NOT...

[rowangolightly]

Sorry, not following along with the crowd doing the sexual purity meme that is currently around here. I decided to play along until I got to the "Fucking Sick" part if it where I saw "practicing polyamory" listed. The meme ceased being amusing right there.

I have a thing about blindly following labels, even as unconsciously or 'innocently' as in a meme. It goes all the way back to "pollock" jokes and fat jokes and even blonde jokes. It goes all the way up to kids today saying, "Oh, that's so gay!" to mean something stupid or unfashionable.

Prejudice is prejudice, folks. Yes, maybe I'm touchy because I am poly. But what if it put being bald or being overweight or liking to game under that category. It makes a statement that anyone who practices polyamory is a depraved person. If you actually have that opinion, fine; you are entitled to your own opinion. But if you don't, whether you are poly or not, and you let that question pass you by without a blink, you are allowing bigotry.

Ultrasensitive? Maybe...but then, I've always called people on fat jokes and loser jokes and 'retarded' jokes and race and gender jokes all my life and I'm not about to stop now.

It's not that far away from "towel-head" or "nigger" or "kike" or any of the other pejorative labels we'd be aghast to hear today. It's not that horribly far away from a gang of drunks beating up on the 'limp-wristed' fella from school.

The only way to fight prejudice is to call it and not put up with it, no matter where you find it.

Prejudice is prejudice; bigotry is bigotry.

Comments

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

*grin* Since when have I been nervous about what other people might say about me?

But I can say this, at least this meme wasn't written by a junior high boy!

[oldwolf.livejournal.com]

Ok, pot stirred. What purity test??? *looks around*

If only to see how bad I can get.

Like I saw a little while ago "knowledge is power, power corrupts, stay in school, be evil!"

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

This one:

http://www.theferrett.com/purity2/

As I said to Malvito, at the very least this one wasn't obviously written by a virginal junior high boy.

[oldwolf.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... I think I remember taking one of these back in the early 90's. Only then it was like 200 questions.

I'm gonna be up all night with this one.

Resistance is NOT futile..

[itzwicks.livejournal.com]

I normally let a lot of meme's pass me by. This one will be no different.

It's not that far away from "towel-head" or "nigger" or "kike" or any of the other pejorative labels we'd be aghast to hear today. It's not that horribly far away from a gang of drunks beating up on the 'limp-wristed' fella from school.

Principled stands, amazingly enough, are still principled in my book. The use of such terms as verbal tools to inflict hatred are never a good thing, and as fellow humans, we should refrain from such practices.

The Golden Rule hasn't fallen out of favor, as far as I know. No need to change things now. ;-)

Re: Resistance is NOT futile..

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yep. As I said, it's a trivial thing but my Daddy taught me years ago about the power or words and how important principles are.

The Golden Rule may be a bit tarnished but I think it still has a lot of merit.

[desahra.livejournal.com]

Can I get the strawberry soup recipe?

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Sure....and you've got a whole bunch of mail here, some of it looking important!

[theslice.livejournal.com]

But they also put "got your ears pierced" in that same category. I think it's less a prejudice than a category which should have been labeled "Misc." but opted for a more eye-catching headliner. But that's just me.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Some of the obviously NOT "sick" things on the list made me assume it was intended as sarcastic even. That's how I took it.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

It's SO hard to glean mood and emotional content from memes!

[softpaw.livejournal.com]

They also put wearing lingerie in that category to..WTF..

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know....I really don't have time for memes anyway, right?

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's true. But it just set me off....

[ladyegreen.livejournal.com]

I think I remember this meme?

You have an excellent point, my dear, but than you usually do. Kudos for not only passing it by but saying why because I agree with your Dad about the power of words and principles.

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

It's a far different one than the old one. This one was obviously written by an adult rather than a teenaged virginal boy who'd never (OMG) seen a naked woman! *sigh*

Thanks...it's also undoubtedly true that I'm a bit short on patience lately! But that doesn't stop my Dad from being right!

[motherpockets.livejournal.com]

I started taking that one, but quit before I got to that section. I found the whole thing just as immature as a lot of others, and frankly, pretty boring. Maybe I should have kept going, so I could at least have felt outraged!

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Well, it was certainly a tempest in a teapot more than outrage but it hit one of my buttons!

[the-jenny-of-oz.livejournal.com]

I think memes are a senseless waste of time, but I understand that I am very much in the minority with that opinion. I do, however, think this particular meme clearly shows a problem that most all memes have: they show no real correlations and they don't mean anything.
I agree that even though its just a meme, it still reinforces a stigma. But just like daytime talk shows and news stand tabloids, I don't think it's a message medium that people take seriously.

...aren't I just a royal stick in the mud??? ;-)

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

*lol* Well, if you are then I'm right there beside you. Problem is, those are mediums that all sorts of idiotic people take seriously. And that's what's scary!

I pretty much do memes 'cause I'm wanting a bit of break or I think the pics are cool but not so much lately!

[kryspykitty.livejournal.com]

That's the same thing I was thinking, I tend to think meme's are pretty silly as well, and only good for strictly entertainment purposes every now and again when you wanna do something fun that doesn't require too many brain cells!?!

That being said, I think the point she has here is that, regardless of whether they are taken seriously or not it can still be a very, very slippery slope!
What happens when prejudice mind sets become common place in those arenas, and then starting spilling over into more 'mainstream' ones??Kwim.

Methinks that's why those of us "outside the box" get our panties in a wad over stuff that initially might seem pretty lame.
Because a prejudiced statement is a prejudiced statement, and is wrong no matter *what* mouth/medium/etc it comes from.Imho.

[juliegocrazy.livejournal.com]

Awwwwww. you take all the fun out of it! NOT! LOL

[sashastarchaser.livejournal.com]

OK this is side stepping the point just a bit but I totaly agree on the use of "gay" as meaning "uncool". That drives me fucking crazy! I got into it with a really good friend one night. I mean, there was actually a gay guy in the car with us! It's like is just so understood that that means bad that no one should even be offended. It's nuts! I'm worked up now. Who can I yell at...

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Exactly....as you said in your post, if everyone would only become more aware of the words we use and how they might come across to others, there'd be less pain in this world.

[ericcaptdrake.livejournal.com]

I so Love you. <3

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

I love you too, dear!

[juliegocrazy.livejournal.com]

*standing up applauding*

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thank you, sweetie.