Deplorable? If The Shoe Fits…

September 14, 2016October 20, 2016 / One Scary Mom aka middleagedingenue / Leave a comment

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?

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.

Quit Your Meanness! And Trying To Politicize Andy Griffith, You Dumbasses!

February 10, 2016February 21, 2016 / One Scary Mom aka middleagedingenue / Leave a comment

I have made a concerted effort NOT to bring political discussions to this forum. In fact, that was the purpose of creating this blog. This post, however, really isn’t about politics. It’s about how we, as a society, have sunk so low that we believe it is socially acceptable to be without common decency, speak before we think, words do have consequences. In today’s America, it’s fine to stand without truth, kindness, and to be downright insulting. In fact, it’s admired and applauded. I’m sure all my nice friends, many who call themselves Christians, who shared the meme below never thought twice about it being offensive. But guess what? It is. It offended me. And make the creator of it look pretty dumb. It is full of false assumptions and hate. Consider this post my community service for the week.

Consider this post my community service for the week.

This little clip has been making its way around Facebook. It’s an excerpt from The Andy Griffith Show about Opie wanting a bigger allowance and the importance of working for what you earn. Something I think we all can agree upon, yes?

By the way, it was shared on Facebook by a page called Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children, which I find exceedingly ironic. Especially after looking at the images and symbols on their page.
Watch:

Pretty standard scene from the show, right? A lot of us grew up on these reruns and can quote them to this day. We felt like the Taylor family was our family. We never (at least I didn’t) – in a million years – thought to use those little parables to divide, support blatant lies to further a hate-based agenda, and to insult a huge segment of the population, based on pure ignorance. Many of those people you have insulted, you might even consider your friends. Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Here is what makes this meme is so shameful and embarrassing.

This is the description posted under the video.

griffith

It’s blurry. Here’s what it says:

“This is the conversation liberals didn’t get growing up.” Followed by some inane hashtags.

This is what I got from this shit-stirring post and the people who shared it. It leads me to believe that you all think Liberals (Democrats) were raised to have no work ethic, to have no respect for money, and generally are lazy, stupid, and want the government to support them. Or else the whole post is racist dog-whistle talk. Either way, it’s tacky, nasty, and uncalled for. As a life-long Democrat from a proud family of fairly prominent Democrats, I was not brought up in a wealthy family, I started working at age 16, I skimped, scraped and saved for everything I have and still managed to pay back my student loans, on time. The kind of ignorance communicated via this meme makes me angry, sad, and hopeless for the future of our country.

How DARE you judge an entire segment of the population based on biased bullshit? Talk about misguided. Those of you who have any sense know that crap isn’t true.

Usually, this is the point in my writing when I would inundate you with facts and statistics. Actual facts and statistics. But this time, I believe you can do that yourself. A little hard work is good for you, and it pays off in the end, right? Just make sure your sources are legitimate. If you need help with that, let me know.

I will make these few brief points.

Government statistics show that most welfare recipients are white, Southern, and vote Republican. Not Liberals, not minorities, but white Republicans.

Statistics also reveal that the city holding the most beneficiaries of the SNAP program (food stamps – a favorite target of the GOP) is 99.22% white and 95% Republican. Owsley County, Kentucky earns the lowest median household income in the country, but they are the most prolific government-takers in U.S. existence. Following the logic of the meme, are we to believe that this area in Kentucky is the epicenter of lazy, no-good, low-down, trifling white trash?

At least 1 million United States Veterans are on food stamps or some kind of public assistance. Do YOU want to be the one to tell them to get off their lazy asses and work harder?

No, I don’t know everything. But the things I do know I hold close to my heart and try my best to practice them in everyday life. They are really pretty simple. Love one another, and love your neighbor as yourself. To do what I can for “the least of these.” Think the best of people, to treat others with kindness and respect (until they prove to me they don’t deserve it.) That includes informing them if they’re wrong or hurting others, knowingly or unknowingly.

My greatest wish is for all of us to live in harmony, without want or need, to be healthy, and to be ourselves without judgment. What has led me to these beliefs? The teachings of Jesus – a big, honking, socialist liberal.

I also like the fact that Sherrif Andy didn’t carry a gun. But that’s another topic for another time.

Losing My Religion

June 26, 2015October 2, 2017 / One Scary Mom aka middleagedingenue / Leave a comment

That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight, losing my religion. ~ R.E.M.

It has been a while since I escaped a nefarious little corner of hypocrisy, dysfunction and subtle abuse. Yet it has taken me this long to put fingers to keys and write about it. Now it is time. This is my testimony. Read this or not. It is my catharsis. Perhaps you might glean something from my experience as well.

There are very few times in a person’s life when you stand before an altar and take a vow. For me, that act has never been something to be taken lightly. One of those times is a wedding. Another is when you vow to join, give of yourself, and pledge to be faithful to a principle, an institution, a family. You offer your gifts, service, your presence. You offer yourself. As with a marriage, the dissolution of the bond is always painful and difficult, regardless of the underlying cause. Healing doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the same when you’ve been betrayed by the institution to which you pledged to be faithful.

