As people with compassion and empathy, we are stuck in a no win situation. The monsters in power and the morally bankrupt people who follow them don't care about any of that. The more we call out their bad policy and behavior, the more they will keep it up. It's like bullies. If they taunt you, and you react, they keep going. It's best to just ignore the bully and let him get bored and leave you alone.
In this case, it isn't an option to ignore the things that are destroying our nation, but fighting back just makes them act more horrible. Like any maladjusted child, any attention is good attention. They think it's great to rile people up, even if it tears families apart, destroys the economy and our relations with our allies. It is a gang of sociopaths worshipping psychopaths. They don't understand the big picture because they are incapable of seeing it. They are looking for something to hit.
Some of them are angry because they are stuck in what they see as a dead end life, and they want to lash out rather than better themselves. They don't comprehend or want to figure out how to make it better for themselves and the world, they just want some leader to show up and fix it. In their hurt and confusion, they turned to a tyrant moron who is more than happy to exploit them.
When you try to expose the corruption and inhumanity of it all, they just double down and attack you. You must be the enemy, because you are trying to make them see that the emperor they are counting on to be their saviour is wearing no clothes. It's survival at this point. So you're not going to get anywhere arguing with them, or appealing to reason or compassion. We can only stay the course, and tally up the crimes of this administration and make them pay. We can bide our time, and vote them out come November. We can take advantage of all the weapons at our disposal, and use the law and the Constitution and the voting booth to set things right. What we can't do is count on the deluded and childish opposition to see the light and help out.
The really sad thing is, when this sordid chapter of our history is over, they will not have learned a thing. They will still be bitter, entitled, and waiting for the next charlatan to come along and promise them the world for blind obedience. And they will comply.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Separation Anxiety
Do know that panic when you look up and your child isn't where they are supposed to be? They were there one moment, and now they are out of sight, and all sorts of horrible images flash through your mind. How about when you are waiting for them and you don't see them get off the school bus. Think about how scared you were when you were young and you lost track of your parent in the store or on the playground. Blind fear and panic overtook you. Usually you see your child a moment later in another part of the yard or the store, or they just forgot their backpack and had to run back to their seat on the bus for a moment. Then you breathe a sigh of relief and thank whatever God you believe in that they are there with you and you can keep them safe.
Think of the people whose children go missing, and they never know if they are safe or if they are even still alive. You hear about it on the news and you see movies about it, and your heart breaks for those poor parents who might never see their precious children again. Think of the poor abducted children, scared and in danger and alone, without their parents there to protect them. Some of them enduring abuse and terror, all alone, with no safe harbor in sight.
Now picture these poor immigrant parents, and how their children are taken from them, and they have no way of knowing where they are or if they will ever see them again. It's like that brief moment when you lose track of your child, but there is no sigh of relief seconds later. The unbearable fear and panic just goes on and on, with no end in sight. Picture the poor children, separated from their parents, probably for the first time in their lives, terrified and alone. How would you handle it if the government took your child away from you, and didn't tell you where, and didn't allow you contact with them. You had no idea if they were safe. You don't know if someone is there to calm them and soothe them and protect them. The things that only you know about your child, what scares them, what allergies or medical conditions they have, what comforts them, what special needs they have, and now they are with strangers who have no clue how to care for them.
Do you want to support an administration that does this? No matter how you feel about immigration, is it okay with you that your country is handling it this way? If you support a monster, doesn't that make you just as much of a monster?
Where is your humanity? You need to decide what side you are on, and what being on the wrong side entails and says about you.
Think of the people whose children go missing, and they never know if they are safe or if they are even still alive. You hear about it on the news and you see movies about it, and your heart breaks for those poor parents who might never see their precious children again. Think of the poor abducted children, scared and in danger and alone, without their parents there to protect them. Some of them enduring abuse and terror, all alone, with no safe harbor in sight.
Now picture these poor immigrant parents, and how their children are taken from them, and they have no way of knowing where they are or if they will ever see them again. It's like that brief moment when you lose track of your child, but there is no sigh of relief seconds later. The unbearable fear and panic just goes on and on, with no end in sight. Picture the poor children, separated from their parents, probably for the first time in their lives, terrified and alone. How would you handle it if the government took your child away from you, and didn't tell you where, and didn't allow you contact with them. You had no idea if they were safe. You don't know if someone is there to calm them and soothe them and protect them. The things that only you know about your child, what scares them, what allergies or medical conditions they have, what comforts them, what special needs they have, and now they are with strangers who have no clue how to care for them.
