"Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Writing Well"
As you all know, I’m not a big animal person. I don’t dislike them, per se, I just don’t have a desire to own one any time soon.
With that said, I LOVE looking at pictures and watching videos of animals – animated animals are no exception.
I’m pretty sure children do this, too. It’s a good thing they’re cute. 😀
You can find out more about the author of this animation,Simon Tofield, at his website.
Have a GREAT Saturday, everyone!
I’ve been sidetracked. The whole Fort Hood massacre, NOT TRAGEDY, though what happened to those 50+ people who got caught in the cross hairs of some Islamic terrorist IS certainly tragic, has distracted me from my NaNoWriMo project. It’s distracted me from getting any work done at all, quite frankly.
It’s all I can think about.
Why? It wasn’t the act itself that has plagued me, though again, that is horrific in and of itself, but rather, the fact that our media REFUSES to call it what it is.
A terrorist act.
And believe me when I say, I’m not one to jump on the media bandwagon, oh contrare, I think the media, in large part, are political suck-ups who get paid to sensationalize and distort the truth all for ratings or a quick buck, but when there is overwhelming evidence that Hasan planned this attack and fully intended to kill as many American soldiers (which somehow makes it worse, I think) as he could take out and yet no one is calling it what IS, I can’t just idly sit back and not say what we’re all thinking.
I refuse to be silenced. I refuse to play the “game” any longer. I refuse to sit back and be a “good” little “submissive” American anymore.
Enough is enough.
Our media is skirting around the issue. “He’s insane. Let’s not jump to conclusions. It’s not a crime to call al-Qaida is it?” (Seriously. Can you believe this idiot actually said that? Are you effing kidding me?!)
Let’s call it what it is: Being politically correct.
Ladies and gentlemen, political correctness is killing our country.
Quite literally, I’m sad to say.
It’s one thing to have diversity; it’s another thing to be polite; it’s honorable to be tolerant; it’s nice to be accommodating, but when we are willing to bend so far over backwards in order to not offend anyone that we’re kissing our own asses and ultimately offending everyone? It’s time to stop the nonsense.
Look. Part of the reason why America is so awesome is because we welcome all walks of life. Want to live in America and continue recognizing your cultural background? Fine. Be my guest. Knock yourself out.
But here’s the thing: If you’re living in our wonderful country, there are a few rules you must abide by – like assimilating into our culture. Ultimately, people who live here SHOULD learn English. Why? Because that’s our primary language! People who have moved here SHOULD respect the fact that our country was founded and based on Christianity.
Does this mean people who live here or don’t believe in Christianity SHOULD convert? Of course not! It just means that it’s the majority religion so one should just prepare oneself to DEAL with the fact that Christianity is prevalent in our country.
There are going to be churches. There is going to be talk of God. There are going to be people in our government who believe in God and wish to uphold God’s laws. There are going to be holidays that honor our God. There will be people who live by our God’s Bible.
It’s WHO America is. It’s WHAT America is. It’s the BACKBONE of our entire country.
Why is this so hard to accept?
If one doesn’t agree with Christianity. Fine. That’s a person’s prerogative. If one wants to practice another sort of religion? Great. Do it.
But accept the fact that Christianity is the MAJORITY. And in this country, our great United States of America, majority rules. It’s a little something called democracy. Though we (and yes, I’m in with the whole Christian crowd because *GASP* I’m a Christian) work hard not to shove it down someone’s throat, it’s what the MAJORITY of American people believe in. We shouldn’t have to apologize for it. We shouldn’t have to be ashamed of it. We shouldn’t have to call it something other than it is. We shouldn’t have to dilute it.
And if we set a holiday aside, like Christmas, in order to worship/acknowledge/give thanks to our Christian God and his son, Jesus Christ, then we shouldn’t have to compromise and can call it something other than what it is CHRISTmas, just to avoid offending those that don’t believe in it.
To me, it seems pretty simple, if one doesn’t like the whole Christmas thing, then ignore it. Don’t acknowledge it. Don’t participate in it. Don’t get sucked into the commercialization. We won’t ask you to rename your holidays, or pretend they’re about something other than they really are if you will extend the same courtesy.
And honestly? If it bothers people that much, then MOVE. Make arrangements to move to a country that DOES support your views. If that’s not possible, then suck it up. You’re in America and that’s how America works.
Remember. We’re not asking you to give up your heritage. Your beliefs. Your sexual orientation. We’re just asking that you stop DEMANDING that we change our way of lives, our way of thinking and believing, the core values that built this country in order to protect your sensibilities and lifestyle; America has bent over backwards to accommodate YOU.
If you are willing to obey our laws and respect our way of life, then we welcome you with open arms. But it’s when people start demanding that we change our laws, or deny our culture/heritage/beliefs, that we should, that we NEED, to draw the line.
Enough is enough.
