. And there's so much you could do. Please don't give up.
Personally, I am not homosexual, but inside, I am as close to a gay man as a woman can get. XD Many, many of my friends are LGBTs (is that a term? I guess it is now.), including one of my very best friends in the world. He is amazing and beautiful, and being gay is only a part of who he is, but without that part, he just wouldn't be the same glorious person. :D And neither would you. One of my other gay friends in high school once wore a dress to a football game, no joke. It was hilarious, and amazing, and he's just that kind of person. He actually dated my bff, and they were one of the only (possibly THE only) openly gay couples, and no one seemed to have an issue with it. And I live in South Carolina, y'all. =/
My point here is this: a) gay people are people, plain and simple; b) people who hate gays are stupid jerks and they make me sad and angry; c) The Trevor Project and It Gets Better are terrific projects and it makes me feel a little better seeing all the people who DO care; and d) if you are a gay teen being bullied, or, actually, ANYONE of ANY AGE being bullied and hurt, don't stand for it! And don't let them get you down! Talk to someone, tell on them, call the effing cops if you have to. Show them how much stronger you are than their close-minded words, and if they hurt you physically, I'm serious - go to the principal or even the police and get some help. And please, before you think about hurting yourself or someone else, please talk to someone. There are people who will listen, and people who care. Don't let the bullies win - if they keep winning, this world will never accept peoples' differences and we will all lose. =/
Go check out some of the It Gets Better videos on YouTube - Neil Patrick Harris's, Ellen's, and Sarah Silverman's are all good. Darren Hayes's (from Savage Garden) is good too, and YouTube's own Sassy Gay Friend made one as well. They are all pretty touching and emotional.
And here's the Trevor Project's site, where you can donate money, find helpful resources on suicide, and also find their suicide hotline number: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
There's also a project on YouTube that's been going on since September, the It Gets Better Project, where dozens of celebrities have made videos telling LBGT youth that life gets better, that getting bullied right now sucks, but it's not worth killing yourself because as you get older, as the world becomes more accepting, and as you come into who you are and become proud of it, life does get better. I think it's part of or associated with The Trevor Project (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trevor_Project), which is also just amazing.
These projects are beautiful and awesome, and some of the videos in the It Gets Better project made me choke up a little, but the fact that they have to exist is sickening. The fact that children are killing themselves because their peers are so close-minded is just awful.
This subject makes me so angry. The people who say being gay is a choice, the people who don't want gays in the military or to be able to marry or adopt children, it's all just so frustrating. There are some things I'd like to say to those people:
First of all, IT IS NOT A CHOICE, YOU IDIOTS. Did you ever CHOOSE to be straight? When were you offered this choice? Birth? How can a baby make such an important decision? And I was never offered the choice - maybe I would have liked to be gay. God knows there are some things I would have liked to change, had I known we got a CHOICE. Were you also offered a choice on skin color, religion, gender? And why in the WORLD, with people like you walking around passing judgment on others for things they can't help, WHY would ANYONE choose to be gay? Or black? Or speak any other language besides English? With people like you making everyone who isn't JUST LIKE YOU feel like an abomination that doesn't deserve to be alive, WHY would anyone choose anything else? Also, sidebar - someone explain to me where the "God doesn't make mistakes" line of thought comes in.
Secondly, SHUT THE EFF UP ABOUT GAYS IN THE MILITARY, OH MY GOD. Seriously, there are people willing to go and die for their country, and you're going to tell them they can't? WHY? What could you POSSIBLY have to lose? I thought being in the military was just about the best thing an American could do, and here you guys are not letting everyone play. That's not fair. Women are allowed. Blacks are allowed. Asians are allowed. People not even from this COUNTRY are allowed, so why not gays? Woman isn't catching, and as far as I know neither are black, Asian, or foreign, so why are you so afraid that people will "turn" gay? Furthermore, what does being gay have to do with your ability to hold a gun, fly a plane, and drive a tank? The more people willingly signing up for war, the less likely your perfect straight-as-an-arrow sons will be drafted. Isn't this a good thing? Or do you just want to keep the glory of being in the military away from the gays? That's pretty selfish. =/
Third, Neil Patrick Harris and his boyfriend of like, five years, David Burtka, just adopted twins:
Look at these two. Just LOOK at them, and tell me that they shouldn't be allowed to be married, to be parents, to be IN LOVE. Look. Look at all the cute:
How can they possibly be wrong? :D <3 And there is just no argument about the babies turning out gay - I'm pretty sure NPH's parents aren't a gay couple. I don't think David's are either, actually. Hmm. How strange. I don't think Ellen DeGeneres was raised by two gay parents either, nor was her wife, Portia De Rossi. This is so weird! It's almost like the parents' sexualities make no difference on a child's sexuality! So, if we assume this is true, just, you know, based on all the evidence around us as seen in just about every single family in the world, then it simply CAN'T be true that gay parents would make a gay child! Wow. Learn something new every day, huh?
Seriously, though, it's just disgusting that there are people out there who treat their fellow human beings like this. In Sarah Silverman's It Gets Better video, she says that adults go around banning gay marriage and protesting adoption by gay couples and talking about gay people like they're the scum of the earth, and then they're all surprised when their children start bullying their gay peers. You're all shocked at the hatred and anger your children are expressing - WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY LEARNED IT? Why is it so bad to just let people be happy? Just let people love, whoever or whatever they want to love. How can it POSSIBLY hurt you if two men you don't know get married? What harm could POSSIBLY come to you and yours if two women decide to raise a child together? Do you really think that child will turn out any worse than your 14-year-old-daughter's kid?
I am so tired of hearing about these idiots. Listen, if there are any gay kids out there who happened upon this blog (thanks for reading, btw :D), pay attention: THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO LOVE YOU. There are people ON YOUR SIDE. There are people willing to fight for you, who've never met you but want you to be happy anyway, who never want to see you go through this pain. There are people you can talk to. Please, please, if you're a gay kid or teen being bullied at school, please don't hurt yourself. There are so many things out here to live for. And there's so much you could do. Please don't give up.
