Island Living? Not So Much

If we each lived on our personal own island, living off of coconuts and plantains, I would have no reason for this post. But we don't, so I do have a reason for this post. Here goes.

You know what really grinds my gears?

Image: Family Guy via thetruthaboutcars.com

When people forget the humanity of others. It's not that obscure of a concept when you really think about it. But sometimes folks just forget that everyone else in the world is a person too. We are people with thoughts, desires, hopes, dreams, personalities, brains, and hearts. We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. Others don't deserve to be treated as if their only purpose in this world is to revolve around you!

Image: Solar System via neography.com

I have three examples of this that should really help you get what I mean. 1. Smarmy-looking Ross Douthat's latest Op-Ed in the New York Times. 2. A situation in my own life that happened to Easy Sunday night. 3. A big issue right now in America: gay marriage.

He Chooses Our Image Over Others' Right To Choose The Course Of Their Lives

Image: Ross Douthat via Charlierose.com

Yes, I think Ross Douthat looks smarmy. I've never really liked his photo on his columns. He looks judgemental and like all his food is under-seasoned and he prefers it that way. I must admit that puts me in a mindset to disagree with him before he's even gotten started. The fact that he's a conservative who constantly skews statistics and polls to fit his view doesn't help. But this time, he's taken it too far.

In his latest column, titled "It's Still the 9/11 Era", he talks about how our approach to counter-terrorism since 9/11 has shifted and that it never shifted back. He talks about how there are "moral costs", but what he eventually admits to actually being concerned about is "America's geopolitical position."

But our post-9/11 attempts to transform the Muslim world have cost trillions of dollars and thousands of lives, and won us — well, what? A liberated Iraq that’s more in Iran’s sphere of influence than ours, an Afghan war in which American casualties keep rising, an Arab Spring that threatens to encircle Israel with enemies, a Middle East where our list of reliable allies grows thin ...

He does eventually talk about the long-term benefits of being pro-democracy-- for nine words-- but mostly he's concerned that America isn't prom queen anymore. I didn't realize that stopping our support for dictators who imprison, kill, and torture their citizens who dissent could be a bad thing. Standing by people who can keep oil prices relatively stationary (which hasn't been the case in my lifetime...) at the expense of the safety and upward mobility of millions of people who live in these countries doesn't fit my ideas of how people should be treated.

If You're Not The Headliner, Move Out Of The Way

This past weekend was an amazing one for my fiance, who I call Easy in my blog. He played at both the Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park and the African Festival of the Arts in Washington Park on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Image: Jazz Fest Logo via Accujazz.com

Image via africanfestivalchicago.com

 I was lucky enough to attend both performances in spite of it being the busiest weekend ever. I only slept a few hours between Friday night and Sunday night, but it was worth it.

On Sunday, at the African Fest, he played with a jazz music big band that was opening up for Mary Mary. I ran into some friends of my mother's and sat with them in the hospitality pavilion. We had a great view of the stage. I was so proud of him when he played his solos on his alto sax during the songs. He sounded amazing! That was a happy moment. But after they only played three songs out of the seven they were supposed to play, they left the stage.

The people who organized the show neglected to get something every big band/orchestra needs to play on stage: music stands. They didn't have them anywhere and eventually they just had to use extra chairs to set up their music. With all the time wasted, they went on stage late. They rushed in the intro, rushed them through their set, and rushed them off stage. They weren't the headliners, and so they were treated as if they weren't important at all. They paid these people money to come play and basically disrespected them with the way they were treated. No one seemed ready to apologize or at least act as if they felt bad for the treatment. Just because they weren't the headliners didn't mean they didn't deserve to be treated with respect. You'd be surprised how long an "I'm sorry" can go.

Born This Way
Unless you've been under a rock, you know the fight for and against gay marriage in America has been on the forefront of discussions is several speres of the media. During that last campaign and this one, it's been a major topic of discussion for religious and civic groups and politicians. Where I stand on the issues doesn't so much matter as my frustration with how the whole issue is being handled by some people making the loudest noise about this.

Nothing makes me angrier than when someone forgets another's humanity. Gay people weren't put on this planet to send the rest of the unlucky bystander heterosexuals to hell for simply living in the same country with them. Neither do they exist simply to make rigid Christian's lives more difficult. Homosexuals, bi-sexuals, and transsexuals/transgender people are just trying to live their lives. It's just that simple.

People who want to debate policy and religion and all that can do so without the insensitive language that denies the inherent truths out there. If you are alive and human, you deserve to be treated as such. Okay, I'm going to get off my soapbox now and leave you with one of my favorite songs out right now.