From The Archives: I’ve Got Your “War On Christmas” Right Here

Edit, 2018:  It’s a Christmas Miracle, y’all!  The Man Who Would Be Hitler has brought back Christmas!  Rest easy, my friends. Happy Holidays!

Because this nonsense has slithered its way back into the public discussion.  I wrote this a few years ago.

Look at this: WaronXmas1

And this: waronxmas2

Because they’ve started so early, so will I.

The Kid and I were at the mall last week (before Halloween, mind you) picking up the final details of her costume. (Blue rock candy – meth.  If you have to ask, may I recommend Breaking Bad as your next Netflix binge?)  Imagine our surprise when, nearly a month before Thanksgiving, we see the mall totally decked out in their holiday finery.  Christmas music over the loudspeakers. Hell, the Hickory Farms kiosk was even set up.  Having Christmas shoved down my throat before I’ve even swiped the first piece of candy from The Kid’s trick-or-treat stash –  not cool. I’m pretty sure I quite loudly uttered a profanity or two during that shopping excursion.

But wait – you think this is early?  A friend of mine posted photos on Facebook, back in September, of all the Christmas displays at Hobby Lobby.  They know all about Jesus up in there.

I used to love Christmas.  The excitement, the spirit, the whole “good will toward men” business.  The shopping & wrapping, the cooking, the decorating, the visiting – loved it all.  Then something shifted.  I started hearing about this “war”.  This fake, bullshit meme about Christians being persecuted over the celebration of their highest holy day.  And it all started with a certain “news” outfit to gin up outrage, fear, hate, a way to portray the vast majority of Americans as victims. Per usual. And people bought it. Per usual.

I’m here to tell you that those “war on Christmas” assholes are all batshit crazy.  Go to any retail outlet right now. I guarantee it looks like Santa took a big mouthful of holiday spirit and did a nationwide spit-take.  Because it’s sour.  It isn’t ripe yet.

Oh, there is a “war” on Christmas alright, but it isn’t because of some atheist, heathen, Christian-hating agenda. Or the Socialist, Kenyan, Muslim President trying to take away not only your guns but your Jesus’ Birthday Celebration as well.  It’s because of what is represented in those photos posted above.  Like  A Charlie Brown Christmas has been saying for 49 years,  it’s the commercialization of the holiday that has ruined it.  Taken the “Christ” right out of it.

The meaning and spirit of the holiday have been tainted,  it’s been completely bastardized.  Disgusting.  The “Jesus Birthday Season” indeed.  The ostentatious spectacle of it all.   And the Faux News personalities and sheeple eat it up.  Eat. It. UP.  The earlier they can deploy their Christmas troops, the better.  Total crap.

You know what I think about when I see Christmas decorations in September and October?  Greed.  Debt.  Mob mentality. Corporate overreach.  Rich men, camels, needles.

And these words  “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” That’s what Christians are supposed to be doing at Christmas, right?  Worshiping. Not making some pointed political statement or “my religion is better than your religion” power play.

I’m not a Bible thumper – not anywhere near.  I simply believe if you’re going to devote an entire quarter of the year to celebrate this man’s birth, you might want to pay attention – just a little – to what he had to say. As Chris Rock says “Jesus was the least materialistic person ever to roam the Earth”. I can’t say for sure, but based on what I’ve read, I believe he would be appalled.

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t begrudge people who shop early, put up the trees in their homes before Thanksgiving, any of that. That’s cool.  It’s your house and your business.  Your celebration. Happy holidays! The only issue I have is that you make me look like a slacker.

What I don’t like is feeling manipulated.  And that’s all this is about – the decorations in September, the message that the more you spend, the more you love your family.  “War on Christmas” is just another tool to get you to spend and feed the corporate machine. The machine that feeds the corporate politicians and propagandists.  It’s not about Jesus or Christianity on any level.  It’s about division and fear and hate. Basically, just like everything else coming out of the right-wing bullshit machine

I’m here to warn you – the first time this fall I hear “War On Christmas” or see it flung all over my Facebook or Twitter feed – look out. After I school you on how what you’re celebrating actually has its roots in paganism,  I might just decide to (symbolically, maybe) shove a candy cane up your wazoo. Minty fresh!

Happy Holidays.

The Curse of the Human Race – Selfishness

“Selfishness is the father of all evil.” – Buddha

 

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All evil is rooted in selfishness.  Take any evil act, boil it down to its essence – what remains is some form of egoism.

Evil has always been with us, since the beginning of time, demonstrated in a multitude of ways. One needs only a casual understanding of history to see this fact illustrated time and again.

Evil is insidious and nefarious. Evil seeks to distort and deceive. Evil will say anything to get others to do its bidding. Evil is the ego run rampant. Evil is a liar. Evil is a narcissist. Evil holds allegiance to no one or nothing other than itself.

Evil owes nothing. Evil gives nothing. Evil is selfish.

When you make a deal with the Devil,  you’re a fool if you expect the Devil to uphold his end of the bargain.