Personally, I am not homosexual, but inside, I am as close to a gay man as a woman can get. XD Many, many of my friends are LGBTs (is that a term? I guess it is now.), including one of my very best friends in the world. He is amazing and beautiful, and being gay is only a part of who he is, but without that part, he just wouldn't be the same glorious person. :D And neither would you. One of my other gay friends in high school once wore a dress to a football game, no joke. It was hilarious, and amazing, and he's just that kind of person. He actually dated my bff, and they were one of the only (possibly THE only) openly gay couples, and no one seemed to have an issue with it. And I live in South Carolina, y'all. =/
My point here is this: a) gay people are people, plain and simple; b) people who hate gays are stupid jerks and they make me sad and angry; c) The Trevor Project and It Gets Better are terrific projects and it makes me feel a little better seeing all the people who DO care; and d) if you are a gay teen being bullied, or, actually, ANYONE of ANY AGE being bullied and hurt, don't stand for it! And don't let them get you down! Talk to someone, tell on them, call the effing cops if you have to. Show them how much stronger you are than their close-minded words, and if they hurt you physically, I'm serious - go to the principal or even the police and get some help. And please, before you think about hurting yourself or someone else, please talk to someone. There are people who will listen, and people who care. Don't let the bullies win - if they keep winning, this world will never accept peoples' differences and we will all lose. =/
Go check out some of the It Gets Better videos on YouTube - Neil Patrick Harris's, Ellen's, and Sarah Silverman's are all good. Darren Hayes's (from Savage Garden) is good too, and YouTube's own Sassy Gay Friend made one as well. They are all pretty touching and emotional.
And here's the Trevor Project's site, where you can donate money, find helpful resources on suicide, and also find their suicide hotline number: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Sunday, September 5, 2010
StickAid and Rambly-ness.
So in case you missed my entire interneting yesterday, StickAid (massive 24-hour livestream to raise money for UNICEF) happened! I stayed up for 37 hours straight, which is my new record, and then slept for about 13 hours, which was nice. I'm still tired, so perhaps I have not completely destroyed any hope of sleeping normally when school starts again. :D
I didn't mean to stay up for so long - I was just up late, and then the StickAID thing started and I decided I'd see if it was interesting, and it was, and then all of a sudden it was the afternoon and you can't go to bed at 2pm. So I stayed up and watched almost all of the broadcast. I went to bed about four hours before they stopped. I almost wish I'd stayed up for the rest of it, but I was so tired I just couldn't. But it was a good broadcast, very funny and entertaining, and all the musical performances were great.
We ended up raising over 20,000 pounds, DOUBLE the original goal. 20,000 pounds equals $30,896, so we raised probably 31.5 or 32,000 dollars. That is just mind-blowing, and so amazing to think about all that money going to help kids in the poorest parts of the world. It's awesome. Great job, Myles and Charlie, and all the people running the show and contributing, and AWESOME job, everyone who donated! And if you donated because of my promoting it, please let me know. I'd be so happy to know that all I did yesterday actually helped. :D
This was my first experience with the amazingness that the internet, especially the YouTube community, can do. I've seen videos about all the stuff the YouTubers personally are doing, and I've seen all the vlogbrothers' Project For Awesome videos, but I haven't been a part of it yet. This is the first time I've been a part of something so huge and with such an awesome goal. It's a pretty amazing thing. Seeing how many people there are out there who are willing to help the world makes me feel better about it, because we rarely see the fruits of their efforts in our lives, so we all kind of assume we're alone in wanting to make things better and therefore nothing we do will matter because we're all just one person each. But when you see all of the people, who are all just one person each, coming together to do something so fantastic to help other people they don't even know... it's just indescribable. I only donated $12 of my own meager amount of money, but if that $12 saves some kid from starving to death, or gets a community vaccinated, or helps build someone a house, that's awesome. I feel like I did a lot more than that, because I was so invested in it and the feeling of community was so strong, and that's another awesome thing about both charity and the internet - you're all complete strangers, but you've got something strong connecting you, so you feel like you're best friends with everyone around you. Or at least I do. XD
Anyway, I guess the whole point is that StickAid was a ridiculous success, and I am amazingly happy to have been part of it, sleep-deprivation and all. :D And I'm very excited for this year's Project For Awesome, because even if I don't make a video, I'll be able to be in the comments and promoting and stuff, feeling like I'm making a difference. Which I guess is less important than actually making a difference, but still pretty important. When I have money to spare, I will definitely be donating to charities, but I feel like getting invested in the causes and actually going out and doing things is just as important.
As a side note, I want a job that centers around the internet. XD I'm really good at it, and at knowing things that are going on, and networking, which means getting information from all kinds of places... I'd be awesome at promoting stuff online. I should find some company that needs an internet person. =/ Or maybe figure out what the actual job title would be first. XD
I didn't mean to stay up for so long - I was just up late, and then the StickAID thing started and I decided I'd see if it was interesting, and it was, and then all of a sudden it was the afternoon and you can't go to bed at 2pm. So I stayed up and watched almost all of the broadcast. I went to bed about four hours before they stopped. I almost wish I'd stayed up for the rest of it, but I was so tired I just couldn't. But it was a good broadcast, very funny and entertaining, and all the musical performances were great.
We ended up raising over 20,000 pounds, DOUBLE the original goal. 20,000 pounds equals $30,896, so we raised probably 31.5 or 32,000 dollars. That is just mind-blowing, and so amazing to think about all that money going to help kids in the poorest parts of the world. It's awesome. Great job, Myles and Charlie, and all the people running the show and contributing, and AWESOME job, everyone who donated! And if you donated because of my promoting it, please let me know. I'd be so happy to know that all I did yesterday actually helped. :D
This was my first experience with the amazingness that the internet, especially the YouTube community, can do. I've seen videos about all the stuff the YouTubers personally are doing, and I've seen all the vlogbrothers' Project For Awesome videos, but I haven't been a part of it yet. This is the first time I've been a part of something so huge and with such an awesome goal. It's a pretty amazing thing. Seeing how many people there are out there who are willing to help the world makes me feel better about it, because we rarely see the fruits of their efforts in our lives, so we all kind of assume we're alone in wanting to make things better and therefore nothing we do will matter because we're all just one person each. But when you see all of the people, who are all just one person each, coming together to do something so fantastic to help other people they don't even know... it's just indescribable. I only donated $12 of my own meager amount of money, but if that $12 saves some kid from starving to death, or gets a community vaccinated, or helps build someone a house, that's awesome. I feel like I did a lot more than that, because I was so invested in it and the feeling of community was so strong, and that's another awesome thing about both charity and the internet - you're all complete strangers, but you've got something strong connecting you, so you feel like you're best friends with everyone around you. Or at least I do. XD
Anyway, I guess the whole point is that StickAid was a ridiculous success, and I am amazingly happy to have been part of it, sleep-deprivation and all. :D And I'm very excited for this year's Project For Awesome, because even if I don't make a video, I'll be able to be in the comments and promoting and stuff, feeling like I'm making a difference. Which I guess is less important than actually making a difference, but still pretty important. When I have money to spare, I will definitely be donating to charities, but I feel like getting invested in the causes and actually going out and doing things is just as important.
