Perspective

Everyone and their brother is still talking about the massacre in VA. It got me thinking....stuff like this happens EVERY DAY in Iraq. Dozens are killed and more wounded by bombs or execution squads. Where is the outpouring of grief for them? Why is it so much more tragic when it happens at home? I'm not trying to take away from the tragedy of so many lives lost at the university. Really. But what about those people in Iraq? Are their lives worth any less? Damn, I don't remember the last time I read the news and didn't see something about an suicide bomber blowing up people near a mosque or bodies found alongside a road or American GIs killed. Why isn't that splashed on the front page of every paper? Why isn't that the opening story on the 11 o'clock news? Am I the only one who reads the news? Am I the only American aware of what's going on overseas? Am I the only one who cares about the war? Am I the only one who remembers? On days when the big news stories revolve around spoilt celebrities or stupid reality shows I begin to think I'm the only one who remembers that there are two wars going on. Iraq is long lost and unless we refocus and reprioritize we'll lose Afghanistan too. And all the death and injury will be for sh*t. Nothing will be better. Feeling all too pessimistic today.

Damn some people are really f*cked up

Gunman, 32 others killed in Va. shooting

I'll never understand what drives people to do sh*t like this. My heart goes out to the victims and their loved ones. Such a senseless, violent waste.

Hey kids. I have been underwhelmed by the response to my last post. Thanks, Mia, for commenting.

So back to the regular rants. Last week a well-known talk radio personality was fired for making a stupid comment about a basketball team. One stupid remark cost him his job and his reputation. As my dear Mia would say, WTF?

I am in no way defending what Mr. Imus said. It was a dumb thing to say. However, what the hell is happening in this country? We are supposed to have freedom of speech, as long as it is not inciting violence. People are supposed to be allowed to say the most assine things.

The man apologized. Repeatedly. But now his career is over because of this one remark. He doesn't have a history of harassing other religions or races or anyone really. How f*cking sensitive have we become? One dumb comment and your life is over? Is that really fair? Who among us has not once said something racially or religiously insensitive? The only difference is that we are not celebrities and our ignorance isn't broadcast to the world. Deep down inside we are all bigots or hypocrites in one way or another. For some of us it isn't all that deep down.

My best friend is from SE Asia and grew up ghetto. There was one incident between us that sticks in my memory. I once made a joke about her being ghetto and was stunned when she got offended. I couldn't believe it. We had been friends for a long time and never had any ugliness between us. As she looked at me with anger and hurt in her eyes I got angry too. I pointed out how many times she had teased me for being a "cracker" and "white trash". She certainly didn't have a problem laughing at me and my background. Almost immediately I could see that she got it. It was a joke, just like the many jokes she had made of me. After that we never had a problem.

Years ago my girlfriend and I were walking down the street with a mutual friend in a major US city. Three teenage boys walked past and as they did one made a VERY nasty comment regarding my girlfriend's sexuality. I was livid. This wasn't the first or the last time we dealt with anti-gay sentiment but that night I had enough. Despite the other two women I was with wanting to let it go I chased after the boys and confronted them. I said, "You have something to say about my girlfriend?" They were shaken to be called out on their bad behavior. I could see that they were afraid. Of me. Just because I had the balls to go after them. Immediately they apologized and became ever so friendly. To this day I'm still amused.

It seems to me that we are in a period when everyone has the most tender feelings and that the world is expected to never hurt them. Although I have noticed in popular culture that it is acceptable to make fun of whites, fat people, and gays, but that last one is almost out the door. People seem to expect that the world owes them and their beliefs respect. The world should never dare to step on their toes. News flash. The world doesn't owe anyone anything.

I grew up hearing dumb blonde and dumb Norweigan jokes constantly. I don't take it personally. Sometimes the jokes are funny. Sometimes they are not. But in any case I've been taught that in this country people are allowed to speak their minds, no matter how stupid their thoughts may be. If I don't like what someone says I ignore them or lay out my viewpoint. If there is something on the tv or radio that I don't like then I don't watch or listen. It's that simple.

The reality of life is that people are always going to disagree and have different ideas about what is acceptable and what is not. Your feelings are going to be hurt. Someone is going to insult you or something you care deeply about. My advice is to grow up and deal with it. You'll be lucky if you get an apology. And if you don't, so what? How does one person's ignorance diminish who you are or what you believe? It shouldn't. Move on.

Tagged by Mia

The Rule: “Each player of this game starts off with ten weird things or habits or little known facts about yourself. People who get tagged must write in a blog of their own ten weird things or habits or little known facts as well as state this rule clearly. At the end you must choose six people to be tagged and list their names. No tag backs!”

1. I broke off part of my front tooth when I was ten. The dentist who fixed it did a terrible job and that part is a very different color than the rest of my tooth. When I smile or laugh, I try to do it with my mouth closed.

2. I hate having my hair cut. I've actually only done it three times in the last ten years.

3. I read the local obituaries every day. I don't know why but it has become a habit.

4. My hair has been bright red, orange, yellow, blue, green, black, brown and blonde.

5. I took pictures while two friends had their nipples pierced. One of them almost passed out.

6. I once smoked pot with my grandma.

7. I believe in ghosts and hauntings.

8. I was born three weeks early.

9. My siblings' names start with the same letter. Mine does not.

10. UPDATED: I decided to change this one--the first one was a bit too much information for the public, I think
I despise reality tv shows and have never seen an episode of "Survivor", "American Idol" or any of the other stupid shows featuring desperate people willing to humiliate themselves for national attention.

I won't force anyone to do this tag but I'd be really interested to know if anyone else does it. Let me know.

A word to the wise...

Here's something I learned recently: Do not watch a documentary on Caligula before bed unless you want to have some really funky, freaky dreams.