Do you want to support an administration that does this? No matter how you feel about immigration, is it okay with you that your country is handling it this way? If you support a monster, doesn't that make you just as much of a monster?
Where is your humanity? You need to decide what side you are on, and what being on the wrong side entails and says about you.
Monday, June 4, 2018
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
I still see posts every day on social media trying to shame Trump supporters into renouncing him. That’s not going to happen. I know it seems ridiculous that they keep supporting him no matter how vile he is, no matter what stupid things he says or does, no matter how many lies you catch him in. I know that it makes no sense whatsoever that they ignore the facts and research and opinions from trusted sources and highly intelligent and respected people. It seems incomprehensible. How could so many otherwise decent and intelligent people live in denial like that?
Just take a look around you. How many people do you know in shitty relationships, full of disrespect and abuse? How many people do you know who drink too much, or do drugs, and don’t see it as a problem, even though it is destroying their lives? How many people do you see who are overweight or eating badly or not exercising at all, living a completely unhealthy lifestyle? How many people do you see that are living way beyond their means, credit maxxed out, deeply in debt, but still spending money? How many people do you know that are unhappy with their lives, but refuse to do anything to change it, and wait for some magical person or event to make it all better? How many other people do you know that are living in complete denial about so many things in their lives, but refuse to change or listen to reason? How many of these things are you doing?
People will convince themselves of whatever they have to, just to avoid taking responsibility for themselves. It doesn’t matter that they are killing themselves, it doesn’t matter that people they love are suffering as a direct result, it doesn’t matter if they are destroying a country. They will keep on doing just what they want to, until it becomes completely unsustainable or it kills them. The more you chastise them, or accuse them, or even gently try to suggest that they get help or see things differently, the more the part of their brain that’s in denial will fight back. For them, it is almost a matter of life and death. To admit one thing is wrong is to bring the whole house of cards down on top of them. The fear of that happening is greater than any amount of common sense or compassion or lecturing you offer to them. They are incapable of acknowledging it, no matter how true it might be.
Just like you will keep appealing to reason and being surprised that it falls on deaf ears.
I still see posts every day on social media trying to shame Trump supporters into renouncing him. That’s not going to happen. I know it seems ridiculous that they keep supporting him no matter how vile he is, no matter what stupid things he says or does, no matter how many lies you catch him in. I know that it makes no sense whatsoever that they ignore the facts and research and opinions from trusted sources and highly intelligent and respected people. It seems incomprehensible. How could so many otherwise decent and intelligent people live in denial like that?
Just take a look around you. How many people do you know in shitty relationships, full of disrespect and abuse? How many people do you know who drink too much, or do drugs, and don’t see it as a problem, even though it is destroying their lives? How many people do you see who are overweight or eating badly or not exercising at all, living a completely unhealthy lifestyle? How many people do you see that are living way beyond their means, credit maxxed out, deeply in debt, but still spending money? How many people do you know that are unhappy with their lives, but refuse to do anything to change it, and wait for some magical person or event to make it all better? How many other people do you know that are living in complete denial about so many things in their lives, but refuse to change or listen to reason? How many of these things are you doing?
People will convince themselves of whatever they have to, just to avoid taking responsibility for themselves. It doesn’t matter that they are killing themselves, it doesn’t matter that people they love are suffering as a direct result, it doesn’t matter if they are destroying a country. They will keep on doing just what they want to, until it becomes completely unsustainable or it kills them. The more you chastise them, or accuse them, or even gently try to suggest that they get help or see things differently, the more the part of their brain that’s in denial will fight back. For them, it is almost a matter of life and death. To admit one thing is wrong is to bring the whole house of cards down on top of them. The fear of that happening is greater than any amount of common sense or compassion or lecturing you offer to them. They are incapable of acknowledging it, no matter how true it might be.
Just like you will keep appealing to reason and being surprised that it falls on deaf ears.
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