As a side note, I want a job that centers around the internet. XD I'm really good at it, and at knowing things that are going on, and networking, which means getting information from all kinds of places... I'd be awesome at promoting stuff online. I should find some company that needs an internet person. =/ Or maybe figure out what the actual job title would be first. XD
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Saving the world via the internet.
So today has largely been devoted to Myles Dyer's StickAID project, which is a 24-hour live streaming benefit show that he does every year, this being the fifth, I think. This year, Charlie McDonnell is co-hosting, hence my interest. :D I never intended to stay up all night and day watching this, but that is what happened.
StickAID (http://stickam.com/blade376 - streaming live until about 7 AM EST) is basically this: Myles Dyer, adorable British internet persona, joined by several more-adorable equally-British internet personas and friends of his, is doing ridiculous things for 24 hours straight with no sleep while people all over the world watch, and donate to UNICEF. His goal is 10,000 pounds, and as of 6:27 PM EST, they already have 9,000. It's been 12 hours nearly, and they have nearly raised the entire goal amount, and this is the entire point that Myles hoped to make by doing this online streaming thing: the internet is a powerful tool, and in such a connected time, there is so much that we can do.
UNICEF, in case you don't know, is a world-wide organization that helps needy kids in all countries, which is exactly why Myles chose it. It's something everyone in the world can donate to, and it's something the whole world can benefit from. Five pounds, ten dollars, one fast-food meal to us can be a life-changer to a kid thousands of miles away.
This has been my first year watching StickAID, and it's been pretty amazing. I donated 5 pounds, which equals about 8 dollars, and I've been tweeting about it all morning and afternoon. It's been such a cool experience, because there were times when there were over 10,000 people watching the show at one time, all over the world, in all time zones. There were times when everyone was tweeting and retweeting, trying to make #stickaid trend, and succeeding. It was just this huge group feeling, even though it was 10,000 people across the entire world, and it was so cool. It's still going on, obviously, but I'm updating around the halfway mark, so I'm just talking about earlier this morning. They still have all kinds of crazy challenges and ridiculous stunts to do, so if you're bored later and you have a chance, check them out. And if you're not bored, but you want to do something to help needy kids everywhere, please donate. Even 5 dollars will be a huge help to some poor kid.
Here is the link to donate (the link to watch the streaming video is above): http://www.justgiving.com/stickaid2010/
You can use Paypal or a debit/credit card, and Americans can donate even though it says pounds. It's a very easy, simple process, and it will take you five minutes to save someone's life.
EDIT - WE DID IT! We reached 10,000 pounds! IN ONLY TWELVE HOURS! The internet is truly an amazing thing! Oh my god, this is so awesome. Keep donating, please! Just because we reached our goal doesn't mean all the needy kids will be taken care of. Donate as much as you can! Be a part of this awesomeness!
StickAID (http://stickam.com/blade376 - streaming live until about 7 AM EST) is basically this: Myles Dyer, adorable British internet persona, joined by several more-adorable equally-British internet personas and friends of his, is doing ridiculous things for 24 hours straight with no sleep while people all over the world watch, and donate to UNICEF. His goal is 10,000 pounds, and as of 6:27 PM EST, they already have 9,000. It's been 12 hours nearly, and they have nearly raised the entire goal amount, and this is the entire point that Myles hoped to make by doing this online streaming thing: the internet is a powerful tool, and in such a connected time, there is so much that we can do.
UNICEF, in case you don't know, is a world-wide organization that helps needy kids in all countries, which is exactly why Myles chose it. It's something everyone in the world can donate to, and it's something the whole world can benefit from. Five pounds, ten dollars, one fast-food meal to us can be a life-changer to a kid thousands of miles away.
This has been my first year watching StickAID, and it's been pretty amazing. I donated 5 pounds, which equals about 8 dollars, and I've been tweeting about it all morning and afternoon. It's been such a cool experience, because there were times when there were over 10,000 people watching the show at one time, all over the world, in all time zones. There were times when everyone was tweeting and retweeting, trying to make #stickaid trend, and succeeding. It was just this huge group feeling, even though it was 10,000 people across the entire world, and it was so cool. It's still going on, obviously, but I'm updating around the halfway mark, so I'm just talking about earlier this morning. They still have all kinds of crazy challenges and ridiculous stunts to do, so if you're bored later and you have a chance, check them out. And if you're not bored, but you want to do something to help needy kids everywhere, please donate. Even 5 dollars will be a huge help to some poor kid.
Here is the link to donate (the link to watch the streaming video is above): http://www.justgiving.com/stickaid2010/
You can use Paypal or a debit/credit card, and Americans can donate even though it says pounds. It's a very easy, simple process, and it will take you five minutes to save someone's life.
EDIT - WE DID IT! We reached 10,000 pounds! IN ONLY TWELVE HOURS! The internet is truly an amazing thing! Oh my god, this is so awesome. Keep donating, please! Just because we reached our goal doesn't mean all the needy kids will be taken care of. Donate as much as you can! Be a part of this awesomeness!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
YAYS FOR THE GAYS
So as I'm sure you've all heard, Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California, got overturned yesterday! WHOOOOO *throws party hat and chucks confetti everywhere* Go and watch this in celebration, it's funny and there's a bunch of cool celebrities in it INCLUDING THE ALL-POWERFUL NEIL PATRICK HARRIS: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones?rel=featured
It only lasted two years, and after it was voted in, there were mass protests and candlelight vigils and all kinds of things going on in the CA LGBT community. It was a disappointing decision, but any event that brings people together to fight for equality and freedom and love is a good thing in my book. So eventually people protested and sued so much that they threw it out, saying that it violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians.
Currently there's a stay on the issue, meaning it's basically still in effect as no courts will marry a same-sex couple yet, while both sides are still going at it. The guys against it are all "Let's just keep pushing it back with appeals and stays and ridiculous nonsense so that no one can ever be happy!" and the guys for it are like "Dudes, you're not freaking taking our rights away again. STFD AND STFU."