Evil’s objective is complete control. 

Some people give themselves over to evil willingly. They recognize a commonality, a kinship. A shared desire or goal.

“Evil is saying what we’re thinking!  Evil hates the same people we do! Evil can do something for me!”

Evil can lead its agents to jeopardize and sacrifice themselves, their loved ones, their futures simply so it can relish the suffering of others.

Evil is cruel. Evil is sadistic. Evil alienates. Evil divides.

Evil can masquerade as piety, zeal, devotion. Evil loves to embed itself in politics and religion, to cloak itself in the disguise of righteousness. Evil thrives on the illusion of superiority and supremacy.

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”                  – Maya Angelou

Evil has been allowed to colonize, to fester, and infect our country. We are presided over by a malignancy that has shown us, for its entire life, its true nature. What it always has been. What it always will be.

We live among advocates of evil who are proud, egotistical, willfully ignorant, stubborn, and spiteful. They harbor anger and hatred. Evil offers them validation for their prejudices, contempt, self-loathing, and hostility.  Evil tells them that their own selfishness is appropriate, justified, and the most important thing.

Evil is inherent to the human condition and we must learn to co-exist with it. We cannot allow it to spread its toxins and poison what is good. We must identify it. Expose it. Attempt to control it. Disarm it.

Now, more than ever, we must fight for the soul of our society.

 

 

 

“I’m A Lumberjack And I’m Okay…”

 

Let me start by saying this is NOT a religious post.  It is about basic moral principles, and how human beings should know, without being told, the decent way to treat one another.  Because obviously, most of them don’t have a clue. “You will know them by their fruits.” Indeed.

There’s a verse in the New Testament of the Christian Bible that goes something like this:

“The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”

I’ve been doing a bit of land clearing lately myself. Hacking down those diseased trees that bear rotten fruit. Liberating my soul from the tangle created from years of neglect and overgrowth. Carefully pruning the dead wood from the vines that ensnare my peace of mind. It’s an arduous task, but every time I fell another tainted tree, saw off another afflicted branch, or release myself from another nasty snarl, I feel healthier, more empowered, and even a little bit hopeful.

Being my own advocate.  I’ve never really had a true advocate.

My newly discovered lumberjacking skills have led me to deactivate my Facebook account. Which, for someone like me, feels like lobbing off a body part. An amputation. Facebook has been part of my daily life for years. It has been my main mode of communication, source of information, and forum to promote my work.  Most of my friends and family live inside Facebook. Friends, who, even though we don’t agree on every little nuance, we still honestly like and respect one another. We can have civil conversations without insults and hyperbole. There are also people who I like, love, even, and want to continue doing so, despite some of their deeply misguided, offensive posts and comments. On both sides of the aisle, I might add. They just can’t seem to help themselves.  I want them to continue to like me as well. They sure as shit won’t if I allow them to continue to piss me off and I let my true feeling be heard.  It’s for their own good.

I came to realize that Facebook and I were in a dysfunctional relationship. Facebook has been fueling negativity since 2008.  It’s only getting uglier, meaner, stupider. Bullies. Facebook was making my life miserable, and I, like any co-dependent worth their salt, was trying to fix it. I have been around long enough to know this is IMPOSSIBLE.

So I did the only thing I knew to do. Take care of myself.

So I chainsawed that motherfucker right down to the stump. I hurled its filthy chunks into the pit of hell fire. I listened to it crackle and rupture as it transformed to ash. I let the sweet, acrid smoke wash over my body as I watched it waft into oblivion. No mercy.

And down will come baby, cradle and all. 

There’s a freedom in realizing that there are some things you cannot change or control. Other people, their beliefs and actions. They’re going to have to do that all by themselves. Some never will.

I know that what I can change is my experience with these challenges.  Trust me, this epiphany does not mean that I’m going underground and I’m not going to fight, tooth and nail, for my deeply-held beliefs based on kindness, justice, and what is honorable.

I will continue hiking through the tangled labyrinth, machete and ax in hand, clearing the path to expose the mind field of assholes as I wander on my journey.  I’ve stepped on enough of those.

  • Yes, I realize I’m going to have to reactivate the son-of-a-bitch account to promote this post.  But that’s the ONLY reason.  No nasty comments, either. Your negativity will fall on deaf ears.  Go whine to your new dictator. He really cares about you. 

 

 

 

I’m A Delicate F**king Flower

If you’re offended by blue language, you might want to be on your merry way. 

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One of my most prized possessions.

I own these socks (from Blue Q)  and would wear them every day if I could.  Never before have I seen a quote that captures my essence quite as perfectly as this one does.

I AM a delicate fucking flower, goddammit!  I’m the nicest person you would ever want to meet.  I’m a giver, a nurturer, a dedicated friend ’til the end.  I will stand up and fight beside you, for you.

Under the proper circumstances.

I’ve also been called bitchy, loud-mouthed, sassy, and bossy.  Since I was 8 years old.

