Tuesday, October 18, 2016

My Most Recent Run-In With An SJW

Let me clarify my definition of an 'SJW'. An SJW, to me, is someone who has ruined the feminist movement, someone who feels it's their personal duty to shame everyone for anything they deem offensive, someone who has lost all sense of humor somewhere in their life.

SJWs are people, usually a woman, who get 'triggered' at the slightest hint of an opposing opinion. They are the ones who demand 'safe spaces' on college universities. They are the ones who claim 'PTSD' from online abuse yet refuse to close their social media accounts.

They are jokes, laughing stocks, of the progressive movement.



Let's get this straight. I do not believe that the world is hunky-dory. I do think there are still serious issues with racism, sexism, homophobia, and classism in this country. And, I definitely believe that these issues need to be addressed, brought into public light, talked about, and changed.

I believe that SJWs are trying to make us less equal. They are trying to tip the scales in their favor and are doing more harm than good.

And, personally, I believe that some SJWs protest, claim discrimination, make up reasons to judge others, and claim persecution just to seek attention. They are not seeking equality. They are seeking a fight so they can be a martyr. They are attention whores.

This may seem harsh of me. But, that's the only thing I can think of when I was called out for 'making fun of gay people' over the weekend.

I'm not gay. I'm not bisexual. I'm not trans, asexual, pansexual, or queer. I'm an ally. I have been for many years. I've been a member of HRC since the day I learned about them. I've protested with others against Westboro Baptist Church numerous times. I was a member and dubbed 'Special Lady Friend' of my college's LGBT group. I have always been in support of LGBT rights.

Some SJW essentially questioned my support of all things rainbow when she uttered this phrase: "I feel like you're making fun of gay people for being gay and that's not very welcoming."

Backstory: I was at the Secular Hub over the weekend for a debate about a proposed amendment in Colorado coming up on the ballot. After the debate a small group of new members, old members, and guests were hanging back and talking. One member had gone to the gay bar across the street the previous night. Seeing as he was the first of our group to go to the bar, and he is a reserved straight man, we asked him about his experience. The situation was funny. His description of his visit was funny. His being approached by a man and the member's awkward reaction was funny.

We laughed. The member laughed. Another Hub member who happens to be gay and who was also a part of the conversation laughed. Everyone but one person laughed. The SJW was not laughing.

The SJW spoke about how we were being intolerant of the gay bar across the street. She has questioned me repeatedly about why I specifically call the bar across the street a 'gay bar'. Because it's a gay bar. A bar that caters specifically to gay men. Bears, actually. If it was a bar for stereotypical Latin men, I'd call it a 'cholo' bar. If it was a bar for lesbians (which it has been before), I'd call it a lesbian bar. If it was a bar for rich, snobby, white people, I'd call it a WASP bar.

And the only problem I have with them is that they park in our parking lot which makes it hard for our members to park. That's it.

There is a thing happening to progressive liberals. It's called regressive liberalism, the regressive left, or anything else with 'regressive' in it. And, it's fucking annoying.

I like to think of myself as a bleeding-heart liberal but, honestly, there may be enough southern conservative in me to be able to see the regressive left as a bunch of whiny, self-absorbed, special snowflakes who have way more first-world privilege than they'd like to admit.

I know I've written a blog post before about being a 'bad feminist'. I think some sexist jokes are hilarious. I love making my boyfriend dinner...which sometimes includes a sandwich. I can be feminist and understand that sometimes situations and stereotypes about myself can be funny. I also make fun of my weight, how white I am, and the fact that I'm southern and we have a notoriously poor education system. It's funny.



Do we not see how calling things that upset you 'triggering' and making others censor themselves for your personal psyche as the most asinine and backwards thing ever? Do we not see what kind of first-world, privilege nonsense it is to demand that we be guarded from the big, scary world?

Suck it up, princess. Everyone deals with hard things to see and hear on a daily, if not hourly, basis. Part of growing up and acting like an adult is learning how to control your emotions and process hurtful, bad, upsetting, negative things.