Also, there's a huge uproar about how Obama is like "I don't agree with gay marriage, but I support equality for the GLBT community." WHY IS THAT NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? Shut up about him being wishy-washy, 'cause in my opinion that is EXACTLY THE RIGHT RESPONSE. He's saying it's not his personal belief, but ultimately he wants to do what's right. And the people who are like "WELL IF YOU SUPPORT THEM WHY ARE YOU TAKING SO LONG TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THEM HUH HUH HUH WHY," you guys should also shut up. Being president is hard, and he's doing the best he can given the circumstances, and you should stop having a hissy-fit every time he makes a decision you disagree with. No one is ever going to be the perfect president, but he's doing a fine job. WHATEVER, NAYSAYERS. YOU GO, OBAMA. FOUR FOR YOU.
Anyway. It makes me literally feel sick that this is such an issue. It makes me so angry and so sad that people are arguing this. First of all, the government has no right to tell me who I can and can't marry. It's a personal decision, it affects no one but the two of us, and I really don't see how it's any of your business if I want to marry a woman or an illegal immigrant or a Martian, as long as they're of age and agree to it. Secondly, the idea that marriage should be between a man and a woman is outdated. Back when that was a true fact, you not only would have been killed for being gay, had rules against marrying black people, and allowed polygamy to happen, but also weren't allowed to get divorced or anything. It's a bit different in the world these days, and we need to get with the times.
But mostly, my issue is this: all they want is to officialize (shut up, I'm making it a word) their love, prove to the world that they belong to each other, just like millions of other people do every day. Celebrities get married for mere days, sometimes hours, but as long as it's opposite-sex it's fine. People get married, then divorced, then married, then divorced, then married, but as long as they're all the other gender, that's totally cool. People can marry foreigners just so they can stay in the US, but gays can't get married because they truly want to be with each other, simply because they're the same gender? My friend Erin put it like this:
"i also don’t understand how anyone came to think that whether or not gays can marry should become the entire country’s business. no one gives a f**k if heterosexuals marry. but gays have to ask permission from the entire country just to love someone and declare that love?" (sic except that I censored her - I'm family friendly. XD)
That is seriously skewed logic, there. Why is it different for a man to marry another man instead of a woman? Who is it really going to hurt? And why is that any of our business? Like the meme goes, "Opposed to abortion or gay marriage? THEN DON'T HAVE ONE AND SHUT THE F**K UP."
Erin also said this, which nearly made me cry:
"and if you’re too stuck to accept, at least try to tolerate. after all, we grew up tolerating your jeers of fag, lesbo, dyke, queer, fudgepacker. we grew up tolerating your shoves and pushes. your ignorance. we grew up tolerating a world where we would never be completely accepted. we grew up thinking we needed to hide. we tolerated hiding ourselves from the world and changing ourselves to fit in the narrow-minded views of others.
and we’re not accepting that anymore.
and we’re not apologizing for it any longer.
we tolerated your hate, you can tolerate our want to LOVE." (sic)
It only lasted two years, and after it was voted in, there were mass protests and candlelight vigils and all kinds of things going on in the CA LGBT community. It was a disappointing decision, but any event that brings people together to fight for equality and freedom and love is a good thing in my book. So eventually people protested and sued so much that they threw it out, saying that it violated the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians.
Currently there's a stay on the issue, meaning it's basically still in effect as no courts will marry a same-sex couple yet, while both sides are still going at it. The guys against it are all "Let's just keep pushing it back with appeals and stays and ridiculous nonsense so that no one can ever be happy!" and the guys for it are like "Dudes, you're not freaking taking our rights away again. STFD AND STFU."
Also, there's a huge uproar about how Obama is like "I don't agree with gay marriage, but I support equality for the GLBT community." WHY IS THAT NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU? Shut up about him being wishy-washy, 'cause in my opinion that is EXACTLY THE RIGHT RESPONSE. He's saying it's not his personal belief, but ultimately he wants to do what's right. And the people who are like "WELL IF YOU SUPPORT THEM WHY ARE YOU TAKING SO LONG TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THEM HUH HUH HUH WHY," you guys should also shut up. Being president is hard, and he's doing the best he can given the circumstances, and you should stop having a hissy-fit every time he makes a decision you disagree with. No one is ever going to be the perfect president, but he's doing a fine job. WHATEVER, NAYSAYERS. YOU GO, OBAMA. FOUR FOR YOU.
Anyway. It makes me literally feel sick that this is such an issue. It makes me so angry and so sad that people are arguing this. First of all, the government has no right to tell me who I can and can't marry. It's a personal decision, it affects no one but the two of us, and I really don't see how it's any of your business if I want to marry a woman or an illegal immigrant or a Martian, as long as they're of age and agree to it. Secondly, the idea that marriage should be between a man and a woman is outdated. Back when that was a true fact, you not only would have been killed for being gay, had rules against marrying black people, and allowed polygamy to happen, but also weren't allowed to get divorced or anything. It's a bit different in the world these days, and we need to get with the times.
But mostly, my issue is this: all they want is to officialize (shut up, I'm making it a word) their love, prove to the world that they belong to each other, just like millions of other people do every day. Celebrities get married for mere days, sometimes hours, but as long as it's opposite-sex it's fine. People get married, then divorced, then married, then divorced, then married, but as long as they're all the other gender, that's totally cool. People can marry foreigners just so they can stay in the US, but gays can't get married because they truly want to be with each other, simply because they're the same gender? My friend Erin put it like this:
"i also don’t understand how anyone came to think that whether or not gays can marry should become the entire country’s business. no one gives a f**k if heterosexuals marry. but gays have to ask permission from the entire country just to love someone and declare that love?" (sic except that I censored her - I'm family friendly. XD)
That is seriously skewed logic, there. Why is it different for a man to marry another man instead of a woman? Who is it really going to hurt? And why is that any of our business? Like the meme goes, "Opposed to abortion or gay marriage? THEN DON'T HAVE ONE AND SHUT THE F**K UP."