I am an unlikeable woman.  I’ve learned to embrace that.  I’m proud of it.

I am in good company.

And like my unlikeable sisters, I do not give a flying fuck.

Sure, sometimes those sharp, targeted words can sting, but not enough to make me stop being me.

It’s a dichotomy – the whole delicate fucking flower persona.

Let me explain.

I have a fabulously over-developed sense of justice.  I am a Libra, after all.

Nothing upsets me more than to see anyone, anything being treated unfairly.  To see bullies attempting to force their will and beliefs on everyone else.  Attempting to legislate that shit. Innocent people suffering and dying because of selfishness, ignorance, sanctimony, a political vendetta, or just plain dickishness. I’m very sensitive to any type of injustice.  I have a knack for honing in on it.  It’s a blessing and a curse.  Mostly a blessing.

Racists, homophobes, liars, Neo-Nazis, pseudo-Christians, religious bullies and bigots, (Dominionists, particularly), animal abusers, child abusers, sexual abusers, spouse abusers, pussy grabbers, pussy grabber apologists, authority abusers, authority figures who murder people based on melanin levels, antichoicers, xenophobes, those suffering from the every-growing scourge anti-Semitism and jingoism, NRA-worshiping ammosexuals, Fox “News” and alt-right zombies, war-mongers, whore-mongers, misogynists, sexists – all those folks in that big basket of proud Deplorables.  I know I’ve missed someone…. Oh yeah, Islamophobes.

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Um, NO!  I will not tolerate them or their revolting behavior.

It’s called righteous indignation.

Out come the thorns.

I will – and usually do – call out those assholes on their dumbfuckery every chance I get.

The curse –  I can sometimes be indiscriminate about identifying the offending jerks.

I am a champion of the underdog.  That goes with being a delicate flower.

I’m not shy about supporting my causes.  Why should I be?  Those cretins are certainly not shy about their bullshit.

I know I can’t change the world, but I do have a voice and a forum.  That voice may be shrill and bossy, but it gets my job done.  I sleep well at night.

I have a gut feeling that the above-mentioned assholes – they’re the very people who find me unlikable.

Good.

Would YOU want their approval?

H/T: Video courtesy of WhoHaHa

It Will NEVER Be Over…

* I have never felt it necessary to issue any type of explanation or qualifier regarding any of my writing until now. This post is NOT about every Republican – although some of my Republican readers have been having a difficult time understanding that. Why?  I’m not really sure. Nowhere do I refer to all Republicans as “deplorables.”  I know they’re not.  I personally know a few.  But if a reader happens to identify with that label and takes it as a personal affront, that is not on me.

 

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NOT my work.

 

 I do not believe that anywhere in this piece I have made blanket accusations or insults toward an entire political party, nor have I disparaged anyone other than the politicians, the abhorrently-behaved people featured, and those who condone their behavior. They deserve to be exposed and by their actions, have invited it. I wrote this because I’m angry and I’ll admit, a bit frightened. Never being one to stick my head in the sand, and possessing a desire to stay informed, I have watched, listen to, and read these types of accounts day after day for months. The closer to the election, the more plentiful the stories have become.  Never being one to hold my tongue, especially in cases of blatant injustice, and because we still have the 1st Amendment in the U.S.,  it is only fair that I be allowed have a voice with which to express my opinion, especially when the people featured in the piece below do so so very freely and seemingly without repercussion.  So, yeah, Liberals and women express rage and fear.  We usually don’t threaten the lives of others when doing so, however. 

killthebitchbaltimore

Photo of a sticker on a Jeep in Baltimore.

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Are you one of the shiny happy people who believe that after the big election in November is over and done,  things in America are going to go back to “normal” and we’re going to be one big happy country?  Kumbaya and shit?

If you believe that, I pity you. You are delusional. It’s not going to happen. Pandora’s box has been opened. You have not been doing your homework. You have not been paying the slightest bit of attention to what is going on during this surreal freak show of a campaign. Any hope of the GOP running a legitimate campaign was flung out with the cat litter the second Donald Trump announced his candidacy for President. And the Republican establishment knows it.  The process continued to erode as the GOP allowed that disgusting orange thing to systematically bully each and every one of his opponents for the nomination. Even as despicable and unworthy as some of them were, Trump’s 5th-grade bully behavior should have never been allowed to continue. Petty name calling during national debates – so very trashy, juvenile, and should have been reason enough for immediate removal from any respectable political party. “You’re FIRED!, you fat, filthy, coke sniffing, Tic-tac gorging, cretinous rapist liar!”  But no, the GOP establishment, most of them, endorsed him and embraced him. Or they didn’t want to rock the boat. Whatever… same outcome.

Hey, GOP!  YOU made this!

Remember that slogan?  I do.

