Seven Deadly Sins Meme - Day 3

[mijan]

DAY 3 - WRATH!!!

Beware my squirrely wrath.  Now, obviously, there are things that piss off most sane people.  Bigotry.  Injustice.  Hypocrisy.  All the biggies.  Those are too commonplace, and you can already assume that those things piss me off.  This post is all about things that piss ME off, personally and deeply.  Now, you might find yourself agreeing with me.  Or, in contrast, you might find yourself pissed off for the fact that something pisses me off!  For example:
I say: "I am pissed off at the color orange."
You say: "Hey, I like orange!  Fuck you!"
And so it goes.  This is my own WRATH venting.  You don't have to agree with me.  However, these are the things that piss me off:


1. Politicized religion.  Seriously, I don't care what you want to believe in, worship, honor, or whatever.  You can pray to your goddamned toaster oven for all I care.  Keep it OUT of politics!  And that goes for any religion, any country.  The instant you mix religion with political power, you eliminate any chance for rational discourse.  It destroys freedom and liberty.  It destroys freedom of thought.  I believe that these should be universal rights in any nation on earth.  I despise theocracy.  It goes against everything I hold dear.   

2. Fake "science."  Blatant disregard for science.  WILLFUL IGNORANCE.  Creationists are the obvious example, especially when they try to push their shit into the science classroom.  (Yes, if you are a creationist, ESPECIALLY a young-earth creationist, I MOCK you.)  Of course, it also includes the people who refuse to believe that climate change is happening and caused by human activity.  It includes people who seem to think that hydrocarbon fossil fuels will last forever.  However, this also applies to the anti-vaccine idiots, the homeopathy suckers, and the people who thoroughly misinterpret quantum physics for this touchy-feely woo-woo bullshit.  Seriously, folks?

3. People who jump on bandwagons without knowing what they're talking about.  This usually applies to "party line" issues.  In other words, certain brands of conservatives will ALWAYS jump on one side of an issue, regardless of facts.  Likewise, certain brands of liberals will ALSO jump onto one side of an issue without getting all the facts first.  In my not-so-humble opinion, the liberal side is usually the "correct" side, but for fuck sake people, GET THE FACTS ANYWAY.  Not every situation is what you think it is after a cursory glance.

3. A.  People who are against universal health care and who don't have a clue what they're talking about.  Universal health care is a basic function of a modern, civilized society, and would have SO many benefits to EVERYONE.  And yet, based on misinformation and a stinking pile of bullshit, people are fighting tooth and nail against it.  In the meantime, people are DYING because they can't get access to health care.  Let me repeat that:  PEOPLE. ARE. DYING.  Many more are suffering.  If that's not a reason to get angry, I don't know what is.

4. Double-standards.  I'm not going to explain this one.

5. Disrespect.  Whether I'm being disrespected myself, or I'm witnessing someone else being disrespected.  And yes, sometimes, people need to be put in their places.  That's not what I'm talking about.  This is when people treat others as though they're less-than-human.  This is separate from disrespect due to racism, sexism, age-ism, or any of the other major bigotry classes.  This is the type of disrespect that pays no attention to that, and just puts people down regardless of anything else.  It's when I see people treating folks with the assumption that everyone else around them is unimportant.

5.A.  I can't fucking tolerate people who talk down to me.  Their misguided estimates of my intelligence infuriate me, and there are too many times when, because of societal bullshit, there are very few ways to stand up for myself without looking even worse.  I've had people TAKE THINGS out of my hands (literally grab things) because they assumed stuff was too heavy for me because I'm a "small woman."  They didn't ask.  That's not "being nice."  That's rude and insulting.  I've had people use infantile layman's terms to discuss things that I probably understand as well as they do. 

6. Cowardice.  Look, I know people get scared.  I know phobias exist.  I know that not everyone has the balls to risk their necks.  But that's not what I'm talking about.  I'm talking about the sort of cowardice that keeps people from doing the right thing.  They don't want to speak up for the right thing because they're afraid of going against the grain.  What would people think?  What would the neighbors say?  All my peers think this way, so I can't speak up or they'd hate me!  COWARDS.  There's only one way to never piss people off... and that's by NEVER saying or doing anything truly brave or valuable.  But nothing pisses me off more than when I watch people refuse to speak up for what's right, even when they know what the right thing is.