Erin also said this, which nearly made me cry:
"and if you’re too stuck to accept, at least try to tolerate. after all, we grew up tolerating your jeers of fag, lesbo, dyke, queer, fudgepacker. we grew up tolerating your shoves and pushes. your ignorance. we grew up tolerating a world where we would never be completely accepted. we grew up thinking we needed to hide. we tolerated hiding ourselves from the world and changing ourselves to fit in the narrow-minded views of others.
and we’re not accepting that anymore.
and we’re not apologizing for it any longer.
we tolerated your hate, you can tolerate our want to LOVE." (sic)
Saturday, July 31, 2010
*deep breath*
I want to talk about religion today. Specifically Christianity, but all others as well. It's been on my mind a lot this past week, and I would just like to have a general discussion of what I believe, what I don't believe, and how I feel. Feel free to comment about how I'm wrong, what you think I'm right about, how YOU feel, etc.
First of all, I am not a religious person. I don't KNOW what's out there - I don't know if there's a God, or many gods, or a giant tree, or a life as a hedgehog waiting for me when I die. I don't know, but I am not necessarily writing any of these off either. My eyes are open to signs, I'm open to proof in any direction, but as of yet, I haven't seen any.
I have a few major issues with Christianity specifically, and with organized religion as an idea. My issues with Christianity pretty much lie with God - Jesus was a cool guy, he said nice things and did what he could to make things better. God, on the other hand, is kind of a jerk. He's a little like an abusive boyfriend: you can't hang out with any other guys 'cause he's so jealous, he takes credit for the good things that happen but blame the bad stuff on you, and he tells you what to do and if you don't do it, you're screwed. I have issues with worshipping (shut up wiggly red line, I WANT TWO P'S IN THAT WORD) someone who does that kind of stuff. My biggest issue is the "you go to Heaven only if you believe in God" clause. I'm a pretty decent person - am I destined to burn in Hell JUST because I don't blindly believe in God? I don't think that's fair.
I feel like religion used to be a private, personal thing - you had this relationship with God, you prayed and went to church and had that community, and you lived your life in accordance with the Bible (or whatever it is you followed). Nowadays it's shoved in everyone's faces, forced to the foreground. I don't want your beliefs shouted at me as I walk down the street. I don't want to be forced to talk to someone about Jesus every time I step outside my house. That's what you believe, and that's awesome. I don't care. But you don't see me knocking on your door at 7 AM asking if I can tell you why God doesn't exist. I don't force pamphlets into your hands outside the mall detailing why you need to stop believing in Jesus or you'll be abducted by aliens. So you keep your beliefs in your house and your church, I'll keep my non-beliefs to myself, and we'll all be happy.
I'm not bashing anyone's beliefs, by the way. I respect everyone's equally: if I'm in a Christian household, I bow my head for grace; if I'm invited to Passover, I observe all of their traditions; if I were ever around Buddhists or Hindus, I would do my best not to offend them, too. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't respect that you do. But if I respect your belief, I feel it's only fair that you respect my disbelief. Just don't try to convert me and we'll be fine.
Okay, so my issue with organized religion as a whole is this - it seems as though religion has become less and less about God and faith and compassion (which is really what all religions are about, being a good person and loving your God/s), and more and more about who is right. Who cares who's right? If you're a Jew and you think you're the ones who believe the right thing, why does it MATTER if I'm a Hindu and believe the wrong thing? Why does it MATTER, if you're Christian and I'm Buddhist, if I'm not going to Heaven? Why does it MATTER if Heaven doesn't exist, and all the atheists are right? Who really cares? Believe what you believe, do what you think is right, and let everyone else do their own thing. You're not going to force anyone into truly being a Christian, or a Jew, or a Buddhist, or WHATEVER, so just go about your own business. Love God or Allah or Krishna however you want, but LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE ALONE. Stop killing people over whose God is real. Stop attacking people for believing something you don't. I mean, we don't attack people for believing that French is a better language than Spanish, do we? We don't start wars over whether red is a better color than blue. No one has to die over anyone's opinion on Crocs, so why is religion different? If I'm allowed to hate Spanish, love red, and burn a pile of Crocs on my front lawn without a war breaking out, why am I not allowed to be an atheist without starting something? (... for the record, I want to speak both French and Spanish, like both red and blue, and DETEST Crocs. :D)
I just don't understand. I don't understand how some people can call themselves "Christian" while rejecting everything that Jesus Christ taught. I don't understand why these people get to go to Heaven while I'm not good enough. I don't understand why no one can see that all religions are exactly the same at the core - do good things, be a nice person, love your fellow man. And I know that a lot of the religion thing is the relationship with God, which is great and wonderful and I sometimes wish I had that, but that shouldn't be between anyone but you and God. Don't drag me into it hoping to convert me, don't use it to try to prove someone of a different faith "wrong," don't talk about it unasked or without some real reason. Your relationship with God should be private, while the benefits of that relationship should be public - your heart, your soul, your love, your kindness. These are the things we need more of, not arguments over whose God could kick whose God's omnipotent butt.
While we're at it - atheists, QUIT BEING JERKS. There is no reason for you to bash people for believing something YOU don't, either. I know, they started it by preaching to you, but SERIOUSLY. Just quietly don't believe in God, and if someone's offending you by all means speak up, but other than that, just LET IT GO. There's no need to offend people or just generally be mean. Like I said above, you keep your beliefs to yourself, we'll KEEP OUR NON-BELIEFS TO OURSELVES, and everyone will be happy, yeah? YEAH?! (I'm serious. It's just as pointless for an atheist to try to convince a Christian that God doesn't exist as it is the other way around.)
Okay. So this is my religion post. I might have more to say about it sometime, but aside from comments I'm hoping to leave it alone for a while. I don't like to talk about religion. I never want to offend people, but I don't want to be converted. I just don't. I don't want to believe in the Christian version of God, because I don't agree with what he teaches and I can't see any proof that he exists. The minute that changes, I'll let you know.
You want to know what I believe in? The majesty of nature. The mind-blowingness of science. Love of all kinds. The kind of magic that lives in nighttime car rides while blasting the Smiths with the windows down. Family and friends. Connecting to strangers in ways you never expected and creating amazing friendships. Music, how it can touch thousands of people in the same way, and yet differently. Evolution. Saving our planet. Helping people in need. Perhaps some force that helps and guides us, but how we ultimately have a choice. Dumbledore and Harry Potter. People, sometimes, though it's difficult when I watch the news. No day but today - I believe that there is only this, and we need to make it the best we can and improve it for the generations to follow. I don't care what happens after I die as long as I have made my life meaningful, touched someone else's life in a positive way, and hopefully made the world a little bit better for everyone else to live in.
First of all, I am not a religious person. I don't KNOW what's out there - I don't know if there's a God, or many gods, or a giant tree, or a life as a hedgehog waiting for me when I die. I don't know, but I am not necessarily writing any of these off either. My eyes are open to signs, I'm open to proof in any direction, but as of yet, I haven't seen any.
