Where’s my soapbox?

Ah. Here it is. One sec. *steps up and clears throat* If you don’t like ranty Chrissy, please excuse yourself. Go on. Shoo. I won’t be mad. Promise. GTFO. There you go. Ok, Bye! That’s better. Hello to the rest of you! It’s been a little bit since I blogged. So here’s just a quick rant. I gotta get it out. Pardon me… 

Whatever you want to call it, it has no place in our world anymore. It never really did but I like to think we simply didn’t know any better. Ignorance is bliss and all that. It was part of a primal defense mechanism that has long since lost its value. Now we know what it is. We know what it looks like, what it feels like. We can identify it and stop it in its tracks before it causes harm. Unspeakable and immeasurable harm. This thing has cost us, as a species, countless lives. Think about it. No, I want you to stop. Just stop. And think about it. A state of mind has cost us human life. Destroyed families. Has left people heartbroken or alone or both. How does this happen? How can a way of thinking kill people? How could we allow such a travesty to occur? We are intelligent, complex, unique, and beautiful creatures. Yet we have let this thing consume us, change us, and compel us. 

I’m talking about discrimination and prejudice. *adjusts footing on soapbox* In the rawest sense. Hate mingled with disgust and justified by the numbers who agree. The collective efforts of racism, sexism, religious prejudice, and homophobia. Along with all the prejudices of otherness that plague our society on an appalling scale. Some people are even discriminatory against disabilities. DISABILITIES for fuck’s sake. What. The. Fuck. Also, how dare you? 

How in the actual fuck do people feel ok about looking at someone, picking something that differs from their own selfness, and hating that person for it? Do you know how ridiculous that seems? How could you hate a person, based on something so inconsequential, to the point of verbal harassment or physical violence? I’m having trouble comprehending how this occurs, please tell me. 

*Clears throat for dumb-dumb Neanderthal voice* “You’re different from me. You must die now.” “You’re a boy and you like boys, so I fucking hate you.” “We have different color…everything. Hate you.” “My god is better than your god. Ha-ha.” DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW RIDICULOUS THIS IS? Fucking idiots. 

One Christian does not represent all of Christianity. One Muslim does not represent the entire religious body of people in practice. One white guy doesn’t speak for all of them. One black woman does not represent the entirety of her race and/or gender. One stuck up white girl wielding a Starbucks redcup and daddy’s credit card from uptown wherever isn’t an accurate mouthpiece for all the rest. 

Yes, we learn from our experiences and interactions with others. We take that information and try to take appropriate actions when we encounter similar situations. I get it. But enough with the fucking stereotyping. It is necessary that it ends now. We’re smart enough to know that everyone is different. No one individual is a representation of their entire race, gender, religion, general world ideation, or sexual orientation. It’s ridiculous and shameful that we still think like this. 

This blog is sparked by, and meant to address, the overwhelming amount of ignorance I’ve been seeing and reading about since the heinous and deplorable Paris attacks. Muslims are not responsible for the people that lost their lives that day. The collection of people that coordinated and carried out those horrific attacks are the ones responsible. They may claim to be and do things in the name of the Islamic faith, but they do not represent Muslims as a whole. The prejudice and discrimination against the Islamic religion, and those who practice it, needs to end. We are smarter than that. We are better than that. The actions that a person takes are a representation of that individual. Nothing more. The end. 

Since when is it ok to hate an entire group of people based on one person’s actions? 

Jeffery Dahmer was a white guy from Wisconsin. He ate people. Does that mean all the white guys from the Midwest should be drawn and quartered? Mmmm, I’d say probably not. 

Kim Davis (in case you missed it, here’s her wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Davis_(county_clerk) ) denied marriage licenses to gay couples based on her own Christian beliefs. She was both celebrated and condemned for her actions. Does this mean all Christians are hateful, hypocritical, crackpots? Definitely not. 

Mother Teresa spent her life making the world a better place. She strived to spread love and good intentions wherever she went. Does that mean every old woman is going to love you and be all nice and shit? No! There are some mean old bitches out there! 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prevailing force in the civil rights movement in the 50’s and 60’s until his atrocious assassination in 1968. Does that mean that we are destined to put out every light that shines through the veils of hate we create to divide ourselves? I certainly hope not. 

Is it so hard to see that the prejudice and discrimination that plagues our world is unjust, barbaric, and a prehistoric ideation that needs to end? Why does it still exist? It’s counterproductive and must be snuffed out. I hope our advances in technology leading to the realization of global communication helps to impact this disease that has been passed down to us. We are one world. We will always always always have our differences. Forever. It just is. Why are people still using that as justification for hateful actions? Diversity isn’t going anywhere. It’s just not. There will always be people different from you or me. It’s impossible to escape. Things will always change, it’s part of evolution. Have you not noticed? And you’re still letting it bother you? You’re a moron and you need to focus your energy and time on something that matters. Contribute to making the world better or GTFO. Seriously. Don’t waste your time fighting change, progression, or all the otherness that makes our world such a beautiful place to be. You’ll lead a wasted life. When you could be leading a good one. A beautiful one. A life filled with happiness and laughter, good food and good friends, smiles and joyful tears. If you choose to breed hate, I have no time or pity for you. I will not interfere with you, but I cannot love you. I can’t even feel sorry for you. Also, you suck. End rant. 

