Thanksgiving is barely behind us and already we are being beaten over the head with Christmas. Although, let's be honest, Thanksgiving was a blurp between Halloween and Christmas this year, what with Black Friday sales starting at 8 or 9 pm on Thanksgiving evening and carols being played in stores the week before Thanksgiving. Christmas trees and all decorations were set up as Halloween costumes were going on clearance! The consumerism of it all is getting insane and the meaning of Thanksgiving lost in the shuffle.
Here is where my true snark begins. I could give two flying shits about how a store chooses to visually mind-fuck people into spending money. As long as I can walk into a store, randomly walk around, choose to leave empty handed and leave unmolested by store employees I'm a happy camper. Now, the reality of me ever leaving a store empty handed is a totally different story. And truthfully, Thanksgiving is a holiday that grocery stores make the money on anyways. Sure Target and WalMart are now stocking groceries but they aren't grocery stores first. Super WalMarts are the exceptions to that statement but moving on....
After Thanksgiving, cashiers move on to ending transactions with a festive parting phrase. Some stores won't allow anything but "Happy Holidays" so as not to offend anyone and customers still get offended. Some stores let the cashiers choose the phrase of choice and customers get offended when the cashier says "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays". Honestly, the only time I really and truly get offended is when the cashier says something to my well meaning "Happy Holiday". Its happened more than once and I don't care who you are or what your beliefs are, there is no reason to act like I just pissed on your mamma's grave in front of you because I didn't return your "Merry Christmas" with the same 2 damned words!
The worst case of this, was (big surprise) when I was living in Georgia. I ran in to grab a few things and got in a quick moving line. The man behind me was too close for my comfort, I'm very much a personal space person in that I like my personal space. I get to the cashier and she rings up my items and I pay. She says "Merry Christmas" to which I reply "OH! Happy Holidays to you too!" smile and grab my bag. She holds my bag and says "I said Merry Christmas" and looks at the guy behind me and says "That is what I said right?" and he of course nods and says "Yes ma'am that's what I heard". So I look at her and said, "Yeah, umm....you're going to need to call your manager because I'm sure we have an issue now."
The manager comes over and I get my bag from the cashier and an explanation that "things are different here in the south. We take god seriously." No apology just a cheat sheet on southern greetings, as it were. As a "Yankee" I wouldn't understand that "happy holidays" is basically telling god-fearing people to fuck off with a smile, apparently.
I prefer Happy Holidays because this time of year is rich with people celebrating different holidays. Granted, I don't know each of the holidays being celebrated, but I'm not going to claim one is more important than another because of my own ignorance. We have enough issues with religion in this country right now, why do we have to take the most joyous time of the year and make it a blood sport of who has the biggest claim on the month of December?
Showing posts with label ignorant hate words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ignorant hate words. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
It's just nail polish! *update*
I have a son. He's 3 years old. He's spent 95% of his young life with me, his mom, so it's almost natural that he is interested in the things I do.
One of the things he's most interested in, is when I paint my nails. He loves having his toes painted too! And guess what? His dad and I are fine with that. Why? Because it's just nail polish. It'll come off with little effort or wear off by itself within a couple weeks. It's not a big damned deal to us. It'd be no different than if he decided he wants a fake tattoo, since mommy has real ones.
So why do some people insist on saying shitty and disgusting things about it? Well, because they're narrow-minded and have their heads up their asses of course.
Nixon was in the room and referred to as "fairy" for wearing nail polish. He was also in the room when "faggots", "fag" and other hateful slurs against homosexual men were spoken. We don't say these words in our house. I'm not in my house right now. I'm trying to raise Nixon to be tolerant of all people and most lifestyles (I obviously don't agree with people who are abusive towards animals and other people in their lives. I don't condone that and make sure to teach Nixon love is not abusive).
Nixon is a kind and loving little kid. He's very affectionate to me and his dad. He loves giving us hugs and kisses, and frequently tell us he loves us throughout the day. He's sensitive, almost to a fault, and can be overly emotional about things. But, c'mon, he's 3!
I don't understand and can't begin to comprehend why any adult would ever think saying such words to a child is acceptable. I don't know why someone feels the need to use such hate-filled words period, let alone in front of children.