And not calling Hasan a terrorist, when in fact, all signs overwhelmingly point to the fact that he was, correction, IS, or to try and shift the blame from the individual who crossed that line and killed innocent American soldiers by trying to convince the public that he has some fictitious secondary post-traumatic syndrome is downright insulting – to the public, the families of the victims and to the victims themselves.
When we have reached a point in our society that we’re too afraid to speak up and nip an emerging problem in the bud because God FORBID we offend someone, or a group, it’s time we draw those lines in the sand and say, enough is enough. If it boils down to saving an American life or offending someone’s sensibilities, it’s time we do the right thing and protect our people.
Period.
When we have 10% of U.S. Mosques Preaching Jihad ON OUR OWN SOIL where the sole purpose is to gather and lament on the evils of America and how American people should die – ON OUR OWN SOIL, then enough is enough.
That is unacceptable, folks. Period. THAT’S taking diversity a bit too far, don’t you think? Preaching about the evils of America while IN AMERICA?!?
The fact that this is tolerated at all just boggles my mind.
I’m through pussy-footing around. It’s time we take a stand and speak up against all of this political correctness nonsense. Sure, we need to be mindful of the diversity and people’s situations and avoid “labels”, but when people start dying, it’s time we grow a backbone.
As I’ve said, I’ve been thinking about this a lot these past several days. I’ve been watching, and reading, news stories about the Fort Hood massacre and that got me curious.
Exactly HOW did all of this political correctness even get started? So, I did a little research (I told you I was distracted!):
Definition:
1. Of, relating to, or supporting broad social, political, and educational change, especially to redress historical injustices in matters such as race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.
2. Being or perceived as being overconcerned with such change, often to the exclusion of other matters.
For the first time in our history, Americans have to be fearful of what they say, of what they write, and of what they think. They have to be afraid of using the wrong word, a word denounced as offensive or insensitive, or racist, sexist, or homophobic.
We call it “Political Correctness.” The name originated as something of a joke, literally in a comic strip, and we tend still to think of it as only half-serious. In fact, it’s deadly serious. It is the great disease of our century, the disease that has left tens of millions of people dead in Europe, in Russia, in China, indeed around the world. It is the disease of ideology. PC is not funny. PC is deadly serious.
If we look at it analytically, if we look at it historically, we quickly find out exactly what it is. Political Correctness is cultural Marxism. It is Marxism translated from economic into cultural terms. It is an effort that goes back not to the 1960s and the hippies and the peace movement, but back to World War I. If we compare the basic tenets of Political Correctness with classical Marxism the parallels are very obvious.
First of all, both are totalitarian ideologies.
[Political Correctness] was developed at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, which was founded in 1923 and came to be known as the “Frankfurt School.” It was a group of thinkers who pulled together to find a solution to the biggest problem facing the implementers of communism in Russia.
The problem? Why wasn’t communism spreading?
Their answer? Because Western Civilization was in its way.
What was the problem with Western Civilization? Its belief in the individual, that an individual could develop valid ideas. At the root of communism was the theory that all valid ideas come from the effect of the social group of the masses. The individual is nothing.
And they believed that the only way for communism to advance was to help (or force, if necessary) Western Civilization to destroy itself. How to do that? Undermine its foundations by chipping away at the rights of those annoying individuals.
One way to do that? Change their speech and thought patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is disrespectful to others and must be avoided to make up for past inequities and injustices.
And call it something that sounds positive: “Political Correctness.”
It sort of takes the shine off of trying to be all-accommodating, doesn’t it.
I also found a video that I thought was an interesting summation of political correctness, too.
Vodpod videos no longer available.
The bottom line? Enough is enough. It doesn’t really matter how it started, it’s time to stop the insanity.
It’s possible to OVER compromise and you know what? I think America has. It’s time to stop being politically correct and get back to our core values and BE PROUD of those core values.
If people don’t like it? If people aren’t willing to accept our rules, our language, our culture?
Then leave.
November 2009 (NaNoWriMo Short Stories)
The Ultimate Sacrifice
The Joys of Fatherhood
Piper’s Miracle
Eve’s Empathy
The Trouble with Troy
Holly’s Hope
Gabby’s Secret
NaNoWriMo Progress
Actually, the season is over. But I love this “action” shot of Jazz during one of their performances.
At this moment …
The boys’ high school has a supply of the H1N1 flu vaccine and is likely shooting the kids up with poison as we speak.
The school district requires parents to give written permission in order to allow their children to get the vaccination.
No. I will not be giving my boys permission to receive the vaccine.
No. We have never, and will likely never, line up to get a flu shot of any kind.
No. We are not in a high-risk category. We rarely get sick. And if we get sick this go-around, we’ll ride it out.
It’s the flu.
Yes. I realize it’s a pandemic. But here’s how I see it: if this was a life-crippling disease (and yes, I realize that people have died from this flu and have died from other flu strands, but I’m talking about something as serious as small pox or anything else that can alter quality of life), and tens of thousands of people were dying from it world-wide (like in the Black Plaque days), as opposed to the few hundreds that have died (in the U.S.), and statistically die, from the flu each year, then yes, I would seriously consider vaccinating my family.
