Monday, April 17, 2017

It's Come To My Attention

It's come to my attention that there are those of Trump supporters who wish I had never been born. To paraphrase what was said, "The world be a better place if you had never been in it." Which, you know, is ironically amusing coming from the side of the political line which wants to make abortion something that doesn't exist.

But the attitude is something I've come to expect from those on the Right, the Conservatives, the ones who believe that only they have the right to be full people. Yes, freedom of religion but only as long as everyone practices religion exactly as they do. Yes, freedom of speech as long as people never disagree with them. Oh, and if you have some other shade of skin than "white," you better be really rich and willing to contribute a lot of green to get to play in the club.

[A recent study has shown that insurance companies consistently charge minorities up to 30% more for car insurance than they charge whites within the same risk bracket. No, there is no reason for this other than that they are not white.]

For me, the thing that makes this situation so hilarious <he said, ironically> is that the person with the specific "complaint" that finally inspired me to write this post is someone who consistently came into my space to complain about the things I was saying. I wasn't going into his spaces and calling him names or saying bad things about Trump supporters at his house or anything like that. No, he was going out of his way to come to my place and, then, getting offended by it. Over and over again.

Because, you know, that's the way Conservatives like to do it: They like to get mortally (yes, mortally) offended by things that happen nowhere near them, have nothing to do with them, and will never affect them. It's like this:
When I was a teenager growing up in Louisiana (a horrible, Hellish place that I would never wish on anyone) [And I'm not just talking about the weather in regard to Louisiana or the mosquitoes. They have the highest incarceration rate of anywhere in the world! One of the worst education systems in the country. And the politics... Look, despite the fact that we currently have Trump as president, the politics in Louisiana are... well, I'll sum it up this way: Edwin Edwards, David Duke, and Bobby Jindal.]
But I digress... Let me start over:
When I was a teenager growing up in Louisiana, people used to fervently wish and pray for the day that California would suffer a catastrophic earthquake and fall off into the ocean. Why? Because California was filled with gays and hedonism and anyone who would live in California deserved... well, God's judgement, but God's judgement was always something along the lines of Sodom and Gamorrah, because Californians didn't deserve to live. When I was a kid, California was just about the last place I ever wanted or expected to live, not least because I didn't expect it to still exist the way people talked.

Of course, it was while I was a teenager that I started having... issues... at church because of my own views. Frequently, my own views had to do with my much more accurate interpretation of the Bible. Not even the youth pastor or pastor ever came away from a disagreement with me about the Bible in which they didn't at the very least say, "You're not wrong." And my other view which said, "Why does it matter what other people do in their own homes if it's not affecting you?" [This was something I most often said when someone was going off about homosexuality.] The response was always, "Because it's wrong!" And I would say, "So is adultery, but you're not advocating for cheaters to die." [That's kind of a personal pet peeve, that "Christians" spend so much time slamming people of other sexual orientations while mostly ignoring infidelity, which must be at least an equivalent kind of sin, and I would say it's worse.]

What Conservatives/Fundamentalists (of all types) need to learn is this:
The planet is not yours. You do not own it. You do not have control of it. You share it with other people and YOU (you fascist asshole) need to learn how to SHARE. That means you need to learn how to live with people who don't believe the same things you do AND you need to QUIT trying to control other people. Also, consider your actions before you take them: If they could hurt someone else (like, if, you're going to put an oil pipeline that could leak near someone's water source, DON'T do it), don't do that thing. Also, also, corporations are not people and shouldn't be treated as such. Also some more, reducing your profits when you are still making a profit is NOT hurting you, especially if it's making someone else's life better.

I could go on.

All of that to say this:
If Trump supporters are getting tweaked enough by the things I say that they are more than wishing that I wasn't saying them, GOOD! I'm going to keep saying them. Because, you know, at this point, if you are still supporting Trump, you're either just an outright asshole (uneducated, racist, -ist-ist) or you'r clinging to Trump out of stubbornness because you don't want to admit that you were wrong, which makes you an asshole. Either way, you're an asshole.
Oh, or you're a Republican congressman who has no spine or no morality. That also makes you an asshole.

And, sure, I get that if you're a Trump supporter that you, in all likelihood, think that I'm the asshole, BUT, you know what, you DON'T HAVE TO COME INTO MY SPACE. So, really, if you disagree with me, stop engaging with the things I say.

14 comments:

  1. Well, when it comes to folks like this, I like to quote Raylan Givens (a quote I know you're quite fond of, if I recall): "If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day long... you're probably the asshole."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ABftS: Yeah, that's a great quote. It also explains why the classic bar fights are always between people who would line up on the Right.
      Actually, I want to go all over the place with this now, but there's probably no real need.