I'm pissed as hell because my son has done nothing but be a loving person and enjoy something girls are free to do. We raise our daughters to believe they can do anything a man can do but we degraded boys for doing the same thing?!? I don't want Nixon to be afraid to be himself. I don't want him judged because of something as trivial as nail polish..ON HIS TOES for fucksake! And it's neon green even!!
I grew up a tomboy. I did everything boys did (minus the peeing standing up thing, that always pissed me off that I never mastered that skill) from sports, to climbing trees and even getting into fights. Am I less of a woman because of it? Some might say yes, but for the most part, no. Unless you knew me then, you might not even realize how much of a tomboy I really was.
So why can't my son enjoy doing girlie things without ignorant assholes trying to belittle him?? Why? Because the world is full of assholes and we have to be around them sometimes.
Moms, don't raise your daughters one way and then the opposite way for sons. If we tell our daughters they can be anything they want to be, lets encourage our sons to do the same. Gender roles or not, let kids be kids and be creative, individuals and happy. There are grown men, who fight in the UFC and wear nail polish!
Who wants to tell them their a "fairy" for doing so?? Not me.
*update*
Apparently, between the nail polish and the fact that Nixon likes Strawberry Shortcake cartoons, I'm "making him gay". You don't make a person gay! And there are apparently no gay football players. Since Nixon likes throwing a football, I'm confusing him. Seriously, he a kid! He's doing what kids like to do, be curious about everything!
One of the things he's most interested in, is when I paint my nails. He loves having his toes painted too! And guess what? His dad and I are fine with that. Why? Because it's just nail polish. It'll come off with little effort or wear off by itself within a couple weeks. It's not a big damned deal to us. It'd be no different than if he decided he wants a fake tattoo, since mommy has real ones.
So why do some people insist on saying shitty and disgusting things about it? Well, because they're narrow-minded and have their heads up their asses of course.
Nixon was in the room and referred to as "fairy" for wearing nail polish. He was also in the room when "faggots", "fag" and other hateful slurs against homosexual men were spoken. We don't say these words in our house. I'm not in my house right now. I'm trying to raise Nixon to be tolerant of all people and most lifestyles (I obviously don't agree with people who are abusive towards animals and other people in their lives. I don't condone that and make sure to teach Nixon love is not abusive).
Nixon is a kind and loving little kid. He's very affectionate to me and his dad. He loves giving us hugs and kisses, and frequently tell us he loves us throughout the day. He's sensitive, almost to a fault, and can be overly emotional about things. But, c'mon, he's 3!
I don't understand and can't begin to comprehend why any adult would ever think saying such words to a child is acceptable. I don't know why someone feels the need to use such hate-filled words period, let alone in front of children.
I'm pissed as hell because my son has done nothing but be a loving person and enjoy something girls are free to do. We raise our daughters to believe they can do anything a man can do but we degraded boys for doing the same thing?!? I don't want Nixon to be afraid to be himself. I don't want him judged because of something as trivial as nail polish..ON HIS TOES for fucksake! And it's neon green even!!
I grew up a tomboy. I did everything boys did (minus the peeing standing up thing, that always pissed me off that I never mastered that skill) from sports, to climbing trees and even getting into fights. Am I less of a woman because of it? Some might say yes, but for the most part, no. Unless you knew me then, you might not even realize how much of a tomboy I really was.
So why can't my son enjoy doing girlie things without ignorant assholes trying to belittle him?? Why? Because the world is full of assholes and we have to be around them sometimes.
Moms, don't raise your daughters one way and then the opposite way for sons. If we tell our daughters they can be anything they want to be, lets encourage our sons to do the same. Gender roles or not, let kids be kids and be creative, individuals and happy. There are grown men, who fight in the UFC and wear nail polish!
Who wants to tell them their a "fairy" for doing so?? Not me.
*update*
Apparently, between the nail polish and the fact that Nixon likes Strawberry Shortcake cartoons, I'm "making him gay". You don't make a person gay! And there are apparently no gay football players. Since Nixon likes throwing a football, I'm confusing him. Seriously, he a kid! He's doing what kids like to do, be curious about everything!
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