And then the real shit show started. Enter The Deplorables.  The extremist Trump supporters. Yep, she named it and THEY claimed it. And what is with those people, especially the politicians, who look the other way or make excuses for his behavior?  Afraid to stand up to the ugliness for fear of repercussions from their own party?  Guilty by association?  Or just guilty as well?  If you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of months, the Deplorables are the alt-right nutjobs who have suckled at the teat of Rush Limbaugh, Breitbart, Fox “News”, the largest domestic terrorist organization in the U.S. – the NRA, at their own hate-mongering churches and around their own dinner tables, on the website Stormfront – “where every month is white history month”- etc., and at the man-boob of Trump his own disgusting self – Birther in Chief.  Even after he issued his Edict from the Mountain – that Barack Obama WAS born in the United States – there are still people who refuse to believe it. Even when it came directly from the cat’s ass, I mean mouth, of Trump himself.  Idiots like this dickwad – Sheriff Joe Arpaio – who recently announced that he’s still investigating President Obama’s birth certificate. President Obama has about 3 months left if office, you horse’s ass. Give it up! What a great use of taxpayer funds.

You go, Maricopa County, Arizona!  Go on with your bad selves!

The Deplorable show is nothing new.  It’s been around since the dawn of brutish man and the sad little women they drag around by the hair, or these days, the pussy.  The divisiveness will always be present. That is proven scientific fact.  President Obama being elected – twice – really pissed off the Deplorables,  worked them into quite a lather. If you haven’t noticed, some of them tend to not like brown people. His presidency has been the catalyst for the Deplorables to crawl out from under their rocks. The racists, the xenophobes, the misogynists, the anti-Semites, the white nationalist, the nativists, the war-mongers, the 2nd Amendment wackos, the KKK and the confederate flag wavers, the “Christians” who actually hate anyone who doesn’t believe like they do – like Indiana’s hard Dominionist Mike Pence, the anti-choicers who are so ignorant about the workings of women’s bodies and their healthcare it’s embarrassing, and those who condone sexual abuse and assault, even invite it. (Like the wildly unstable lady in the photo below.)  Those who vote against their own self-interest because of their pathetic gullibility. Their willful ignorance. These sheeple, fueled by their base hatred and underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes,  go to rallies or watch Trump spout his Fascist propaganda, his out-and-out lies, and spew is sulfurous evil. They lap it up like a dog eating its own vomit.

trumpshewishes

Classy lady.

With all due respect – which is none whatsoever – these are the people who are going to be the ruination of the United States of America. The end of the world as we know it.

It’s obvious that they don’t care or even know about the U.S. Constitution, how our political system works, or the basic elements of common human decency.  They provoke and attack people at Trump’s Hitler-esque shriek-and-bellow-fests. They wear profane clothing, carry profane signs, shout profane catch phrases. In front of their children, building up that master race of Trump Youth.  They attack perfect strangers and post horrendous, vile, uninformed word salads on social media.  Yet they cannot present one logical reason Pumpkin Spice Hitler is our best choice for President of the United States. No policy, no platform. They can’t debate a point without insulting Sec. Clinton, Democrats, Liberals, even their own. That venom has to be aimed at someone, anyone.  Or they deflect the argument completely.  Why?  Because they’ve got NOTHING. Nada. A vapid narcissist in an expensive, yet somehow, ill-fitting suit and an unearthly pelt atop his mangy head.

Trump and his hate speech have emboldened The Deplorables.  As each day goes by, Trump eggs them on and gins up more “reasons” for them to become more violent, inciting them to attack the media, requesting armed voter intimidation at polling places, hell, even “casually” calling for his “2nd Amendment people” to take matters into their own hands and assassinate Hillary Clinton.  Trump may have played that off like it was a joke, but I assure you, Bubba Ammosexual is out there somewhere, fondling his arsenal, just waiting for the right time to take a shot at the crooked, nasty, baby killing, liberal cunt who is running against his Grand Wizard Master and trying to take away the object of his undying affection.

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Trump knows he’s going to lose and he has already set up a plan and sent out a call to action to his Deplorables.  There has been talk of racial war, rebellion, coups, secession, blood in the streets. After he loses to a nasty woman, he’s going to have his own network to telegraph his message of hate 24-7.  As if Fox wasn’t enough…

Look at this fine self-proclaimed “Christian soldier” from Greenville, South Carolina and what he recently posted on his Facebook page, which has strangely been taken down. Either by himself or the FBI. We’re not sure.  Behold:

jimmosely

Photo courtesy big, brave Christian soldier’s Facebook page.

Trump, that greedy, power-hungry, sexual abusing (he raped and sodomized a 13-year-old girl, I hear – people are saying…) pumpkin-faced, bad rug wearing, Fascist liar has set all this chaos in motion.

But he can strike the match and walk away.  Watch the country go up down in flames as he retreats to one of his ostentatious, tacky hotels.

Also remember, though, that Charles Manson never actually killed anyone and he rots away in prison to this day.  So there is a glimmer of hope, should the unspeakable happen. There’s precedent.

Yet, people are still chomping at the bit to vote for this pasty wad of ego.