What happens when the church is the unfaithful party in the relationship when they betray you? How do you not feel forsaken and abandoned when you are attacked like a virus in the Body?

Of course, it changed me. It changed the way I think about some the most fundamental issues in life. Honesty. Trust. Friendship.Spirituality. Love. But change is good.

It changed the way I think about myself. Now I’m more careful, cautious, even skeptical. I have, once again, learned to trust my gut. Listen to my instincts. I smelled a rat early on. I just didn’t want to admit it. Justice, equality, authenticity, courage, personal conviction. They are higher priorities now. I realize that Claire Boothe Luce was correct when she stated: “No good deed goes unpunished”.

But as much as it has altered my worldview, I can’t help but feel the pure joy of enlightenment, freedom, and clear sight.

I escaped via the high road. I knew full well their plan. I had seen it unfolding for months. The devious, calculating, duplicitous scheming. Gossips, egomaniacs. bullies, manipulators, hypocrites. It is not unusual, so I’m told.

I was in a no-win situation. I was marked. So I quit. I conceded.

When I say I quit, I mean I really quit. I washed my hands of all of it. It was the healthy thing to do, for myself; for my family. There is nothing sacred about that place anymore, that situation. Poisonous. Toxic.

Quitting ultimately turned out to be one of the wisest decisions of my life. I feel more liberated every single day.

I escaped with the peace of mind of knowing that I walked out the door standing for what I know is right. I never lied. I was always honest and sought harmony. I did not see the point of attempts to placate evil. I’m proud of myself. For everything I did, every step of the journey.

I’m the fortunate one. I no longer have to live in a stagnant web of deceit, dysfunction, pride, and mendacity. I’m not snared in a saccharine tangle of my own design, knowing deep in the recesses of my soul that I have perpetuated and allowed a poison to seep into something that is meant to be good, kind, and caring.

I chose freedom and a new path. I no longer have to play the game. I suck at the game. I get to be authentic. I no longer have to bear witness to the playing of politics with other people’s lives, with what they hold most sacred.

My only regret is that I protected the bullies, my tormentors. By taking that higher road, they got their way. It seemed easier at the time. And by that point, I needed to get out.

The experience was both liberating and heartbreaking, as are most growth experiences.

Another aspect I found surprising and interesting – with the exception of a very, very select few, no one cared that I fled or really even noticed. Nor did they have the slightest clue of the reason. They never asked. They never cared. There’s a certain liberation in knowing that truth as well.

Let Karma do her job. Everything in its time. I was blind, but now I see.

Dirty Socks, Dirty Words (Rated PG-13 for Language)

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 / One Scary Mom aka middleagedingenue

Confession time. I work blue. I have a potty mouth. Have since I was 12 years old. That’s no shock to anyone who follows me, has ever met me, talked to me. And certainly not to anyone who has ever had cocktails with me.

An author I follow on Facebook posted this photo, stating that she wanted these socks. Being that I think they’re fun, optimistic, and cool, I shared the photo, stating that I needed a pair. That’s it. And since most of my Facebook friends are adults (I have the kids on a special list so I can hide inappropriate things from them), I didn’t think a thing about it.

Shortly following my posting, this popped up in the comments section. “No cussing on Facebook. I hate that word.” Umm, okay. Good for you, I guess. After I let that sink in a while, you can imagine the thoughts and feelings that went through my head. First of all, being that I am a grown-ass woman with a mind of my own, and since I really don’t like being bossed around, I had to respond. That comment began “Seriously? Talk to the sock.” and went on from there. It wasn’t mean. Merely factual. After that, the post kind of took on a life of its own, as these things often do. My friends, all big fans of the 1st Amendment, no doubt, and who also happen to be potty mouths, came to my defense. All because of a pair of clever, cute sock with a POSITIVE message, from a company that donates part of their proceeds to Doctors Without Borders. Liberal heathens.

This got me to thinking about bad words, dirty words, “cuss” words. Most of the words our society defines as profanity have to do with normal human bodily functions or parts, while some, I admit, are kind of offensive. Like the ones that are derogatory toward females (not really many male equivalents, if you think about it). And I understand that some folks don’t care to use or hear them. That’s fine. I do understand that it’s a generational thing as well. Some older folks don’t like “dirty talk”. I respect that.

I don’t have to use profanity. I’m well-read, fairly articulate, and pretty well-educated. Hell, I’m a fuckin’ WRITER. I know words.

Truth is, I like profanity. I like to use it. I think it has its place. Especially for shock value. That delights me to no end. Profanity is like a spice. Us it appropriately and sparingly.

So in honor of my delicate Facebook friend, I decided to compose what I call MY BIG LIST OF THE MOST OFFENSIVE WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. And guess what? Fuck isn’t even on it.

