You know I’ve been stirring things up for a couple of weeks, and likely, I’ve pissed off at least a few of you with something I’ve said. I’ve noticed that some of the things that draw more attention are the points that are the least important. That’s like paying ten bucks to enter the movie theater just to see the previews. Nevertheless, I know I rant. I know I rave. I know that what I say can be a little shocking or radical, but hey–if I don’t say it, who is? It’s the truth, but people, I’ve noticed, aren’t necessarily always interested in the truth. Instead they throw a bunch of “facts” out there without context or direction. Facts don’t always mean all that much against larger, big-pictured concepts. Miguel de Cervantes once wrote that “facts are the enemy of truth.” But am I really all that radical? Sure, most of my Texas…well, and Louisiana friends and family think I am. I guess that’s because my views are so different than theirs. They’re red states. When I start screaming about tax cuts, bringing home troops, or giving Obama a chance, here in the Fort Worth suburbs, people start looking at me like a Muslim that showed at the Christmas Gala and drop-kicked the baby Jesus through the back of the Nativity scene. But again, am I really that bad? I wonder if I’m actually hated by some who have read this blog–I’m being serious.
I once debated about the president with a stranger via a mutual friend’s Facebook status update. It quickly escalated to profanity and ignorant statements about socialism. (Sigh) The man was a soldier, and I truly have all the respect in the world for someone who could be (and often is) ordered to go somewhere really uncomfortable and get shot at. The problem I had with this individual is that he felt he was more important than me and that his opinion mattered more because of that. He actually told me that he was tired of risking his life in Afghanistan while “asshole socialists” like me threaten to destroy this country. What is this, 1953? I wouldn’t call myself a socialist, not that many people really have an accurate idea as to what that actually means anyway. But what if I was? What if I were a communist, even–a communist Satan worshipper with a tattoo of Stalin on one butt cheek and and Mao Zedong on the other? It’s not illegal. In fact, it’s perfectly Constitutional. That is why this man “fights for our freedom” (somehow in someone else’s country), not so he can tell me that I’m un-American. Actually, I think telling me I’m un-American is kind of…um… un-American. My point is that this guy hated me without even meeting me, all because I had a differing opinion from his.
That seems to happen a lot. And I don’t think I’m any different. If I believe someone’s wrong, then I must, therefore, believe that I’m right, right? And I’m an egotistical son of a bitch, so I’m right quite frequently. And that seems to be more of the reason I catch flack, I think. But I can’t take the position that, “this is what I think but I might be wrong; in fact, I might not know a thing about what I’m saying; just totally ignore me”. That doesn’t work, and no one will listen. So I speak from the point of view that I am the herald of truth, bringing words of wisdom upon wings of doves while angels harp above (or is it bats and Pantera?). And what’s wrong with that? Don’t plenty of people on the right do the same? Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannidy, Shepherd Smith, Glen Beck, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Pat Robertson, Michael Steele… Did you notice that I threw a religious figure in there? After all, religions invented the “holier than thou” thing. That’s why they call it HOLIER than thou. When you believe in a certain faith, by nature you cannot believe in another person’s faith. It is very much a “we’re right; you’re wrong” kind of thing. “My invisible man is right!” “No, my invisible man is right!” “I’ll raise you a few people with wings and little golden rings over their heads!” “I’ll see your wings and rings, and raise you a guy who has six arms and looks like an elephant!” And somehow, to many of the people who kick over a rock to find my blog, I’m the one who’s insane. At least I don’t try to trump your scientific logic and reason with “God said so”.
My point is that I get the feeling that my views are seen as radical and crazy, and worse–I voice them. Here’s where the real hypocrisy begins. I’m going to list a few things that I’ve actually seen quite frequently from conservatives. Keep in mind, I’m not faulting these things necessarily (well, not most of them). Here we go:
- Prayer or Bible verse of the day via Facebook
- Protest signs featuring the president with a Hitler mustache
- Protests of gay people at military funerals (granted, everyone hates those yahoos)
- Cutesy profile pictures featuring babies and slogans of mild violence against Democrats
- Reposts about how you’re not ashamed of being a Christian (why would you be?)
- Video clips of church sermons
- Notes and photos from this weekend’s Tea Party rally
- The word “socialist” used in its highest frequency since McCarthy was in office
- Expression of hatred for all things related to taxes or Obama
- I HATE BARACK OBAMA!!!
- Muslims are evil
- Bill O’Reilly (enough said)
- The US was founded as a Christian nation
- Learn to speak the language or go home
- Mexicans are stealing our jobs
Stirring Stick 