NaPoWriMo 2020 Catch-Up Day 10 + April PAD Challenge 2020 Catch-Up Day 10: The Word That Destroys

you

say it's

just a word

but

it's a 

word that destroys

you

don't need

to say it

what

do you

gain from it

keep

your hateful

thoughts to yourself

just

maybe the

problem is you

~cie~

NaPoWriMo: Write a Hay(na)ku

April PAD Challenge: Write a the (blank) that (blanked) poem. 

The Cheese Grates It: Moving Target

A response to the article "Stop Asking Me to Have Sympathy for the White Working Class."

I happen to be white, and I'm heterosexual. That's pretty much where my privilege ends. In most ways, I'm a target. I'm an older woman. I'm a big person in a society that hates big people. I'm mentally ill.

I am not a target in the same way that non-white people are a target, but I am still a target of prejudice and hatred for people who enjoy making others' lives miserable.

I also happen to not have voted for the Bully in Chief. I am one of those people being told to "get over it" and "stop acting childish" because I will never refer to him as President.

I am part of the working class. I work a skilled job (nursing) and make a little over $30,000 a year, although I often work 60 hours a week.

I am unsure how people in the working class can think that electing this racist, misogynist, xenophobic fascist can possibly benefit anyone but his fellow millionaires. He doesn't have sympathy for any of us. We're a big joke to him.

Yet I know people who I consider to be otherwise good people who truly believe that he is the best thing for our country. They stand against bullying, yet they voted for the biggest bully imaginable. They excuse him talking about grabbing women "by the pussy" because he "apologized for it." As if his apology had a grain of sincerity. If folks are that gullible, I'd like to discuss a little beachfront property in the Gobi desert with them. I can get them into it at a very reasonable price.

I may not be the smartest person in the world, but I'm smart enough to spot an obviously insincere con artist. I'd like to say that Don the Con pulled the wool over this country's eyes. In some cases, that's what happened. Sadly, in all too many other cases, his appeal was making America safe to hate again.

Adding on to the above comment:

I understand people's criticisms of Clinton as a candidate. She was not my first choice. I was in the "I'm with her because she's not him" camp. It was a "lesser of two evils" vote. I understand the people who voted third party because they couldn't stomach either candidate.

People like to claim that third party voters betrayed us all and got the Bully in Chief elected. In fact, Clinton won the popular vote. The Electoral College put the Cheeto Demagogue at the helm of the ship. This archaic system needs to be abolished. Presidential elections should be decided by popular vote.

~The Cheese Hath Grated It~

The Roma and Prejudice

French citizens protest the refusal of Champlain's mayor to bury a deceased Roma infant

The Roma and Prejudice

The Roma people have always faced controversy and prejudice. Earlier this year, Christian Leclerc, the mayor of Champlain, refused to bury a two month old infant of Roma descent in the Champlain cemetery. His decision prompted a public outcry.

Leclerc cited lack of burial space, stating that "priority is given to those who pay taxes."

The majority of Roma live in makeshift shanty towns with little to no access to public amenities.

In the case of the deceased infant, Richard Trinquier, mayor of Wissous, granted burial for the deceased infant, stating that the decision to do so was "a question of humanity."

~Cie~

A to Z Blogging Challenge 2015: B is for Bias

The above video contains an example of cultural bias. This person is certainly not the only one to hold such views.

Bias:

a particular tendency or inclination, especially one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice.

The author of the above book, Michael Savage, refers to his views as "conservative nationalism."

First, I'll go with the idea upon which I agree with him.

When it comes to sex scenes, often less is more. I generally dislike overly explicit sex scenes in movies. If I wanted to watch porn, I'd watch porn. If I'm reading a book, unless I'm going for erotica, I don't want graphic sex scene after graphic sex scene. Before you ask, no, I am not a fan of "Fifty Shades of Grey."

As to what was offensive in the author's statement:

"If they were Islamists, they'd cut each other's throats. But since they're Americans, they usually have a drink and go to bed with each other."

Granted, the statement is hyperbolic. Obviously, if Muslims killed each other all the time, there would be no more Muslims. However, the statement is also a glaring generalization regarding Muslims.

Also granted, there are extremist Muslims. There are problematic attitudes in the Middle East regarding the treatment of women. However, not all Muslims are extremists. 

Believing that all Muslims are extremists is comparable to saying that all Germans are bad because of the actions taken by the Nazis. It simply isn't true.

Attitudes like Mr. Savage's do nothing to combat the extremist attitudes held by some Muslims. Instead, they create an attitude of bias against all Muslims.

Biased attitudes do not create solutions. They only create further animosity.

~Illsa~

Terrorism and Hate

The violence in Syria continues. The video shows a man firing an RPG-7 warhead and he and his group are eventually taken out by a tank.

The hatred and prejudice in the comments is quite disturbing as well.

Extremism and bigotry will never lead to solutions.

~Helena~