I have a few major issues with Christianity specifically, and with organized religion as an idea. My issues with Christianity pretty much lie with God - Jesus was a cool guy, he said nice things and did what he could to make things better. God, on the other hand, is kind of a jerk. He's a little like an abusive boyfriend: you can't hang out with any other guys 'cause he's so jealous, he takes credit for the good things that happen but blame the bad stuff on you, and he tells you what to do and if you don't do it, you're screwed. I have issues with worshipping (shut up wiggly red line, I WANT TWO P'S IN THAT WORD) someone who does that kind of stuff. My biggest issue is the "you go to Heaven only if you believe in God" clause. I'm a pretty decent person - am I destined to burn in Hell JUST because I don't blindly believe in God? I don't think that's fair.
I feel like religion used to be a private, personal thing - you had this relationship with God, you prayed and went to church and had that community, and you lived your life in accordance with the Bible (or whatever it is you followed). Nowadays it's shoved in everyone's faces, forced to the foreground. I don't want your beliefs shouted at me as I walk down the street. I don't want to be forced to talk to someone about Jesus every time I step outside my house. That's what you believe, and that's awesome. I don't care. But you don't see me knocking on your door at 7 AM asking if I can tell you why God doesn't exist. I don't force pamphlets into your hands outside the mall detailing why you need to stop believing in Jesus or you'll be abducted by aliens. So you keep your beliefs in your house and your church, I'll keep my non-beliefs to myself, and we'll all be happy.
I'm not bashing anyone's beliefs, by the way. I respect everyone's equally: if I'm in a Christian household, I bow my head for grace; if I'm invited to Passover, I observe all of their traditions; if I were ever around Buddhists or Hindus, I would do my best not to offend them, too. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't respect that you do. But if I respect your belief, I feel it's only fair that you respect my disbelief. Just don't try to convert me and we'll be fine.
Okay, so my issue with organized religion as a whole is this - it seems as though religion has become less and less about God and faith and compassion (which is really what all religions are about, being a good person and loving your God/s), and more and more about who is right. Who cares who's right? If you're a Jew and you think you're the ones who believe the right thing, why does it MATTER if I'm a Hindu and believe the wrong thing? Why does it MATTER, if you're Christian and I'm Buddhist, if I'm not going to Heaven? Why does it MATTER if Heaven doesn't exist, and all the atheists are right? Who really cares? Believe what you believe, do what you think is right, and let everyone else do their own thing. You're not going to force anyone into truly being a Christian, or a Jew, or a Buddhist, or WHATEVER, so just go about your own business. Love God or Allah or Krishna however you want, but LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE ALONE. Stop killing people over whose God is real. Stop attacking people for believing something you don't. I mean, we don't attack people for believing that French is a better language than Spanish, do we? We don't start wars over whether red is a better color than blue. No one has to die over anyone's opinion on Crocs, so why is religion different? If I'm allowed to hate Spanish, love red, and burn a pile of Crocs on my front lawn without a war breaking out, why am I not allowed to be an atheist without starting something? (... for the record, I want to speak both French and Spanish, like both red and blue, and DETEST Crocs. :D)
I just don't understand. I don't understand how some people can call themselves "Christian" while rejecting everything that Jesus Christ taught. I don't understand why these people get to go to Heaven while I'm not good enough. I don't understand why no one can see that all religions are exactly the same at the core - do good things, be a nice person, love your fellow man. And I know that a lot of the religion thing is the relationship with God, which is great and wonderful and I sometimes wish I had that, but that shouldn't be between anyone but you and God. Don't drag me into it hoping to convert me, don't use it to try to prove someone of a different faith "wrong," don't talk about it unasked or without some real reason. Your relationship with God should be private, while the benefits of that relationship should be public - your heart, your soul, your love, your kindness. These are the things we need more of, not arguments over whose God could kick whose God's omnipotent butt.
While we're at it - atheists, QUIT BEING JERKS. There is no reason for you to bash people for believing something YOU don't, either. I know, they started it by preaching to you, but SERIOUSLY. Just quietly don't believe in God, and if someone's offending you by all means speak up, but other than that, just LET IT GO. There's no need to offend people or just generally be mean. Like I said above, you keep your beliefs to yourself, we'll KEEP OUR NON-BELIEFS TO OURSELVES, and everyone will be happy, yeah? YEAH?! (I'm serious. It's just as pointless for an atheist to try to convince a Christian that God doesn't exist as it is the other way around.)
Okay. So this is my religion post. I might have more to say about it sometime, but aside from comments I'm hoping to leave it alone for a while. I don't like to talk about religion. I never want to offend people, but I don't want to be converted. I just don't. I don't want to believe in the Christian version of God, because I don't agree with what he teaches and I can't see any proof that he exists. The minute that changes, I'll let you know.
You want to know what I believe in? The majesty of nature. The mind-blowingness of science. Love of all kinds. The kind of magic that lives in nighttime car rides while blasting the Smiths with the windows down. Family and friends. Connecting to strangers in ways you never expected and creating amazing friendships. Music, how it can touch thousands of people in the same way, and yet differently. Evolution. Saving our planet. Helping people in need. Perhaps some force that helps and guides us, but how we ultimately have a choice. Dumbledore and Harry Potter. People, sometimes, though it's difficult when I watch the news. No day but today - I believe that there is only this, and we need to make it the best we can and improve it for the generations to follow. I don't care what happens after I die as long as I have made my life meaningful, touched someone else's life in a positive way, and hopefully made the world a little bit better for everyone else to live in.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
More about the protest.
I haven't stopped thinking about Friday all weekend. I don't know why exactly it affected me so deeply, but I was seriously freaked out Friday night. Crazy, yes, but I couldn't shake the nervous feeling, as if Shirley Phelps-Roper was hiding in my dark kitchen, ready to jump out and beat me to death with a "God Hates Fags" sign.
I spent Friday night looking stuff up about these people, for some reason. I just wanted to understand, I guess. I watched some interviews, looked over their site (I don't think they do get money, after all - at least, they say they don't take donations, and there aren't any ads), read all of the FAQs and stuff... and I still just don't understand. Why they preach hate, they say, is because God preaches hate. They quote a bunch of Bible verses to "prove" that God hates, and that God doesn't love anyone on Earth, and there's nothing any of us can do but repent to change that.
