Unless you’re white, when the world shits on you, you have to take your lumps and move on. But these white people on TV think they can take revenge on the world. That, my friends, is privilege.
If you gander at how many people care about what you care about, check out their demographics. If they’re all white dudes, uh oh.
Politics isn’t about seeing how many advantages you can rack up for you and your friends. It’s about doing what’s right for everyone, including other folks.
The system is completely tattered and broken when folks get shot. It’s also broken when folks take that as a cue to act irrationally. I’m more upset about all that than about who got shot. Kirk was an insufferable hateful man. Can’t be sad about him. But I am sad he was shot. That’s okay. If you’re not okay with that stance, you’re probably a racist too. I’d look into it. The man said many times the Civil Rights Movement was a mistake. So.. it’s not like I’m just making this up.
Hollywood makes us think we are entitled to get back at the system that harmed us. But that isn’t real life. It’s a revenge fantasy they keep harboring in the backs of our white minds. The truth is we’re part of the system that harms us. It’s more about responsibility than entitlement. But unless we act responsibly, it will be about someone else, not ourselves. That’s unfortunate.
Do what you gotta’ do to make it through, sure. But if you struggle to see how you do that without stepping on anyone’s toes, wear smaller clown shoes. It’s not about thumping your chest. It’s about shaking hands.
“Smoke and Mud (Unplugged)”
I wrote this back in 2016 and things were dark. They’re dark again. I guess this is just my dark song. Enjoy on Bandcamp. Thanks!
Revenge is almost always a fantasy. Our president doesn’t think so. But he lives a fantastical life far away from most any of us. He doesn’t go to the same clubs. Doesn’t eat the same food. Doesn’t fly the same planes. Shop the same stores. Live in the same apartments. Even read the same papers. To think he has anything in common with common people is asinine.
Hollywood makes a ton of money off this fantasy. Every year there is a score of movies about getting back at folks. They sell. Wonder why? Are they facilitating what we want and need, or what Washington does? Hard to say anymore. Washington really needs the white folks to believe they’re persecuted at the moment while they deport folks and make life for women and LGBTQ miserable and get away with massive crime. I’d expect lots of revenge flicks.
If you are just seeing how this works it basically boils down to folks being played to mobilize for revenge politics. That’s not exactly what we need. Charlie hated the word, “empathy” because you can’t have empathy and think like he did. So rather than develop a vital skill for living with others, he dove into hate. Prejudice. Sorry, Charlie. But empathy is where it’s at.
Art is hard without empathy. Do you want a world without art? I’m not a fan.
Empathy is not weakness. It’s vital for being a part of someone else’s happiness. If you never want that, it’s not because empathy is bad. It’s because you are.
Dostoevsky made a lot of revelations in is writings. But I feel when he stumbled upon the greatest lie we tell ourselves, he struck gold. He warned about telling yourself stories:
“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”
-Brothers Karamazov
He also discovered what the greatest lie we tell ourselves is:
We are not alone in this world. We aren’t even self-sufficient. None of us. No matter how rich, no matter how much land we own. We depend on other people. If you don’t know that, perhaps look into it. It’s one of those “core” things. If you think it’s “all you,” you’re likely shitting on folks, or forgetting them.
What this means is getting along is essential, not optional. I don’t know what’s so hard about it. But folks have a hard time getting here. Getting along is survival.
In the case of Charlie Kirk, he wasn’t advocating getting along. He was saying white people are the greatest. So, no, no love lost for him. But I dream of a system that never would have made him famous in the first place. He just means there’s a ton of entitled angry delusional white folks out there. Gross.🤮
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