7. Reality TV culture.  Lowest common denominator.  The fact that CNN seems more like a tabloid than a real news network now.  People get more worked up about inconsequential things instead of things that matter because the things that matter require THINKING.  Important stuff is challenging.  Real issues cause REAL emotional strain, and take real effort.  Instead, fake sources of entertainment provide shallow distractions, and people can let themselves ignore the important shit.


So that's what my mind came up with today.  I have other nebulous thoughts, and some days, things come to the surface.  The thing is, I had a really nice day today (work was cancelled for the second day in a row due to the blizzard), and I don't feel particularly wrathful.  I've had a nice dinner, I've still got a bit of really good bourbon left in my glass, and I'm feeling kinda mellow.  I'm someone who tends to have a lot of strong thoughts, opinions, and feelings.  I think big, and I don't always have a venue in which to share those thoughts.  I kinda miss being in college for that reason.  But hey, I've got LJ.

And now my dog is demanding to be let out, so I shall bid you all goodnight.

Comments

[ciel-vert.livejournal.com]

I am enjoying this series of posts! And I basically agree with everything you've said here.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm pleased that you agree, but I'm not writing it to see if people agree with me. Just... putting it out there, for what it's worth. :)

[hdluff4eva.livejournal.com]

The universal health care thing is what buggs me the most. I mean, I don't suffer from the turmoil you guys are going through, but to put it in an example:

I don't get sick. I get sick twice a year; christmastime from exaustion and spring from my alergies/asthma. I'll occasionally get a cold or something but that's it. However, in the past month alone I have exceeded my usual yearly quota of rolling in bed sick, skipping work and class because I can hardly stand. This is not normal for me, so I've made an appointment with the on campus doctor.

Not my family doctor, not a doctor in a hospital or a busy clinic, a private one that rotates with a few others specifically for campus, because I'd like to find out why I'm getting so sick all the time. And you know what? The only thing I'll get charged for is if I skip the appointment. I can walk in there, find out what's wrong (Living situation, diet, exercise, whatever) and just walk out with a wave! Who wouldn't want that?

Or, I was in the hospital last year with a kidney infection. I had to pay for the ambulance ride and the medication. Not for the stay, not for the bed, just for the meds and some equipment charges. That were cheap compared to what you guys would go through for that. I can't wrap my head arround someone not wanting that. What is the logic?

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, see, I've experienced the Canadian Health Care system. My sister lived in the UK for over a year and knows the system there. Both systems were just FINE. We didn't see the problem. And both systems cost much less per capita than the American system.

And yeah... making people pay for being sick is like double-punishing them. You paid for the ambulance ride and the medication, which is much less than the whole cost. But seriously, staying in a hospital isn't a vacation! Nobody WANTS to be there. So to have to pay for it on top of having to suffer through it? Just strikes me as wrong.

[anthimaeria.livejournal.com]

However, this also applies to the anti-vaccine idiots, the homeopathy suckers, and the people who thoroughly misinterpret quantum physics for this touchy-feely woo-woo bullshit.

Tell it like it is, sister! :D

When I first heard of homeopathy, my response was huh, that's interesting. Then I read up on the "science" behind it, and the less and less sense it made (vibrations in the body, really??) And when I've tried to talk to people who are into homeopathy about my reservations they aren't even able to argue - they just shrug me off. They don't want to question it at all. The anti-vax people are the same - some of them are still all business-as-usual even after that doctor who started the whole thing was thoroughly discredited.

Oh, and I love #3 too. So annoying when people can't think for themselves!

[potteresque_ire]

I love what happened to the anti-vaccine paper :); I hate that another scientist is discovered to be a fraud :(.

I don't mind all the new age medicine things.... as long as they don't try too hard to be "scientific". Not that I really mind when they are, but they make me giggle too hard and roll my eyes too much.