As far as religion goes, I am not sure what I believe. As far as gods and myths and holy books go, I'm not sure where I fit in. But the lessons and virtues taught in nearly all organized religions - those I can get behind. Compassion, love for all things, The Golden Rule. I believe in those. And lately it seems that not many people do anymore, first and foremost these horrible Westboro people. Jesus, whether or not you believe that he was the Messiah or even existed, preached compassion and love. We can all agree on that, right? His basic message was "Love everyone and treat them with kindness, and do good deeds and you'll be rewarded in Heaven." Pretty much. He just wanted everyone to be happy, right? Even mean people, he told them to repent and change their ways, and there was still a chance for them. He didn't hate - I mean, sure, he was a man, and sometimes he got emotional, but overall he was a good guy. And he didn't want to see anyone in pain. And he told us to love and be kind and do good in the world, which in my book is pretty much the opposite of "I hate you all and it doesn't matter what you do, bwahaha."
I'm not even totally sure if I believe in any sort of an afterlife. I wasn't brought up religious. My parents were, but they didn't force us to go to church - unless we were at my grandparents' houses, because Christianity is very important to my grandmothers. And we went to church with them, and we listened, but it never really struck a chord in me like it does some people. On my own, I've researched Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, and I've paid attention when my Christian and Jewish friends talk about their faiths. I've been to Passover seders, Christmas masses, religious funerals and weddings. But still, I don't have any faith in God or Jesus or Christianity as a whole. I just don't. And that means I don't believe in hell, so telling me that I'm going there is really an empty threat. But even though I don't care about going to hell, I still do nice things and try to think the best of everyone and do what I can to save the world. And honestly, I think that means more than someone else doing it just because they don't want to go to hell.
But back to my point - where is the compassion, the love, the undying faith that most people associate with religion? Why is it good enough to believe in God, but not follow his teachings? And at the other extreme, why do some people think it's okay to follow (their interpretation of) his teachings so far that they forget the whole point? The point of most religions, as I understand it, is to be a good person. Whether you're rewarded with Heaven, reincarnation, good things coming back to you, or candy bars, or bunnies, or nothing at all - the point is, be nice to each other. Love each other. Treat people with kindness. And I think we've all forgotten that lately.
So I propose, in light of the horror of Westboro Baptist Church, we step it up a little. Combat their hate with love. Make it a point to do something selfless each day. Listen to someone when they're sad, or when they're happy. Try to understand before you get mad when someone cuts you in line. Forgive the girl at the register for getting your order wrong. Tell your family and friends you love them every chance you've got. Give someone a hug, or a compliment, or pick someone up when it's raining and they're walking home. Obviously, be careful and be smart, but above all - be compassionate.
I spent Friday night looking stuff up about these people, for some reason. I just wanted to understand, I guess. I watched some interviews, looked over their site (I don't think they do get money, after all - at least, they say they don't take donations, and there aren't any ads), read all of the FAQs and stuff... and I still just don't understand. Why they preach hate, they say, is because God preaches hate. They quote a bunch of Bible verses to "prove" that God hates, and that God doesn't love anyone on Earth, and there's nothing any of us can do but repent to change that.
As far as religion goes, I am not sure what I believe. As far as gods and myths and holy books go, I'm not sure where I fit in. But the lessons and virtues taught in nearly all organized religions - those I can get behind. Compassion, love for all things, The Golden Rule. I believe in those. And lately it seems that not many people do anymore, first and foremost these horrible Westboro people. Jesus, whether or not you believe that he was the Messiah or even existed, preached compassion and love. We can all agree on that, right? His basic message was "Love everyone and treat them with kindness, and do good deeds and you'll be rewarded in Heaven." Pretty much. He just wanted everyone to be happy, right? Even mean people, he told them to repent and change their ways, and there was still a chance for them. He didn't hate - I mean, sure, he was a man, and sometimes he got emotional, but overall he was a good guy. And he didn't want to see anyone in pain. And he told us to love and be kind and do good in the world, which in my book is pretty much the opposite of "I hate you all and it doesn't matter what you do, bwahaha."
I'm not even totally sure if I believe in any sort of an afterlife. I wasn't brought up religious. My parents were, but they didn't force us to go to church - unless we were at my grandparents' houses, because Christianity is very important to my grandmothers. And we went to church with them, and we listened, but it never really struck a chord in me like it does some people. On my own, I've researched Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, and I've paid attention when my Christian and Jewish friends talk about their faiths. I've been to Passover seders, Christmas masses, religious funerals and weddings. But still, I don't have any faith in God or Jesus or Christianity as a whole. I just don't. And that means I don't believe in hell, so telling me that I'm going there is really an empty threat. But even though I don't care about going to hell, I still do nice things and try to think the best of everyone and do what I can to save the world. And honestly, I think that means more than someone else doing it just because they don't want to go to hell.
But back to my point - where is the compassion, the love, the undying faith that most people associate with religion? Why is it good enough to believe in God, but not follow his teachings? And at the other extreme, why do some people think it's okay to follow (their interpretation of) his teachings so far that they forget the whole point? The point of most religions, as I understand it, is to be a good person. Whether you're rewarded with Heaven, reincarnation, good things coming back to you, or candy bars, or bunnies, or nothing at all - the point is, be nice to each other. Love each other. Treat people with kindness. And I think we've all forgotten that lately.
So I propose, in light of the horror of Westboro Baptist Church, we step it up a little. Combat their hate with love. Make it a point to do something selfless each day. Listen to someone when they're sad, or when they're happy. Try to understand before you get mad when someone cuts you in line. Forgive the girl at the register for getting your order wrong. Tell your family and friends you love them every chance you've got. Give someone a hug, or a compliment, or pick someone up when it's raining and they're walking home. Obviously, be careful and be smart, but above all - be compassionate.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I am human and I need to be loved, just like anyone else.
Good morning, everyone! Nothing like some Morrissey lyrics to start off the day.
Yes, I am human, and I do need to be loved, just like everyone else in this world. This is something I feel we do not acknowledge enough in our day-to-day lives. Every person on this planet has the same rights, the same needs, as everyone else. And we forget that. We judge people, we get angry with each other, we punish others - when really, it could so easily be any of us on the receiving end.
I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not just as guilty of these things. We ALL are. The murderer on Death Row is angry with the guy in the cell next to his. The morbidly obese woman in leopard print Spandex leggings and a tube top is judging the man in front of her at the grocery store. We're all guilty, and we all need to remember that most basic of human needs - the need to be loved, to be wanted, to be needed.
