Skip to main content

Pretty little political boxes

  I used to be non-denominational. I am now Catholic. I used to be pro-capital punishment. I am now anti-capital punishment. I have always been pro-life. And I have usually always been put in a pretty little political box. However, there is no such thing. The bombings around the world, the refugees, the fight for women's rights, the fight for equal pay for women, the fight for all genders, sexes and races...none of it fits into a pretty little political box.
  No one likes to be mislabeled. If that is the case, and it is, then why can't we stop? I saw on Facebook, yesterday, a post by an acquaintance that spoke of her surprise of someone she didn't think would be for the acceptance of refugees was and someone she thought would be for it was opposed. Her next comment was ridiculous. It was along the lines of, "And most of the time I am right about these kinds of things."
  Hold up. Just hold up. I get that people can be predictable, but I also get that people can change and completely surprise you. Politics is something that we all have a stake in. Politics is something that we always have opinions on. I guess I just can't understand why we try to place each other in these boxes that end up hurting each other. Why would we allow social media to put these little boxes on our social doorstep only to be opened and then discarded because we see a pile of shit instead of a different opinion. If we really want peace, why do we think our idea of peace is the only one that is doable. If we really want the people of the world to work in tandem, then why do we fight so hard against each other?
  If someone wants to mourn the people in Paris, why do we berate them for not knowing about what has happened in Beirut? If someone wants to keep refugees out of their country, why do we assume they are heartless bastards? If someone wants to make gender equality their main priority, why do we assume they are feminists? If someone... put what you want. Just allow someone to put what they want to.
  Here is a thought: if you want someone to respect you, then you better damn well offer the same respect. Social media is the last place we should be airing our dirtiness. But acceptable if only to be shown forgiveness and acceptance to gain a stronger sense of humility.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tiger must stay in your backpack...

   I'm not that parent. The one who gloats too much, and shows off all the pictures. The parent who relays every detail of their kid to let others know how incredible I think they are. Perhaps it is a flaw. Who knows. And I also pride myself in not being a helicopter parent. I teach and let go. I discipline and let go.    And I thought I would be ready for this: first day of Pre-K. I have been very positive and uplifting and have wanted my son to be extra ready to go to school. We have talked about it for months! I am ready... Or so I thought.  This morning, as white boy was leaving to take them to daycare, he said to Owen, "You can't take Tiger to school tomorrow or he will have to stay in your backpack, so do you want to take him to daycare today?" I thought little of it, but as Owen threw him down on the ground and turned to head out the door, my throat hitched. "Are you sure you don't want to take him today?" He said no. It was a sense of finality.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Sacred Requiem

  He handed me the hymnal and asked me if I was ready...if I could do this. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing. I had never planned a funeral, and even if I had imagined planning one it sure wasn't this early in life and it sure wasn't for my only brother, my only sibling. At 25, I felt like a little child getting left behind in a sea of strangers. I was terrified.   2 days prior, my heart stopped beating. 2 short days before this, my peaceful world collided with the dark. And now I had to prepare for the world to say goodbye to greatness. The tree fell in the woods and the world shook with its sudden end. And we, as the collective, needed to imagine that very tree as the beautiful piece of woodwork it now was and bow to it's new exulted shape.   I wasn't sure how to plan a requiem. But, it had been placed in my hands and I wanted to give him the best I could. He deserved it. He deserved life...to live...to breathe still and chase every dream he thought into...
Post a Comment
Read more

"To be or not to be..."

   In the famous lines from Act 3 Scene 1 in Shakespeare's Hamlet, we hear the contemplation of suicide: "To be or not to be...that is the question." And what a powerful question that is.    All over social media we have been privy to the not so secret decision made by Brittany Maynard to end her life. And what a horrifically tragic story this is. So what is the right attitude or stance we should have concerning this beauitful, young girl who decided to take her life?    I remember several years back I watched a documentary on Dr. Kevorkian aka Dr. Death. It was a look into his methods of assisted suicide. And as I watched this video I couldn't help but mentally stand behind the actions of this doctor. And up until the point he made it a political issue, I supported him. I still do.    Now, whether you think one way or another, let me say one thing...I don't think suicide is God's perfect will for our lives, but His perfect will wasn't for Brit...
Post a Comment
Read more