MY BIG LIST OF THE MOST OFFENSIVE WORDS (and/or terms) IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Murder. Massacre. School shooting. Killing. Bloody. Sniper. Shooter. Senseless. Attack. Assault. Hate. Bias. Oppression. Racism (and every racial or religious slur that goes along with it). Homophobia. (Ditto). Misogyny. Discrimination. Disenfranchise. Hate crime. War. Bomb. Genocide. Abuse. Slavery. Rape. Mutilation. Violence. Poverty. Hunger. Need. Illness. Want. Denial. Greed. Materialism. Ostentatious. Sanctimony. Judgment. Hypocrisy. Disrespect. Inequality. Gullible. Rigid. Fear (of anyone different than you). Blasphemy (as in religion used to further your own personal or political agenda. Also to frighten or threaten.). Anti-choice. Anti-science. Willful ignorance (“What is “What Fox “News” has created, Alex?”) I’m sure I’ll be adding to the list as time goes on.

These are the words we should try to abolish from our national lexicon. They’re hurtful, evil, and nasty. They represent things that do real harm in the world. They can ruin or end lives. They have real life consequences. I doubt anyone is going to die from that pair of socks.

I don’t know about you, but I’d much prefer to look at a rather innocuous accessory that has “fuck” woven into them than to see evidence of any of the words listed above. Guess I should never watch the news or go on Facebook, huh? Lest I go around in a perpetual state of shock. Thankfully, there have been great strides made in technology of late. Like the remote control and the unfollow button on Facebook. I use the shit out of that thing. Otherwise, I might take it upon myself to go on to someone’s private, personal space and tell them what they can or cannot post. Yikes!

But alas, the people who really need to grasp that concept probably don’t give a fuck. To each his own, I suppose.

And by the way, CARPE the FUCK out of this DIEM!

https://youtu.be/arMtFxv7jlw

What Do You Want From Me?

February 25, 2015April 6, 2015 / One Scary Mom aka middleagedingenue

You want to hear something interesting?
I used to write for a progressive political blog site. Some of my posts got tens of thousands of hits. Because believe it or not, I can be sarcastic, caustic and biting. Funny and bitchy at the same time. I have a sharp tongue and can piss off large groups of people without batting an eye. Just by telling the truth, presenting facts and the results of research, or by being a woman with an opinion. I did my homework and always had facts and stats to back up my every point. I’m a feminist and a Libtard and I wear those badges proudly. Yeah, I made money . But after a while, and several death & rape threats, I had to give it up. For my own peace of mind, health, and the safety of my family. So I wouldn’t turn into something as spiteful and cruel my detractors. It just wasn’t worth it.
These days, I write a kinder, gentler blog. It’s not about politics or anything controversial. That’s by design. It’s about my life as a middle-aged woman who is still trying to find her way. And guess what? Practically no one reads it.

I’m confused. Do people want me to be a bitch? Because I can accommodate. I can always write under a nom de plume. As Ouiser would say “I’m not as sweet as I used to be”.

I set a goal for myself recently. My goal is to be humorous without being as catty, or mocking people for being ignorant and misguided. (Politicians and public figures are still fair game, however. They ask for it.) You know what? It’s damn difficult. I think I’ve watched The Daily Show for entirely too long. Jon Stewart’s sense of humor has seeped into my subconscious. Not that it’s a bad thing. Maybe I should audition to be his replacement.

Contrary to the old proverb “You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”, my current experience has proven the exact opposite. And you know what attracts more than either of these? Bullshit. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions on that one.

But who wants a bunch of flies buzzing around anyway?

Things I’ve Learned From Facebook, Entry Number Two

July 23, 2014July 23, 2014 / One Scary Mom aka middleagedingenue / Leave a comment

As a general rule, I try really hard to see the good in people. But let’s be honest, in today’s world, that can be difficult. Thankfully, the vast majority of people I deal with are at the very least pleasant and reasonably intelligent. Most have been taught basic respect for others and in most cases, some manners. Most people are civil – at least to your face. I make a effort to reciprocate. That’s how society works, no?

Social protocol (or lack thereof) on Facebook is a different animal all together. God bless you, if you dare, click on a comments section of a Facebook posting about, well, pretty much anything (other than kittens or a cocktail). Warning: This comes with its own set of risks. One can quickly lose all faith in humanity if one is not careful. Why would anyone want to do this to themselves, you ask. Curiosity. To gauge the social climate. Entertainment. Masochism.

Although I have been spending less and less time on social media, bashing my head against the Wall of Idiocy, I made the mistake yesterday of venturing into the comments section of a story on our local newspaper’s page. I really wish I hadn’t. I ended up in the fetal position for the remainder of the evening. My take-away from that experience – the majority of people who live in my area and post on social media are reprehensible. Stupid. Vicious. Vindictive. Racist (racism is big in these parts). Hypocritical. Vile. Frightening. Embarrassing. Facts, statistics, and verifiable, credible sources mean nothing to these people. Common decency means nothing to these people. It’s horrifying.

I’ve learned my lesson, for the time being anyway.

I’m no longer naive enough to think I can reason with the unreasonable.

I am not the jackass whisperer. (I prefer stronger language, actually.)