This rant is making the rounds on the internet. The sentiment of the rant seems to be weariness with political and social conflict. Hey, I get it. I was born weary. But what is this rant really calling for?
It markets itself as a centrist plea for compassion and community. I think it has a clear political slant and is more of a call for nihilism and disengagement. You decide.
Here’s the rant. Afterwards, I’ll comment and go on a rant of my own. Here’s a warning: I have a little fun with my commentary and get a little snarky. If you don’t want to see that, hit your back button and move on with life.
I don’t know who wrote this but SOMEONE FINALLY put into words what many of us have been thinking and I couldn't agree more!
I’m tired of covid-19.
I’m tired of blacks vs. whites.
I’m tired of Democrats vs. Republicans.
I’m REALLY tired of the media.
I’m really tired of the wearing a mask debate.
I’m tired of no one being allowed to think what they want & how they feel without offending someone or being judged.
I am tired of the people who are out there jumping on the bandwagon just to spread hatred. And start riots, looting & destroying others properties.
I am tired of blaming the world for the sins of a few.
You want to support Trump? You do it! It’s your choice!
You want to support Biden? You do it! It's your choice!
You want to believe in God? You do it! It's your choice.
You want to believe in magical creatures that fly around & sprinkle fairy dust to make life better? You do it!
BUT how about being MATURE enough to be able to deal with the fact that everyone doesn’t have the same exact mind-set as you. Having our own mind-set is what makes us all individuals and beautiful.
I don’t have to agree with everything you believe in & YOU don’t have to agree with me. It's your choice! It's my choice!
Just be a decent human being & have respect.
You don't have to like this post or agree. It's your choice!
Just keep scrolling... It's that easy!!!
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The rant says it represents what “many of us” are thinking. “I didn’t think this, I just found it, and many people are thinking it.” It’s a tactic President Trump has used: “Many very smart people are saying it, I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve heard it said many times.”
This introduction implies, “Hey don’t judge me for these statements--I’m just letting you know what many of us are thinking.” This is a common way for these cut-and-paste rants to begin. It’s a deferral of responsibility. “Many of us” sounds like a pretty cool club. Can I join?
The rant continues with a list of things we are tired of, and how annoying it is to keep hearing about them. I’m not sure what the call to action is. Should people should just shut up? Stop thinking? Ignore the issues? Is this a call for compassion, or a call for nihilism?
That’s my second reference to Nihilism. It’s not a common word. Nihilism is the idea that nothing is real or provable, so why try to think or believe or stand up for anything? (At least I think that’s what it means. I have no way to prove it, so who cares?)
The list of grievances presented is not neutral or centrist. It highlights several right-wing propaganda points.
First, “I’m REALLY tired of the media.” I imagine we’re all tired of certain aspects of “the media,” but people need sources of information. What’s your alternative? Rumor? Political pundits? Tweets from your crazy uncle?
Yes, even media has its biases, and the media also has its own corporate interests. But some sources value truth and transparency more than others. Use your God-given intellect to find reliable sources, hopefully some that come from different perspectives, and apply your critical thinking skills to judge their content. Weariness does not excuse us from our responsibility to be educated and aware.
Then the rant says, “I’m really tired of the wearing-a-mask debate.” Among the medical and scientific community, there really is no debate. So I agree, it makes me tired for people to debate things that are pretty well established.
Whatever your position on it, it’s an important debate to have. We have taken on many costs to slow COVID-19 down, and wearing a mask is one of the least of those costs. If pro-mask or pro-public health people are being asked to just shut up, then they are being asked to just give up. That’s not the appropriate way to settle a legitimate debate.
I’ve been skeptical of some aspects of the lockdown myself. It’s a big deal to keep kids out of schools and to keep lots of people out of work. But wearing a mask neither keeps kids out of school, nor does it keep lots of people out of work. C’mon, people.
The rant is tired of “no one being allowed to think what they want & how they feel without offending someone.” We still have some real problems to solve in this country. If someone speaks out against racism, are they just oversensitive? If people defend the poor, the widow, or the immigrant, are they just taking things too personally? The rant is saying “It’s wrong for you to be offended because it offends me if you are offended by something I think.” Sounds legit.
Apparently lots of people are “jumping on the bandwagon just to spread hatred.” Just to be clear about the implication: If you raise your voice about the topics listed, like racism or public health or political issues, shame on you. You are just jumping on the bandwagon to spread hatred.
The bandwagon isn’t going to last long, because the people on it like to “start riots, looting & destroying others properties.” No one really supports “riots, looting, and destroying other people’s property.” The only place you’ll see rampant “riots, looting, and destruction of property” is on your favorite conservative news channel.
Next the beautiful rant says “I am tired of blaming the world for the sins of a few.” Maybe the writer should stop blaming the world for the sins of a few. Oh, world, why is everybody always picking on you?
The next part is boring: You want to do this or that, you do it, it’s your choice. This section is only interesting if you are familiar with Rob Schneider’s “You can do it!” bit.
Then the rant says you should basically shut up if you don’t agree with what someone is doing or saying. Or else you are not being mature. If you see something, say something. Oops, I mean, if you see something, shut up.
“Having our own mind-set is what makes us all individuals and beautiful.” I do agree with this, to a point. Saying that our own mindset makes us individuals is stating the obvious, so not that part. But having our own mindset makes us beautiful. Absolutely. To a point.
That point is reached when our mindset is careless, destructive, ignorant, arrogant, selfish, or antisocial… that’s not beautiful. I get that you can say what you want. Free speech and all. But it’s not beautiful to spread lies. It’s not beautiful to cause harm to others, whether intentional or not.
As Gerry Spence said, “I argue that it is not nice to be nice. It is nice to be respected. It is nice to be right. It is nice to be real. It is nice to be loving and caring. It is nice to be committed and courageous. But it is not nice just to be nice.” Having convictions does not make you beautiful if your convictions are all jacked up.
Or as Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.” Yes. And showing indifference to what others say or do does not show that you care. Showing indifference to a bully, or to a group that bullies, or to a system that bullies… that’s not beautiful.
Or as Dr. Martin Luther King said, “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”
In Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny, his first lesson is: “Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.” (underlining mine)
When people speak meanness, speak lies, speak baseless conspiracy theories, or speak hatred, we should not “offer ourselves without being asked.” We should not teach power (or meanness, lies, or hatred) what it can do.
Hey, it’s your choice.
You don't have to like this post or agree. It's your choice!
Just keep scrolling... It's that easy!!!
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