Why?   He might be the Second Coming.  Just like Obama might have been the Anti-Christ.

Watch Trump compare himself to Billy Graham, at a Republican primary rally:

Barring some miracle – like Jesus coming down and slapping the shit out of some of these people – the damage done to our country will not easily be repaired. Not for a very, very long time. Generations.

Be ever vigilant and make no mistake. These people are evil, have pitch-black hearts, and they are arguably insane.  And thanks to all the NRA whores in our government and Bush’s  2008 SCOTUS’ D.C. v Heller decision, they are armed to the teeth.

I hope Secretary Clinton has a sturdy, comprehensive health care plan for dealing with the criminally insane.  She also might want to consider beefing up the Secret Service and the FBI, just as a precaution.  I have a feeling that these issues will be of utmost importance after November 8th.

And you will also understand if I do not allow my child to be left unsupervised with any Trump supporter or voter.  If they’re not condemning his sexual abuse, they’re condoning it.  My policy, when it comes to my child, has always been “better safe than sorry.”

Update: October 26

If you think I’m being hysterical and reactive, think again.  It’s not only me.  This NBC News report is about the Federal Government being concerned about election-related violence.

Silence in the face of evil IS evil. If you see something, say something, as with any terrorist-involved situation. Do something.  Don’t be an innocent bystander.  Good can overcome evil. Love trumps hate. But by no means should we negotiate with terrorists – foreign or domestic.

Meanwhile, enjoy these lovely photos.

 

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Former IL Congressman Joe Walsh and his 2nd Amendment Remedy. 

 

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‘Murica!

Deplorable? If The Shoe Fits…

You know what’s curious? That so many Trump supporters were so quick to assume Secretary Clinton was referring to them; that they immediately identified themselves as one of the “deplorables”,  even if they had to look up the definition on Dictionary.com. They hopped right into that handbasket and went straight to social media, taking offense to being insulted by the big ol’ liberal meanie.  Speaks volumes, doesn’t it?

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If the shoe fits, take that foot out of your mouth, cram it in and proceed to stomp all over your own respectability, baby!

Of COURSE, you are familiar with Hillary Clinton’s grossly generalistic statement about the estimated 50% of Trump supporters who are openly “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic… you name it.”

Fine folks like this.  And this.

Secretary Clinton referred to this group as a “basket of deplorables.”

Fair enough.  That gets no argument from me. That ideology IS deplorable. Base, despicable, reprehensible, loathsome, ignominious. Backward and shameful.

That is a fact and in a modern, civilized society, that fact isn’t debatable.

From what I’ve experienced this election cycle, I think Secretary Clinton’s estimate is a lowball.

If you happen to be one of the very, very few who are interested in factual information and you actually listened to the rest of her statement, in context, you would have heard…

“…Unfortunately there are people like that. And he (Trump aka Orange WannaHitler) has lifted them up.  He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people — now 11 million. He tweets and retweets their offensive hateful mean-spirited rhetoric.  Now, some of those folks — they are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.”

Clumsy metaphor aside, she’s right. Because she was referring to the white supremacists, the anti-Semites, the KKK, the white nationalists (like David Duke and those Stormfront idiots). She was referring to those who are brainwashed and hate-blind by the lies of the Fox Propaganda Network, Breitbart.com, by the hostility they hear coming from the pulpit, from their elected officials, from the voice of their own bigotry and fear. Trump loves those people, as he loves the poorly educated (they are one and the same, no?) They do his dirty work, and they are doing it so well.

But wait!  There’s more!

There just so happens to be a whole other basket…

Secretary Clinton continued:

“But the other basket — and I know this because I see friends from all over America here — I see friends from Florida and Georgia and South Carolina and Texas — as well as, you know, New York and California — but that other basket of people are people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they’re just desperate for change. It doesn’t really even matter where it comes from. They don’t buy everything he (OrangeWannaHitler) says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different. They won’t wake up and see their jobs disappear, lose a kid to heroin, feel like they’re in a dead-end. Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well.”

Very thoughtful. Very judicious. Very diplomatic.

But screw that, right?  She’s a nasty bitch, right?

RIGHT?!?!?

You know what’s curious?  That so many Trump supporters were so quick to assume Secretary Clinton was referring to them, that they immediately identified themselves as one of the “deplorables”, even if they had to look up the definition on Dictionary.com. Those folks hopped right into that handbasket and went straight to social media, taking offense to being insulted by the big ol’ liberal meanie.  

As ignorant as they seem, we need to listen to these folks. They are loudly and proudly telling us who they are.  Shouting it from the rooftops, in fact.

They are telling us that, YES, they detest all human beings of other races. The are telling us that they believe they are superior because of their skin tone. These butt-hurt children are telling us that they believe women are inferior to men. They believe that sexual assault is perfectly okay if the perpetrator is rich enough. Or white enough. Sexual abuse and assault is just locker room behavior. Boy stuff. They’re telling us that they hate or feel threatened by those whose sexual orientations and/or gender identities they don’t understand. They are telegraphing the fact that YES, they hate everyone who isn’t white, fundamentalist Christian, and born in ‘Murica. Oh, and a “pro-life” gun humper.