But when you compare the number of people who have died from the H1N1 flu (and there is some debate that these people actually died from the H1N1 strand specifically) worldwide and compare that to the MILLIONS of people who live on this planet overall and the few thousand that have died is roughly the same number every year of people who die from some flu strand, it doesn’t seem to warrant the panic it has stirred up.
Please understand that I’m not making light of those that have died from the flu. Or the ones who have gotten deathly ill from the flu or any other sickness. But I have a natural suspicion of something, anything, that the government, a company, or anyone else, for that matter, tells me is ESSENTIAL to my overall health. That if I don’t take it, I will likely get very sick and/or die.
There is a part of me that stands back and looks at the situation in a calm, and rational matter and my gut instinct is to question the paranoia and the panic, weigh the facts (as opposed to listening to the lame-stream media) and then make an educated decision for my family.
And my educated decision is to reject it at this time.
No. I am not downplaying the H1N1 flu. I’m sure it is, and has been, a terrible thing to endure for some people, but it’s the flu. And it’s hard to jump on the vaccine bandwagon when I read some physicians vehemently endorse getting the vaccine and other physicians vehemently reject the vaccine. If our health care officials are this divided on this vaccine, then that in itself is a red flag to me and deserves a closer look.
And as of now, I’m saying no to the vaccine. If we get the H1N1 flu, or any flu, for that matter, we’ll deal with it.
Dear Diary:
I spent the entire day oscillating between sad, lonely, despondent, resigned and then back to sad again.
I don’t have many days like that, but when they happen, they tend to thwack me over the head so hard that I’m left grappling for balance the next day.
Like now. I’m grappling.
I’m so tired. And I have yet another headache. I can’t stand people who whine and complain and yet here I am, whining and complaining.
I’m tired because I spent the entire day, yesterday, fending off this overwhelming depression. It just sat on me all day long and no matter how many times I tried to throw it off and get up, I couldn’t.
Why did I feel this way, you ask?
It was yet another birthday.
*sigh*
I’ve never been a big birthday-kind of girl. I mean, sure, they were fun when I was a girl, especially because mom always made such a big deal out of our birthdays. And even though I turned my nose up at her efforts, or her sheer silliness, inside? I loved it. I ate it up. My mom never failed to make me feel special on my special day.
And then, I grew up. And got out on my own and though the people in my life continued to make me feel special on my special day, I pushed them away … and I don’t really know why. I think I reached a point in my life where it all started feeling so … silly. So … narcissistic. Which is stupid, because one SHOULD celebrate the day one is born. But I don’t know, all of the attention bestowed on me started making me feel … weird.
I don’t like people making a big deal out of my birthday. Honestly, a “Happy Birthday!” is the extent of the acknowledgment I need or want for my birthday. I’m not really interested in receiving gifts because I’m always wondering, in the back of my mind, how OBLIGATED did they feel to go out and buy me something?
I always picture people turning up their nose and thinking, “Oh GOD, it’s Karen’s birthday. I better get to the store and buy her a card and a gift because she’s my wife/mother/daughter/friend and it’s the responsible and RIGHT thing to do.”
Honestly? If people feel like that, I would rather they save their money. I don’t want pity gifts, thank you very much.
And yet, it’s nice to be remembered on my birthday. There’s a side of me that is secretly tickled whenever someone DOES buy me a gift, even though I ADAMANTLY request no gifts. It’s like I’ve given them an out and they have CHOSEN to not take it.
I know this doesn’t make sense. But feelings sometimes don’t make sense.
Kevin gave me a card. And the boys gave me a card. Only, they didn’t. Kevin picked out the card FOR them FROM them to give to me and though I appreciate the sentiment and I realize that he doesn’t have the time to take them card shopping, it still … bothers me, on some level.
The boys would easily forget my birthday if Kevin didn’t say something. And again, this … bothers me. It’s not something that will scar me for life or anything, after all, they are teenage boys, absorbed in their self-imposed worlds (I certainly don’t remember doing much for my parents’ birthdays when I was a teenager), but still … *sad face*
Hello. I’m momma.
I always take the boys out to shop for Kevin’s birthday cards. They pick out their own to give to him and it amuses me to watch what they pick – they are so indicative of their personalities. And any time the boys need to pick out a birthday card for their friends, they pick it out themselves (though there is generally a lot of grumbling because THEY’RE MALE and shopping for cards, heck, shopping in general, is just not something most males get into).
I do this because I think it’s important that they THINK about someone other than themselves.
I have gotten to the point where I dread November 9th.
I am uncomfortable being the center of attention.
I am uncomfortable with the whole social awkwardness that birthdays sometimes impose on loved ones.
I am uncomfortable growing one year older.
I am now in my mid-40’s. How the HELL did that even happen?!
Sheesh. Another birthday? Didn’t I just have one, like, last week?
Yeah, yeah. It’s my birthday. Blah-Blah-Blah.
Moving on.
Write From Karen 