Not everyone is going to like you. Not everyone is going to agree with you. Not everyone is going to see the world exactly as you do. And that's A-OK. That's the beauty of life. If everyone looked, acted, thought, and lived just like you....this planet would be boring as hell.

Because, honestly, without this nonsense to complain about, I think many of these SJWs would be just that. Boring. They've made this cause their entire life to the point where there is nothing else interesting about them. Maybe that's why they are so hairpin-triggered about everything? They are trying desperately to be relevant.

There are those out there that need to be standing up for what is right. There are plenty of causes that need champions. But, the regressive liberals and the SJWs are hurting the cause more than helping. And, I'm not sure how much longer I can be tolerant of it.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Thoughts and Prayers: Religions Way of Doing Nothing But Still Feeling Good About It

"Thoughts and Prayers" has become almost a mantra for people on all forms of social media. It's a hashtag. It's a go-to phrase for when someone on Facebook is talking about an illness or death. It's the new automatic response that everyone says out of habit.

Person 1: **sneeze**
Person 2: Bless You!

-same as-

Person 1: Grandma died
Person 2: Thoughts and Prayers! 


The 'thoughts and prayers' social media movement has got to be the shittiest, most entitled, new thing out there. But, how new and how helpful is it? 

Where I grew up it was usually just, "I'm sorry. You're in my prayers" when someone had a rough time. I'm not sure where the 'thoughts' came from. Maybe it was a a faster way to also say, "We're thinking about you"? 

Either way it's lost some it's 'umpf'. Since I grew up in a religion, I understand the meaning behind the gesture of someone praying for you. For religious people this is something they can do when they feel helpless, or are too far away from the situation to actually help. It used to mean something to me; even when I left religion. It means that someone was going to take time out of their day to think about me and my troubles. It was a nice thought. 

Because, sometimes, what else can a religious person do? They are helping the best way they know how.  (Because donating money, picking up a hammer, or visiting a sick person is hard)

But, let's be honest. It helps them. And only them. 

Back when I was trying to be religious (being honest here; I tried hard to fit in) and I would pray, I would end up having a good cry. I would pray about heavy things that were really weighing on my mind. People dying, 9/11, my grandfather being sick with Alzheimers, etc. I felt that crying during prayer was one of the only times I was allowed to.  (Everyone has rough times; I don't like to complain about my situation to people) And I felt better afterward. I thought that maybe the prayer thing was working. 

Now I know that having a good cry let's you get some emotions out. I'm still not a big crier but, every now and then I have a good cry session and I feel better. 

'Talking to god' wasn't what I needed. It didn't help the situation. No one came back from death, terrorists weren't wiped out, my grandfather still has no idea who he, or anyone else, is. 

No one, absolutely no one, has EVER been healed because of prayer. Your kid didn't recover from cancer because of prayer. You didn't win the lottery because of prayer. Your situation in life doesn't change because of prayer. 

I've always been confused by prayer, actually. What exactly are you expecting to do? 

Why are you thanking god for the food you have? Are you saying, "Thank god I have food and half the world's population doesn't"? 

Why are asking him to change his plans for your life? Was his plan not good enough for you, you entitled little shit? 

Why do we make kids recite a prayer every night that teaches them they may die in their sleep? Because that's not terrifying....Fuck monsters under your bed. God might let you just die in your wet PJs. 

If god has a plan and it's supposed to be a perfect, albeit mysterious, plan, then what's the point in asking him to change it? If you don't thank god for your food will it magically disappear? If a kid doesn't pray before they go to bed and they die in their sleep do they go to hell? 

And, if god 'knows what's in your heart' why do you have to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, thank him for things, or praise him? To be humble? Because god wants you to gravel at his feet? Sounds very loving of him. 

'Thoughts and Prayers' is one of the most frustrating things for an atheist to hear. It does nothing and has become an automatic phrase people say absentmindedly. I used to get why people would say they were praying for me. It was supposed to be a nice gesture to say to someone when you didn't know what else to say or do.

Now, it's just something people say to make themselves look like a caring person and we atheists can see right through your bullshit. 

Also, using 'I'll pray for you' like a weapon is not hurtful or humbling. It just makes you look like a self-righteous bitch. Stop it.