For the deplorables, this campaign isn’t about politics or policy.

It’s about pure, black-hearted, filthy hate. And when Trump, during the second “debate” made the claim that a Clinton presidency would be “four more years of Obama”, he said all he needed to say. It’s about racism. Still.

A lot, dare we say a basket-full, of self-professed “Christian” folks are ranting and raving about what a bitch and a cunt Hillary is, how she should be locked up, executed, and how all liberals are Satan’s spawn.  Just like Jesus would do.  (Never mind that Jesus was the poster child of bleeding-heart, socialist liberals.  And if he were here today, he would slap the shit out of the Deplorables. But that’s another post for another day.) 

And did you know that Hillary’s the Devil because Hollywood Movie Stars!!  Translation: Jews!  Hilter would be so proud.

 Let’s add anti-Semitic to that list while we’re at it.  Oh, and the Deplorables, they hate Catholics too.  Don’t ask me why.  People are saying, I’ve heard they do.

Oh, thou doth protest too much, methinks, my little deplorable monsters!

Your misdirected, ginned-up outrage speaks volumes.  The fact that you didn’t automatically put yourselves into the latter category, that other basket – the working poor, the disenfranchised, the mistreated, the misinformed – so very telling.

It’s the victim role. You LOVE the victim role!

But being aware of the other basket would have required further reading, research, and not jumping to the worst possible conclusion.

You know, thinking.

No, you latched right on to that deplorable label.

Some of you have even gone so far as to embrace it

And quite a fitting label it has proved to be.

Recent polling shows that 20% of Trump supporters disagree with the Emancipation Proclamation – they think Abraham Lincoln made a mistake freeing the slaves!!

Other information gleaned from the same February 2016 poll:

  • One-third of Trump supporters questioned willingly stated that they believe that gays and lesbians should be barred from the country.
  • Approximately one-third of Trump supporters questioned openly stated that they believe that whites are the superior race.
  • In a South Carolina poll, it was revealed that 70% of Trump supporters questioned openly admitted that they wish the Confederate battle flag were still flying above their state house. 38% of them admitted that they wish the South had won the war.

Pretty fucking deplorable. The fact that there is ANYONE in 2016 who holds these opinions is disgusting. Pathetic.

Secretary Clinton went easy on you. And I don’t think she should have apologized. She should have elaborated and dragged your filth out into the sunlight.

Deplorable does not begin to describe you, what you are so proud to be.

No, one four-syllable 8th-grade vocabulary word does not do you justice.

We’re going to need a bigger thesaurus.  (For you evolution-deniers: don’t worry. A thesaurus is not a dinosaur.)

You self-admitted cretins,  you do NOT deserve to be outraged.

Stop trying to blame Secretary Clinton and the liberals for your black hearts and filthy souls.

You have categorized and classified your own damn selves.

It was YOUR choice to align yourselves with the scum of the earth.

And you don’t even recognize the irony.

What a joke.


The takeaway:  If the shoe fits, cram your twisted, gnarly foot into it and ignorantly stomp all over your own respectability, baby!

Your fashion choice reveals way more about you than any politician’s or bitchy blogger’s snarky comments ever could.

Make America Hate Again

The Political Dilettante

Be Warned. My personal opinions and researched facts about U.S. politics will be discussed here.  I am not attempting to influence anyone. This is not a forum for discussion or argument. If you want to do that, start your own blog.

Some of you may be aware of my interest in politics. Particularly justice and truth in politics. I have written professionally for two progressive websites and very much enjoy the research that is necessary to obtain facts. Real facts.  Not the Fox News “facts”, not the hate radio “facts”, not the religious extremists “facts” that are basically bastardizations from passages in the Bible. And certainly not Trump “facts”, possibly the biggest oxymoron known to man.

For years I have been very vocal about my views. This election season, however, I have been noticeably quiet on the subject.  Why?  Honestly, I quite frequently find myself at a loss for words.

Since I don’t have 18 hours a day to spend debunking all the falsehoods Trump continues to spew, let’s just say that I, among many other political pundits, politicians, and educated voters are facing something the likes of which we have never seen. The ever-increasing Fascist and authoritarian behavior of Donald Trump. As much as he terrifies me for the future of our country and civilization as we know it, he has legions of  people who seem to function solely with their brain stem and amygdala. They operate out of fear. Racism, bigotry, religious extremism, homophobia, xenophobia,  hatred for and violence against ( we are already seeing that) anyone who does not believe, worship, look like they do.  All these lovely qualities stem directly from fear. And Trump and his minions do nothing but stir that hornet’s nest.  We’re going to have to deal with that angry mob regardless of the outcome of the election. I envision an angry mob with and torches…

Hatemap

Fear and hate mongers, all.  That is the only thing the campaign has to offer so far.  No platform, no details about exactly how he plans to “make America great again”. Nothing, nada.  His foreign policy seems to consist basically of carpet bombing the entire Middle East. His role models are Sadam Hussein, Putin, and Kim Jong Un. He has failed to disavow white supremacist groups, like the KKK, that support him.  He tells people to they should hate “Crooked Hillary”, ironically his friend for years prior to his shit-slinging.