Fun fact - I watch a LOT of kids' shows on TV. I regularly watch The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, iCarly, and True Jackson VP. It ASTOUNDS me the amount of mindless violence, insults, and truly horrific situations that occur on these shows. Nickelodeon is the worst. Disney is usually pretty good about solving all problems and everyone being BFFs again at the end of the 30 minutes, but Nick (specifically iCarly) makes me uneasy. The characters are mean to each other, get in fights or do awful non-violent things, like destroying personal property or some such, and are constantly leaving characters in dangerous or scary situations, like being locked in a cage or treehouse for a weekend alone with no food or water, being tortured by an 8-year-old, or getting in car crashes set up on purpose. And never do any of the others see if they're okay, put a stop to whatever it is, or help anyone in any way.
Now, I realize that this is pretty true to life, and why feed kids lies about how the world is, yadda yadda. But doesn't that scare you? That we're teaching our kids to accept violence, anger, and torture as the norm? I grew up on a healthy diet of fairy tales and pretend, where things were always happy and everyone always got what they wanted, and bad people were easily recognized and always got what was coming to them. I still watch kids' shows because I ache for that to be true. I've seen what the world really is, and I long to run back to the Disney princesses and hide behind their skirts where it's safe. But I can't. The world is a bad place full of scary people and horrible things, and the only thing I can do is make my small corner of it better. I do my best, but sometimes the weight of it all is too much and it gets me down. Sometimes I fail and it gets me down. But I still try. I'm still intent on changing it all.
The biggest change of all would be for people to just be nice to each other. That is what all religion is about - compassion. Treating others nicely. Helping out your fellow man. Unfortunately, people have made this almost impossible, what with homeless people spending their money on drugs, hitchhikers killing the people who pick them up, and generally everyone in the world being out to help themselves and no one else. But we can still do it. Be careful and be smart, and it's possible to help people out without endangering yourself. And at the very freaking least, BE NICE TO EACH OTHER. Don't snicker when someone weighing more than you walks by. Don't bite off the head of someone trying to teach you something (I'm working on it, Mom! <3). Don't make assumptions about someone based on appearance when you don't know who they are or where they're coming from. Ask someone if they're all right if they look sad, offer them a hug, listen to their stories. Smile at people as you walk past them. Give compliments. Just... be nice.
A very wise puppet once said, "When you help others, you can't help helping yourself," and he knew what he was talking about. When you do a nice thing, it makes you feel good, and it inspires other people to do nice things as well. Like those commercials where everyone sees someone else do something nice and they do something too, and then the whole world is happy and they want you to buy a car or get insurance or something. But without that last part. The point is, there's a reason why it's the Golden Rule, and why it's the basis of pretty much every religion in the world. Treat others with respect, do good things, be a nice person, and it'll all come back to you - threefold.
(Yeah, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, AND Wicca all in one go! :D)
Yes, I am human, and I do need to be loved, just like everyone else in this world. This is something I feel we do not acknowledge enough in our day-to-day lives. Every person on this planet has the same rights, the same needs, as everyone else. And we forget that. We judge people, we get angry with each other, we punish others - when really, it could so easily be any of us on the receiving end.
I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not just as guilty of these things. We ALL are. The murderer on Death Row is angry with the guy in the cell next to his. The morbidly obese woman in leopard print Spandex leggings and a tube top is judging the man in front of her at the grocery store. We're all guilty, and we all need to remember that most basic of human needs - the need to be loved, to be wanted, to be needed.
Fun fact - I watch a LOT of kids' shows on TV. I regularly watch The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Hannah Montana, iCarly, and True Jackson VP. It ASTOUNDS me the amount of mindless violence, insults, and truly horrific situations that occur on these shows. Nickelodeon is the worst. Disney is usually pretty good about solving all problems and everyone being BFFs again at the end of the 30 minutes, but Nick (specifically iCarly) makes me uneasy. The characters are mean to each other, get in fights or do awful non-violent things, like destroying personal property or some such, and are constantly leaving characters in dangerous or scary situations, like being locked in a cage or treehouse for a weekend alone with no food or water, being tortured by an 8-year-old, or getting in car crashes set up on purpose. And never do any of the others see if they're okay, put a stop to whatever it is, or help anyone in any way.
Now, I realize that this is pretty true to life, and why feed kids lies about how the world is, yadda yadda. But doesn't that scare you? That we're teaching our kids to accept violence, anger, and torture as the norm? I grew up on a healthy diet of fairy tales and pretend, where things were always happy and everyone always got what they wanted, and bad people were easily recognized and always got what was coming to them. I still watch kids' shows because I ache for that to be true. I've seen what the world really is, and I long to run back to the Disney princesses and hide behind their skirts where it's safe. But I can't. The world is a bad place full of scary people and horrible things, and the only thing I can do is make my small corner of it better. I do my best, but sometimes the weight of it all is too much and it gets me down. Sometimes I fail and it gets me down. But I still try. I'm still intent on changing it all.
The biggest change of all would be for people to just be nice to each other. That is what all religion is about - compassion. Treating others nicely. Helping out your fellow man. Unfortunately, people have made this almost impossible, what with homeless people spending their money on drugs, hitchhikers killing the people who pick them up, and generally everyone in the world being out to help themselves and no one else. But we can still do it. Be careful and be smart, and it's possible to help people out without endangering yourself. And at the very freaking least, BE NICE TO EACH OTHER. Don't snicker when someone weighing more than you walks by. Don't bite off the head of someone trying to teach you something (I'm working on it, Mom! <3). Don't make assumptions about someone based on appearance when you don't know who they are or where they're coming from. Ask someone if they're all right if they look sad, offer them a hug, listen to their stories. Smile at people as you walk past them. Give compliments. Just... be nice.
A very wise puppet once said, "When you help others, you can't help helping yourself," and he knew what he was talking about. When you do a nice thing, it makes you feel good, and it inspires other people to do nice things as well. Like those commercials where everyone sees someone else do something nice and they do something too, and then the whole world is happy and they want you to buy a car or get insurance or something. But without that last part. The point is, there's a reason why it's the Golden Rule, and why it's the basis of pretty much every religion in the world. Treat others with respect, do good things, be a nice person, and it'll all come back to you - threefold.
(Yeah, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, AND Wicca all in one go! :D)
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