*hops off soap box*

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."- Mother Teresa

Dear Internet, : Caitlyn Jenner

Dear Internet,

There is no argument that every single individual in our armed forces deserves an award for #courage. All of our men and women in uniform should get the recognition they deserve. Just because people disagree with Caitlyn Jenner receiving this award (a retired transgender Olympian making a very public transition and being open about it is quite courageous. So is standing up for what you believe in. So is being a soldier. And a police officer. And a firefighter. And an individual. Or a volunteer doctor in a foreign country. The list goes on.) doesn't mean she isn't worthy of it. We could discuss people who are more deserving of a courage award until we die but that doesn't do anything for anyone. This award was given to a person who deserved it at a time when we, as humans, need to acknowledge that this is a courageous act. Being ok with the otherness that this topic is soaked in is sorely needed. The transgender community faces the injustices of a prejudice society every day. Something "different" gets put in front of us and we lose our fucking minds and throw the closest, heaviest thing at it. Isn't that what we all have to put up with? Something we all have to fight? Our otherness? Whether it's our race, religion, a disability, a deformity, our sexual orientation, or gender, everything is something "different" to someone who doesn't know it. When was the last time you were a ridiculously famous retired transgender Olympian having a very public sex change while the media ate you alive? Oh, never? Courage comes in all forms. 

My point is, the only reason that the Internet has anything to say about this is because she used to be a he and for some reason that is too much otherness for us to handle. Why not give the award to one of the thousands of children fighting cancer? Or your local crossing guard? Or fucking anyone else battling something bigger than themselves? 

This exists. There will always be something "different" for some of us to fight for simply not being what we're used to. What the Internet has shown me in the last week has been bullying on a grand scale. And it is disappointing. 

“If you want to call me names, make jokes, doubt my intentions, go ahead, because the reality is, I can take it. But for the thousands of kids out there, coming to terms with being true to who they are, they shouldn’t have to take it.” -Caitlyn Jenner 

Caitlyn Jenner has taken a huge swing at the intolerance and ignorance that surrounds the transgender community. That takes courage.

Furthermore, "An #ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade presented by the American cable television network #ESPN to recognize individual and teamathletic achievement and other sports-related performance during the calendar year preceding a given annual ceremony." (Wikipedia) 

Last time I checked, war isn't a sport for our enjoyment. Caitlyn Jenner was an Olympian which makes her a candidate. Because... Sports. I'm sure our Armed Forces have prestigious awards and medals to bestow upon our most beloved and respected persons in uniform that are much more coveted to our military than a goddamn cable television network award. 

Oh? Not about the award, you say? It's about what courage means? Oh, ok. Let's talk about courage. Courage is defined as, "The ability to do something that frightens one. Strength in the face of pain or grief." Translation? Doing something that can or will hurt you because you know it's right. 

Now, I'm going to ask you to stand in front of literally millions of people, on an international platform, and proclaim your otherness. Everyone will know something about you that you have spent the entirety of your life hiding from the world for fear of persecution, prejudice, and hate. The announcement of this intimate detail about who you are helps countless others, just like you, feel better about being in their own skin. You are standing up for yourself and for anyone like you to try to help rid our society of this prejudice that surrounds us. But you aren't courageous. No no, you're too different. You're weird so you can't be courageous. Courage is for what's considered normal and familiar.

Is anyone else seeing how this doesn't make sense? Or is it just me? If we replace "transgender awareness" with "equal rights" would it make a difference? Could you imagine being so overthrown by the inner workings of your soul that you are compelled to become something other than what you are, or you will never be whole? This leads to unnecessary suicides. Can you imagine that the prejudice of who you are leads to violence and hate? You can't imagine that? Then be quiet. Be still. Keep your belligerence to yourself and live as you will. But you have no say here. Hate has no place in our future.

Do the men and women of our Armed Forces deserve to be shrouded in medals of honor for their courage? Absolutely. But how dare you complain about an Olympic athlete receiving a sports related award for courage while you simultaneously tolerate the fact that our veterans are living in poverty. They are starving, they're homeless, and they endure years of mental and physical illnesses. Do you house our veterans? Do you donate and volunteer? No? How dare you complain about a television award while being unwilling to help those whom you presume to "defend"?

"Liking" and "sharing" is easy but taking action requires courage, and that is exactly what Caitlyn Jenner did. She took action. She took a stand against the prejudice that envelopes the transgender community. She has made herself into a beacon for us to look to for her unique example in a world saturated in ignorance. To that I say, well done Ms. Jenner! The Internet needs to spend a little less time making memes and a little more time working on making the world a better place. 

#JustSayin #ThankYouCait #LGBT #RantFin #OwMyThumbs