I could go on and on, but as I said, I simply do not have the time. And I’m afraid that if I dig too deep, I will lose the will to live.

All I can say is that voting that budding dictator into office would be, without a doubt, the biggest mistake in the history of United States politics.

Quit Your Meanness!

 

You’ve seen reporters do it on shows like 20/20 and Dateline. They go into hotel rooms that are supposedly nice and clean, turn off the lights, and shine that little UV blacklight  around. More times than not, the light uncovers things unsavory and unsanitary. Disgusting.

 

UV

 

Every four years – Presidential election years particularly – the giant UV light is shined upon our country. The results are the same as the hotel rooms, except much, much worse. We are shown all the filth that contaminates our country. Especially on social media. Some posters cannot abstain from posting their nastiest, most inappropriate thoughts. If it’s really something heinous, like a death or rape threat, I usually screen capture it and keep it in my little secret file. You never know when they might come in handy.

“Never argue with an idiot. They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” ~ George Carlin

This is one reason I no longer argue with or acknowledge their obscenities and displays of racism, misogyny, and unadulterated hate. There is a difference between passion for an issue and going too far. I think most reasonable people know where that line is. Contentious posts tell me everything I need to know about a person. My current preferred method of dealing with this inevitable phenomenon is to unfollow or delete and block them. Do not engage. “People are entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts”. I love this quote by Daniel Patrick Moynihan.  It might serve everyone best if they did a little research before they haul off and fly off the handle.  Now, if someone posts directly on your page or account, or mentions you by name on their page, you then have my permission to rip them a new asshole in a private message. Or simply take the high road and deal with it privately. Then delete and block them.

If you really want to see the worst of the human race, go to the comments section of any Southern local newspaper or television station. Those comments, in most cases, are terrifying. Especially when you realize those people have the right to vote and are your neighbors. I swore off those years ago.

Angry, berating behavior serves only to cause nothing but discord and animosity. It causes conflict between friends and families. There is a possibility that someone like, oh, your boss might see the nastiness. After something is posted on social media, it becomes public domain.  And the arguments never, ever end with the changing of minds.  But people can’t resist it. Attacking loved ones, friends, and strangers alike. Entire groups of people. Just because they believe differently.  What I find the most

What I find the most loathsome of all are the folks spreading hate and lies in the name of Jesus. This is why I strongly believe that religion and the government should be kept far, far apart.  Within the Christian community, which I have the most experience with and knowledge about, from the very inception of the religion, there was division. Believers have split off into many different denominations. These denominations have split into different brands of themselves. Mega churches are cults of personality that have branched off from a denomination, usually focusing on money or the leader. Some just make it up as they go along, misinterpreting the Bible to suit their own personal agenda  You can find division and enmity between people in every congregation.  Trying to legislate a particular religion simply doesn’t work AND it is unconstitutional.

What’s the answer to all this?  I have know idea, but I do know one way to start. BE KIND TO EACH OTHER!  It’s that simple.

Just be nice. Please?

 

The Proper Southern Lady: EPIC FAIL

 

Designingwomen

Do you really have to have a reason to post a photo of Designing Women?

 

As part of the generation caught between Suzy Homemaker and Gloria Steinem, plenty of women in my age group grew up conflicted and confused. Especially Southern women. Specifically intelligent Southern women.  Should we aspire to spend our days cleaning the house wearing our stylish dresses and pearls? Should we await the arrival of our lovely children with homemade cookies and milk, and our husbands with his slippers and a perfectly shaken martini?

Or should we burn our bras, forego early marriage for a college education (needless to say join a sorority) and career, to be the woman who could have it all?  It was an unspoken assumption that proper Southern girls had two, maybe three career choices. Girls could be teachers, nurses, or secretaries.  A calling, a calling, and there’s always that coveted MRS degree.

The perfect example of that conflict is that I owned both an Easy Bake Oven AND my own microscope. Couldn’t care less about keeping the house, but would rather read all day. This caused a lot of friction in my childhood.

This conundrum has plagued many women in my generation. Some of tried the former, some the latter. Some of tried to juggle both.  Some of us have wonderful lives, regardless of the choice. Some of us regret our choices to this day and are still trying to clean up the messes.

