Hurling Insults and Virtue Signals

I see it all the time, everywhere I go.  Even in my dreams I can scheme of ways to....Oh wait.  That's a Skee-Lo song.

It doesn't take long on social media to see people hurling insults over the metaphorical "wall" to the other side.  This blog may very well indeed to signal my virtuous "I'm better than you because I'm not doing what you're doing".  But I'm willing to take that chance.

I'm in the process of awakening this new way of viewing the divide that's facing the people of America, and even the world.

If at any point you are reading this and get defensive.  STOP.  Think for a minute.  Why are you getting defensive?  This is just a conversation.  This is the moment to take a good honest look at ones self.  Maybe there is something I can learn from the other person.  Learning can be difficult.  I know.  I've learned the hard way most of my life.

I recently tried to have a conversation with a friend about how their love for country could cloud their love of humans that Jesus called them too.  They rendered my point invalid since I don't believe in the Christian story anymore. Even after my 33 years (coincidence maybe) of being a believer.  I know God didn't create countries or races when He created the world.  We humans did that.  And I think if you call yourself a Christian, you can't see color or country of origin.

I hear people say that they want to hear opinions and view points from an opposing sides. But then I see them calling the other side "evil of the world" or some insult like that when the opposing viewpoint isn't presented in a respectful enough way for them.

This all comes from both sides.  If you've never been a victim of racism or oppression, it's hard to believe that someone else has ever had it that bad.  If you've been a victim of racism or oppression, sometimes it's hard to see that others have never experienced it or that they really don't realize that these things still exist in America today.

I recently saw someone post an image of a black man with his three black kids reading books on the subway.  The comment was..."this image will never go viral".  It was posted by someone on the "right".   My first thought was, why did this black family have to fit your image of what good black people should be doing.  Especially when young black kids are gunned down for playing with toy guns.  See Rice, Tamir.   Rice was a likely a product of his environment and died because of it by the actions of a police officer that lied on his job application.  A lie that would have likely prevented him from a  job.

And to be fair, there was a huge fit of rage from the left after what appeared to be a young male wearing a MAGA hat taunting a native american.  There were threats to doxx this young man that would have likely ruined his life forever.

Everyone was born a baby.  We were all the same humans. That changed the second we came out of a vagina.  Yes, EVERYONE came out of a vagina.  Even in some cases, our health in the womb was determined by the decisions of our host. We don't get to decide what environment we are brought home to.  We didn't really get to decide for ourselves who we would be surrounding ourselves with for the most important first years of our lives.  That all makes us who we become.  Our viewpoints are constantly evolving.

I'm a middle aged white male.  I'm as privileged as they come.  But I know many have experienced years of oppression, including women.  Many women living right in front of our faces have felt this oppression for years.

I don't have any answers.  But we've got to change something.  Fake news needs to stop. Vicious reactions need to stop.  We need to start listening to peoples stories.  Don't fall for the Rorschach Tests that you'll find on social media.

I'm afraid it may be too late. Maybe people just have a grudge.  Maybe they are bored.  Maybe they just want to fight.

I don't know.