It's been a weird few weeks in the world of news and it's had me venting. 140 characters aren't enough on Twitter. And on Facebook, I'm really just giving a "Coles Notes" version. So I'm here to share my full, unfiltered thoughts on some recent posts.
#1. Maybe politicians should start their campaigning with "I'm sorry for what's coming." It'd be a lot easier for everyone to digest, whether it's lies, corruption, stupidity or whatever makes headlines. Because right now I feel bad for voters, who are having to wade their way through the seemingly infinite amount of garbage just to find a reason to vote for someone. Especially when all the politicians say is that they "regret" their missteps. That's not an apology. That's a "I wish I didn't get caught." Anyways... Back to your regularly-scheduled long weekend.
I did add one more point onto that, being it wasn't aimed at any one party or politician. This was from this past long weekend after a couple of federal Conservative candidates were booted from the campaign because of things said and done. But it runs rampant in every single election and with every single party. And it's left voters in flux. How do you vote for someone when all you can focus on is all the bad everyone has highlighted about them. "You can't trust this guy." "He's too young." "She doesn't have enough experience." "The economy might collapse with this party." "We need change." All of these typical slogans and party lines and not enough substance because voters just don't have the attention spans to keep up. In Alberta, people knew they wanted change in the last provincial election. But did they know what they were getting when they voted NDP? Or were they simply voting for something just to get the 40+ year dynasty out the door? Why did urban go NDP and rural go Wildrose? Could the federal election be split depending on geographic region as well? It's a fascinating case study on "divide-and-conquer" politics, deliberate or not. But I think part of the reason is because of the fear-mongering being done by all parties, coupled with the scandals and sideshows, which leave people shrugging their shoulders and not really focused on the most important question: who is best to run this fine country of ours?
#2. Just a little follow-up to my last post about the woman who allegedly threw the puke bag at the taxi driver after he requested a clean-up fee for her mess: what in the coldest gates of hell? I'm sorry. But why do people feel so GD entitled that they can do whatever they want to those who are in the service industry? Honestly, you must believe that they are below you if you think you can get away with making racist/derogatory/ridiculous comments or take inappropriate/abusive actions. How would you like it if someone walked into your office and did the same thing? Everyone's trying to make a living here and you're showing absolutely zero respect for them. I get it. Respect goes both ways. But you'd be surprised how quickly it's reciprocated if you make the first move. Have a conversation. Be civil. It's not that GD hard. Rant over.
I don't use taxis a lot. But when I do, I try to get the conversation going quickly. I find some of the stories fascinating. I remember meeting a gentleman in Calgary who was from "the good part of Afghanistan" (his words). He was in Canada trying to make enough money to bring the rest of his family over. He loved our idea of freedom. This was his "land of opportunity," in particular for his kids. It was a great story. There was another guy when I was in Florida who was running a fleet of older vehicles. So we got to talking about fixing up these old 1950's and 1960's trucks and cars and how they handle the Florida heat. It was "something different" for a guy originally from New York who needed to "escape." The same thing goes for waiters and waitresses, gas station attendants, or grocery store workers. I know this sounds super-hokey, but why can't we all just get along? It's absolutely baffling that we allow ourselves to get caught up in our own BS and go off the rails at the first opportunity. Even something simple like looking someone in the eye after you've paid for your slurpee or whatever, then saying "thank you." You can tell it brightens their day just a little bit. I feel like I'm in the Miss America pageant here or something, but holy moly. Are we so far removed from simple things like opening the door for someone? We're in "too much of a rush?" Yeesh.
#3. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a moron. I monitor the comments on the station's Facebook page quite regularly (for work), which means I read them all. And we all know that the #1 rule of journalism is to not read the comments section. Ever. But I have to read them. It's the comments on stories like this one (the Pride Bus) which makes me lose a lot of faith in humanity. The needless Twitter wars that have popped up because of it. The vitriol. It's just tiring to watch. "When do we get a Straight Pride Parade?" How about when you're feeling oppressed and marginalized for who you love? "LGBQT is threatening the sanctity of marriage!" Really? Did it break up your marriage and the love of others you know? Maybe we should worry about banning Ashley Madison-style websites first. Who appoints you as the "Director of Love?" Why is it your business what other people do in their bedrooms? Why is someone else's happiness a detriment to your being? I'm a proud, straight man. I'm also proud to associate myself with and love people of all sexualities and backgrounds. If you're a good person, that's all that matters to me. Be happy. Much love y'all!
This one gets me every time. Maybe it was because I was bullied when I was younger. But for whatever reason, we have this infatuation with hating everything that's different from our "norm." Too fat. Too skinny. Too white. Too black. Too Christian. Too Muslim. Too gay. Too straight. Too rich. Too poor. What the heck does it even matter?
I found one thing in particular really disturbing on this topic. The Calgary Flames and associated organizations (Hitmen, Stampeders and Roughnecks) all posted Facebook profile pictures altered with rainbow colours (as many personal pages had done). You would not believe the vitriol thrown in the comments of those posts. I had to go for a walk after a while, just to calm down and make sure I didn't post anything I'd later regret. Here's the thing: why are you letting something like that bother you? Some claimed the teams were trying to get on the "indoctrination" train or trying to be "trendy." Really? This is about acceptance and being inclusive. If a player were to come out tomorrow, are you saying that player should be cut immediately? All these teams are saying is "we support you" to those who are being bullied, shamed and the like. But again, it goes to another bigger point: why does it matter to you what they do in the comfort of their own homes, so much so that you need to make negative comments about someone else's way of life? If I'm putting a team together, I'm looking for the best group of athletes. I don't care where they came from, what religion they are, what sexuality they are. None of it matters because (if I was in that position) I would be in the business of winning championships and if that meant bringing in a blind, three-armed trans-sexual Irish-Catholic man to do it, sign him. Would it be a distraction? Sure. Right up until he dominated on the ice.
And for those of you who are "sick and tired of having this shoved in my face every year": You're tired of hearing about it?!? Imagine having to live through the shaming, doubt, bigotry, cat calls and more EVERY DAY.
I'm an optimist. I look for the best in people. I really do. But sometimes, society puts me to the test. We can be better. I know we can.