The Fundamentals of Good Manners

The Proper Southern Lady has a code of manners and etiquette that, from a very early age she is taught. It includes such niceties as always saying ma’am and sir, please and thank you, rules about when it is acceptable to wear white shoes and pants, writing “thank you” notes (God forbid, you don’t do that),  trying not to giggle during the blessing or in church, how gossip is tacky unless you preface the news with “Bless her heart” or a similar sentiment. Ladies do not raise their voices, do not smoke cigarettes, drink beer out of a can or bottle – preferably not at all. A proper lady does not walk around with a cocktail in her hand. She must remain seated and wait until someone delivers the drink.   And Lord have mercy, a proper Southern lady never curses. Oh, my word! or I swan! are as salty as she is allowed to be. My grandmother would scold us for saying “dang” or “durn” or calling someone a fool. A lady should never have to open a door for herself. In social situations, the Southern lady does not speak of herself but listens and politely responds to others when spoken to. She must never, ever monopolize the conversation, or attempt to be the center of attention. Trust me, you will be talked about later, bless your heart.

Not all these are bad things – the thank you notes, the white shoes and pants, ma’am and sir – those are ingrained in my brain. The others….we’ll get right on those, won’t we ladies?

However, the “rule” or manner that has been drilled into all of us Southern ladies and has caused the most inner turmoil is this one:

 Others first, yourself last.

Self-denial and deference to others are the cornerstones of good Southern manners, particularly for ladies. Otherwise, you are acting needy and selfish, and that will not do. Nor will it keep a man satisfied. 

I am here to say that all that antiquated bullshit is exactly that. Bullshit.  That housewife vs. feminist conflict created a whole new breed of Southern Woman and we say to hell with that old putrid trash. Learn to say no.Trust me, always putting everyone’s needs and feelings before your own gets you exactly NOWHERE, except overwhelmed, chronically depressed, filled with self-doubt and feelings of worthlessness. I am walking, talking proof. Not to mention, it all leaves you emotionally drained and completely exhausted. I can’t help but think it’s one of the reasons why some Southern women are so dead-set on owning a gun. (I do, and only I know where it is.)  You just never know, do you?

I understand the concept of the rule, Jesus laying down his life and all, (FYI: I’m not Jesus and neither are you, but he seems like a nice enough guy)  but I guarantee that rule was thought up by some controlling, power-happy son of a bitch in an attempt to hold dominion over his wife and women in general.  He did it in order to be the first served while the women, preferably pregnant, slaved all afternoon over the hot stove cooking his  damn supper. Screw that bastard and all the bastards who follow in his footsteps. I was rebelling against this practice in my family when I was 8 years old. I say if that’s the kind of woman you want, go buy your bastard self a fuckin’ robot wife. They have them in Japan, I heard.

Of course as compassionate human beings, we all have to put others’ needs first at one point or another, especially if there are children involved. With children, that simply goes with the territory.  Not making yourself a priority should be out of the goodness of your heart, not because of some old social more.  But to live your whole life as someone’s doormat?  Umm, no.  That is a recipe for disaster and a one-way ticket to the Betty Ford Clinic or prison.

I have to confess that I have lived years of my adult life under the deceitful cloud of selflessness.  I have let some of the so-called men in my life try to “mold” me, control my education and career path, have listened to them berate me, tell me I’m not as smart as I think I am. This is verbal abuse. Abuse. It changed how I felt about myself and my own intelligence and abilities, and my basic worthiness as a human being. Turns out, I was way smarter than he was. I left his ass.

Feelings of inferiority and being taught to “stay out of other people’s private business” have caused me to not speak up when I knew I should have, one situation in particular that eventually ended in tragedy. It will always linger in the back of my mind that I could have helped prevent  it if I had just spoken up. Since then, I’ve held my tongue and my pain surrounding this event so not to hurt anyone else’s feelings or intrude, damaging my own psyche in the process.

Then, one day, I realized I couldn’t do it anymore. I had been “well-mannered” for long as possible. I lost it.Went CRASHING straight to the depths. I had no choice but to focus on myself. Decades worth of internalized pain, grief, regret, anger all came flooding out, and it is not done yet.  It will be over when I’m done processing, and I refuse to make excuses or sacrifices at my own expense. Not to say that I’m going to be a callous bitch – unless the occasion calls for a bitch.  I will always put my child before myself. Putting your child first is natural for a parent – but that too is a delicate balance. You don’t want them growing up to be entitled little tyrants.

As far as that stupid “rule” goes, from now on, the people I consider more important than myself are going to be my choice and it damn sure won’t be every Tom, Dick, and Harry. I’m changing, damn it.

I will try to do one positive thing every day. I will try to do one thing for myself every day. I will tell my daughter how beautiful, intelligent, and funny she is. Every day. I’m going to be brave & tell those I love that I love them. You never know if it will be your last chance. If I had done this 22 years ago, I have no doubt things would have turned out to be very different. Even with that knowledge, we learn to appreciate what we have, be grateful that life course-corrects. Settle into joy.

With all these changes, if you can’t accept me for who I am, for who I have been, having crawled through all the dirt, pain, blood, insanity, death, ugliness, regret, and anger that made me who I am today, well, I see that as your problem, bless your heart.