The Illness Amongst Ourselves

I didn't sleep well last night, I've only had one cup of coffee, and I've been thinking.

(Sweet bejeebus on a stick, here we go….)

Okay, settle down. This isn't going to hurt. Most of you. Much.

(Haha… wait, hurt?)

Or offend. Or piss off. Take your pick. Point being, I've been thinking. About a lot of stuff. Mostly the fact that we live in an era of extremism. I wrote about this a year ago, and recently re-shared the notion that extremism in any form is irresponsible, and dangerous. And it rears its ugly, monstrous head time and again. A couple of recent examples: a group of "protestors" picketing a NAACP office with "white lives matter" signs, and more Black Lives Matter "protestors" rioting and looting.

*smh*

First point: Yes, black lives matter. That there continues to exist nation-wide systematic oppression of minorities, there is no doubt. There are better ways to combat that oppression than COMMITTING CRIME and harming the very community for which you're seeking acknowledgement and respect. I cannot fathom the mindset of these people who take the Black Lives Matter movement to such an extreme. You're not protestors. You're not advocates. You're criminals. You're thugs that are doing nothing more than perpetuate racial divide as opposed to bridging it. You're reinforcing stereotype, instead of erasing it. You're not promoting a cause, you are simply being assholes.

And you, with your "white lives matter" signs? Just shut up. Seriously. You don't need to crawl to the opposite end of the spectrum to prove your point… which is what, exactly? Caucasians face more lenient charges and sentences for the same crimes. Because of the aforementioned, systematic oppression, we by and large have more opportunities. So tell me how white lives don't matter. Go ahead. This ought to be good.

Here's a thought – Stop. Going. To. Extremes. I long for a world in which we can all, ALL, stand behind the notion that all lives matter. The sad and debilitating truth is that, right now, we don't live in that world. It doesn't exist, and I truly wonder what it will take to create that world. Pathetically I really do believe it's going to have to be a matter of catastrophe. Think about it – what is there, short of an alien invasion or zombie apocalypse, that will rally the world's people to unity?

Let's face it; even the most terrible terrorist attack in United States history couldn't unite even just the people of this nation. We were attacked in one of our greatest cities. On our soil. In our home. And sure, some, many, rallied, for a short time. And then we started pointing fingers at our own citizens, casting wary eyes in the direction of those whose faith matched that of our attackers, because…

Ignorance, that's why.

I hate the fact that so many American people are as ignorant and intolerant as they are. Have we learned nothing from the last half-century of our history? Have we not witnessed the pain such ignorance heaps onto our society? Are we so thick-minded that we cannot see the detriment we cause ourselves because we can't fucking get along?

Apparently not. Trump's rise to become the Republican candidate for President is a prime example of that fact. Hillary's rise to become the Democratic candidate for President is a prime example of that fact. Hell, the fact that we still cling to a two-party political machine speaks volumes as to how unwilling we are as a people to come together. We continue to gravitate to the societal poles instead of congregating at the equator.

And none of us are exempt. We all have our own prejudices. I know I do. And it's an aspect of myself for which I'm ashamed. It's something I try to recognize, and acknowledge, and correct. Part of doing so is not letting that prejudice reach the extreme. Do I think the criminal looters represent the entire Black Lives Matter movement? No. Do I think all white supremacists represent my racial make-up? No. Do I think all Muslims represent terrorism? No! And I constantly ask the question why others think that way. And I keep coming back to ignorance.

I'm not perfect, I know that. I am damn sure, however, I'm a better person than someone that uses Black Lives Matter as an excuse to throw bricks through storefront windows. I know I'm better than the white guy who feigns indignity because someone brings black oppression to light. And I know in my soul that I am a better human being that those who think all Muslims should be "registered" because a miniscule percentage of those of the Muslim faith commit heinous acts.

I don't know the answer. And frankly, I'm tired of having to search for it. Seriously, can't we all just get along? Why is that so goddamn difficult? Don't we all want lower taxes, reasonable health insurance, good paying jobs? American dream – ring a bell? Why do we have to try and impose our will on others? Why do we claim to profess religious freedom, but only for own particular religion?

Extremism.

Ignorance.

You want religion? Fine. Then you get ALL religion. You don't get to cherry-pick which religious ideals apply to all people.

You want equality? Fine. Then there has to be equality for ALL, regardless of race, orientation, or gender.

You want recognition? Fine. Then you need to recognize those around you.

You want peace? Fine. Then make it.

But you won't. Because deep down you don't really want those things. You want what YOU want, and you don't care about the others.

(You're being a little extreme, aren't you?)

Yes. Do you see my point now? Do you understand the power of ignorant extremism? One of the most feared words in the entire English language, or any language, for that matter, is compromise.

(I've…never really thought about it that way.)

A lot of people don't. Why is compromise so difficult? Perhaps because it means that you have to do something selfless in order to achieve compromise. And for too many, that's a difficult prospect to embrace. Again, I'm not immune. Please understand I'm not jumping on a soapbox to declare my own superiority. Sure, I mentioned above that I am better in some aspects, and I truly believe that I am. Am I worse in others? Probably.  Can I be a better person? I'm sure I can.

I'll work on it if you will.

Who's with me?

© 2016 J.J. Goodman. All rights reserved.