The American Ebola

For some reason, people read this blog, but don't post comments? I get feedback in my email though. Which I find odd being that a feedback option is right here on the page to begin with.

With that established, I thought I would answer a couple of questions that have been asked of me by both random readers and even personal friends...

*"What the hell are you trying to accomplish with this blog?"*

Reader at Random

In a word, equality. I want equality for everyone! I shouldn't even need to list all of the people in need of equality as I am sure you have one or two groups already in mind that you think deserve equality. I have my pet groups I would like to gain their equality first, but that is just me being honest with myself. In the long run as long as they get theirs I will be happy with everyone being equal!

*"Dude, do you even have a remote clue of how much you cannot win this thing? You can't go around telling people who they can and can't include in their fight for an equal playing field!"*

Rob the drummer friend

Actually Rob, I can. That is one of the things I love about being an American! I have a freedom of speech that is guaranteed to me by our constitution and if I choose to exercise that right by pointing out how blatantly stupid people are being in their presentation of their cause, maybe, just maybe someone will open their eyes and say,

*"Wait a minute! He has a point! Sure it is buried in failed attempts at humor that come off as condescending and typical patriarchy diatribe, but if you actually READ what the man is saying, he makes sense. We should be fighting for equality and not for feminism!"*

Do I think this is an eventuality? Probably not, but it does have a possibility.  ;-)

*"If you support the fight for equality and think it would be so easy to obtain, why is equality not obviously the status quo already?"*

Reader at Random

AHA! No here is something I can sink my teeth into! The reason, in my opinion of course, that equality is not status quo is.... The American Ebola.

"When left untreated, Ebola has a death rate of 90%."

This is some factoid I heard on the news, but it got me to thinking. If we could magically separate those in this country who actually have zero "isms" we would be left with maybe 90% of the population suffering from an "ism" infection. That 90%, that if left untreated will die. Not an actual death, but a Social death. More to the point without sounding like a World Health Organization scare campaign:

ism

ˈizəm/

noun

informal derogatory

a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement.

"of all the isms, fascism is the most repressive"

Some of the usual suspects include: Racism, Sexism, Ageism, blah blah blah ism, ad infinitism.

Some of these isms are so prevalent in the minds of the harboring party that they are blinded to the factual truths of certain situations. As if my opinions aren't already unpopular enough, let me get REAL unpopular, hated even...

Eric Garner died on a sidewalk in New York and the man held responsible for his death was not indicted. Immediate screams of RACISM cry out from all over the country! To which I say, "bullshit". I am not even loud or animated about my disbelief because I am right to say that Eric died from his own poor impulse control. I know, I know... your brain just threw up trying to process the incredulity of my position. But be an adult and hear me out okay?

* Eric chose to break a law

* He had been convicted of this law once before

* He chose to willfully disobey the officer

* He chose to resist

* He chose to become physical

* He was out of shape yet chose physical resistance

* He had breathing problems but chose to struggle anyway

Eric Garner made these choices for himself. Now he is dead from his own decisions. If you disagree all you need do is answer a single question,

*"If Eric Garner had simply complied instead, would he most likely be alive today?"*

I don't need to hear about racist cops, prosecutors, judges, juries, systems, or even the struggle and plight of the black man being an actuality I cannot imagine due to my white privilege. Yes, or No? Would the man be alive had he simply complied and not just committed a repeat offense?

I am sure there will be the hate mail informing me of my racist views and KKK/Nazi affiliations and probably be awarded my new ShitLord badge. There will probably be the Libertarian slant on how if the tobacco taxes weren't so high there wouldn't have ever been a market for a loose cigarette from Eric to sell. The bleeding hearts will admonish me for being a monster incapable of empathy.

LOOK! YOU KNOW HOW I AVOID BEAING EATEN BY A SHARK? I STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THE GODDAMNED OCEAN!

You got breathing problems? Don't get struggle fucked to the ground for breaking the law! If you are MANLY enough to disregard the law, be MANLY enough to admit you are busted! I know, it's gonna suck to end up in the state pen on a habitual offender beef and have to admit that your habitual offense was selling loose cigarettes and not murder or whatever earns mad swag in prison these days!

So what is all of this rambling about? Simple! Eric Garner had his isms too.

* Blackism - Where you feel like an aggrieved minority

* Lawism - Where you feel only criminal laws are applied to you

* Disrespectism - The only respect you give is to people you are afraid of

* Persecutionism - Just because of your skin color you are hated and despised

The list can go on and on if you want to nitpick but you get the idea. His American Ebola was left untreated and there was a 90% chance of him dying because of it.

Any radical ism qualifies... like Terrorism and Feminism. The "ists" are tossed in there as well... Misogynists and Misandrists for example.  THIS is the American Ebola with a 90% death rate and we are ALL walking around infecting each other randomly based on genetic predispositions on a daily basis.

A feminist has no power over a misogynist and vice versa. They just piss each other off and cause one another to exercise pushback on an ever increasing scale. Your isms or ists can't change your "make believe mortal enemies". For instance It won't be the black activist that changes the racist, but the racist observing no reason to be racist because the black activist stopped attacking him and just tried being a better example of a non belligerent human. The same works in reverse you know. When the racist stops yelling epithets and just exhibits a willingness to accept becoming a better human, the activist can't see a reason to soapbox any longer.

Bill and Ted said it best, "Be Excellent To One Another!" (If you are so young you don't get this reference.... google is your friend!)

The bottom line takeaway here is that we have got to stop trying to blame change each other. HateSpeak is a real thing and it needs to be stopped.

Correlation does NOT equal causality kids! So please comment and explain how Eric was not responsible for his own death by making terrible decisions for himself.