*Huggles*

[anthimaeria.livejournal.com]

You know, so few scientists turn out to be fraudulent. My suspicion is that most of them wouldn't want to risk their professional reputation for the sake of making a few bucks!

What bothers me about New Age remedies is the risk of patients who are seriously ill avoiding conventional medicines (which can have their own pros and cons, of course)simply out of superstition.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

The homeopathy thing... gah. If people want to take little sugar pills for the placebo effect, then all the power to them. But when people try to present it with the facade of a legitimate medical treatment option, it burns me. All of it... yeah.

[potteresque_ire]

I think I love you, more than a little bit ♥

[mijan.livejournal.com]

*grins* ♥

[hippiegal22.livejournal.com]

Being pissed off about the lack of common sense, total ignorance and hypocrisy going on just means you're normal. Or sane. Or both. :)

I have to laugh at #7 to be honest. My husband and I are were talking about how the tabloid media has overwhelmed our culture yesterday.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the tabloid media is becoming more and more blatant. I remember when I could turn on CNN and actually expect to get real news.

[spacehawk.livejournal.com]

and the people who thoroughly misinterpret quantum physics for this touchy-feely woo-woo bullshit

ARGH, these people, ARGH.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I used to be friends with a couple of them. The woo-woo just went too far. People who bought into all of it. Hook, line, and sinker, without any question.

[spacehawk.livejournal.com]

As maybe you can imagine, I have a special bone to pick with these people.

To justify it all, they try to invoke the Deities of Science!

No one understands quantum, no one understands psi, clearly they are like one another!

Add froofy graphics... done!

lolwut?

My best friend says telepathy is like a chainsaw. Because she can, and telepathy is definitely NOT like a chainsaw. And did I mention she likes chainsaws?

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's pretty much what they do. Take some stuff that very few people understand, market it to people who definitely DON'T understand it, and mish-mash it with some feel-good woo, and remind people that the Evil Powers That Be don't want you to know these Amazing Seekrits (TM), and people will just suck it up.

Chainsaw? Oh good grief.

[spacehawk.livejournal.com]

And there's usually some funny graphics involved, too!

Yes, chainsaws. Don't worry, we're all good, this is in the category of "things only a best friend can say". ^_^

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, I could have written this. Really. Mine might be slightly different but yeah.

I'm not a scientist but I am an intelligent, reasoning, logical person and that is sufficient to read and research and FIND SHIT OUT so I have informed opinions. Now that's not to say that I don't often depend on my intuition; every time I ignore it I get into REAL trouble but those two things are not mutually exclusive, IMO.

So yeah, once again...August 12 Leos rule.

(And I'm communicating with a guy on OK Cupid who has the same birthday; wondering if that's a good idea or if we'd eventually create anti-matter.)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Indeed! Great minds think alike. *grins*

And no, you don't have to be a scientist in order to be curious, intellectually responsible, and informed. I wish more people understood that.

Another August 12th Leo? The creation of a quantum singularity is a distinct possibility.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yep, but he lives in California and I'm just not up for a long distance relationship.

[supasass.livejournal.com]

Really loving this meme - if I wasn't up to my eyeballs I'd be doing it myself. As someone from the UK, it absolutely terrified me seeing people march against universal healthcare. To me, they might as well have been given shotguns and directed to the poorest areas of the towns and cities they live, because it seems to be what they want after all! /hyperbolic.

I think it also gets to me as I'm someone who has health issues (severe asthma, sleep apnea, tonsilitis and general infections as a child, severe depression from teens to now and type 2 diabetes to boot!). My Dad was a single parent and had to take off so much time to look after me. So when I see those placards, it makes me feel as if they wish I was dead.

And I totally agree with you on everything else!

[mijan.livejournal.com]

It's a fun meme. I started it during the blizzard, when there wasn't much else to do. LOL.

And yeah, people have no idea how evil they're being by arguing against universal health care. I argued vehemently FOR universal health care back when I had NO health problems. And now that I've got what we expect to be a lifelong condition, I still argue vehemently for it. Only evil people would want to punish people because they got sick. So... looks like there are a lot of evil people in the USA. Very depressing.

♥