      Delete
  2. Man, I bet they hated a kid having an opinion. Especially when it's actually correct. It must have really pissed them off.

    I think a huge amount of the problem is the sense of entitlement. They don't tolerate other opinions because they feel like they don't have to. They're wrong, lesser, while they themselves are righteous and good. And anyone who says otherwise is clearly wrong and evil.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeanne: Which would be why I was so often told, "That's just your education talking." Only once did I think to say, "Of course, it is," but I wish I had always said that accompanied by, "And it's your lack of education talking which is why you're wrong."

      Delete
  3. I agree with everything you've said here; I've been thinking similar things but haven't had the ability to summarize it the way you have (nor have I had the firsthand interaction with such 'keyboard cowboys'.) My wife isn't interested in politics at all but everyone in her family is full of hard-line conservatives, and I've written many blog posts about how I have to sit in silence as they blame Democrats for everything while they wear out the same BS tropes that we dont want to engage in debate with someone who holds an opposing viewpoint.

    They are masters at projecting, "we're not racist, you're racist. we're not violent, you're violent." and on and on. The truth is, I would be thrilled to express my views to the in-laws and have an open, civilized discussion about who believes in what, and why. But I'd be facing a metaphorical firing squad, alone, and I dont trust them to be half as open-minded and respectful as they claim to be.

    As for the religious aspect of conservatisim (a separate rant in its own right) I was raised Catholic and it is appalling to see how some of these self-proclaimed Christians behave. Maybe I read the wrong Bible, but I seriously doubt that those on the GOP side are doing what Jesus would do. Was it Ghandi who said "I like your Christ. I don't like your Christians. Your Christians are nothing like your Christ." because if so he nailed it.

    I'm now following your blog btw. Nice to meet you :-)

    The Pedestrian Writer

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris: Yes, that was Gandhi. Probably some others, too, but Gandhi most famously.
      The problem with the Bible is that those on the Right just haven't read it. As a book, that is, or even individual books within it. They've heard a few choice verses and that's about it.
      When I was in college (as an English major), I had a lot of friends who were ministerial students. Not a single one of them had read the Bible as a complete book. NOT A SINGLE ONE. But, yet, I, an English major, had read it twice. The whole thing. Some of them felt bad and guilty over that but not enough for any of them to decide to read the whole thing. Even though many of those guys are pastors, now, I'm fairly certain none of them ever bothered to learn the book they profess to be experts at.

      Delete
  4. They wouldn't be bothered by what you say if you weren't right.

    Love,
    Janie

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am amazed anyone still admires Trump. I mean, he screwed up Easter. Easter!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TAS: I know! I mean, of all things, that has to be the easiest of things he and his staff need to take care of, and they couldn't manage it.
      Then again, they didn't know how to operate the lights in the White House for... well, it doesn't matter how long.

      Delete
  6. I don't get the whole judgemental thing. If it doesn't do anything to you, why spend the energy getting all up in arms about it? I guess they need something to make them feel better about themselves. They don't seem to be happy people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz: You know, I think it all has to do with fear. Don't ask me what they're afraid of, because I don't really get that other than that it's about what's different from them. Racism is about fear. People who are afraid are not happy people.

      Delete
  7. Ugh... Yes, I know what you mean. And I know who you mean, too. Not literally; I just know people like that myself. (Sadly, they seem to be everywhere these days.) Your earlier visitors have pretty much said it all: yes, it's truth that hurts, so if it bothers someone to the point of needing to attack you for it, then you're probably hitting a nerve. Yes, it's rather pointless to attempt a discussion; I've lately found myself replying more and more to "arguments" with something along the lines of, 'Sorry, don't have time today to educate you'... Which is snobbish and demeaning, I know, but—honestly. It's like trying to have a civilized discussion with a Flat-Earther. I can't. I just can't.

    I love your blog. Your posts, and your clarity of thought, and your eloquence, and your unapologetic stance and your passion in what you believe. And, also, the comments from the people who visit you. You have a nice community of like-minded people here, and it's so refreshing to see that (given the rather ubiquitousness of alt-right in the blogosphere). Thanks for creating that :)

    Guilie @ Quiet Laughter

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Guilie: I don't know how snobbish it is. It's not your job to provide their education. That's one of the problems I have with all of these "discussions." They expect me to provide all the data and facts then just dismiss them as not important. Hence why I have resorted to "Why don't you go educate yourself on the topic THEN come back and we can talk." But they never do.

      I'm glad you like my place. :)

      Delete