Social Imbalance/Political Ramifications on my Mind

Black History Month. Yes, it does exist. Am I the only person who realizes how blatantly racist that very idea is? I'm all for generic and stagnant equality standards across the spectrum of ethnicities, but that right there is what I call overkill. Yes, we have all acknowledged the fact that your great great great great grandfather was a slave. Let's get over ourselves and move on, shall we? I'm no hater, but Black History Month is ridiculous. If somebody tried to start a White History Month, people would be shot down in the streets and there would be mass outcry at how racist and insensitive we are. It is a sad world we live in where the definition of "racial equality" becomes the equivalent of reverse discrimination. This may be extreme for me to say, but it's almost as if people think the only fair way to treat African American people fairly is by advancing them metaphorically into the position of the "higher race," with days and holidays and entire months dedicated to them and their history. The slavery thing was hundreds of years ago. It's OVER. You might even point out that white people haven't been lords over all they see their entire existence either. There have been more whites hurt by slavery and oppression throughout history than African Americans ever have. The Christian faith, for one of many examples, has been criticized and attacked all throughout time. Persecution of the Christians oppressed far more than any number of African American slaves. And yet, shockingly enough, I have yet to see a "Christian Month" anywhere. There isn't even a "Jewish Rememberence Day" and they seem to be fine with it. I have recently encountered arguments against my statements claiming that the African American people deserve recognition because there are numerous days throughout the year dedicated solely to white people like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, etc. My response to this was firstly that there exists Martin Luther King day, which is very widely recognized. I then pointed out the fact that these are not holidays for "white people." These are holidays celebrating the works of great men throughout history, regardless of their skin color. Judging from that very approach, it can be assumed the existence of Black History Month is almost a social engagement in response to lack of recognition out of spite (this is not my opinion, only my impression of the opinion proposed to me, in essense). My main point is this: reverse discrimination is NOT the same thing as equality, despite the modern world's imposition of such a view upon society as a whole.

Next topic on my mind. American international political justification. I can understand and truly relate to the government's inherent desire to want to "fix" the world and make everyone's problems go away (at copious expense of the American people, no less). The U.S. government is locked indefinitely in a worldwide struggle to take care of arbitrary nations and police their actions and motives. This has resulted in near global distaste targeted at America and its people. We cannot continue to assume we know what's best for the world and impose ourselves and our methods on other countries around the world. Doing so has not only resulted in the utter lack of international appeal but also in the highest international debt levels of all time. I can't remember where I saw it but I saw a statistic not long ago that claimed if we were to gather all of the sales tax from the American people together for one year, that would pay off roughly the interest on our deficit. With outright disregard for the wishes and needs of the American public, our government has continued and will forseeably continue to invest larger and larger sums of money that we don't have into situations and circumstances that don't involve or concern us as far as national stability. I am supportive of the notion, in the ideological sense, of helping people out wherever they appear to need it and saving the world. Everybody seems to think that just because we COULD go into (enter arbitrary third world country that is either at war with itself or collapsing economically), we SHOULD. This results in the existing downward spiral of economic deterioration that is the American nation. In my own opinion.


J R Williams

Spreading the Wealth

It has come to my attention as of late that there is an ongoing nationwide debate amongst my generation on whether soldiers should make more money than football players. Rather than whine a sentence or two about it on my facebook status and "like" a few pages, I'll just put down my two cents here. Should soldiers make more than football players? At the current rate football players are paid... No. Should soldier be a higher paying job in general than football player? I agree completely (side note: there IS hazard pay as well). Strictly against the football standpoint, far too much money is being wasted already. There is no logical reason for them to make as much as the average American does in 5 years because they can throw or catch a ball. It is absolutely atrocious, what NFL players make. And I am personally a very big fan of football. But I DO NOT think that the average soldier should make that much either. That, also, is irrational. Sure, they're patriots putting their lives on the line to defend the flag, but they're one of how many hundreds of thousands of others exactly like them? We can't afford to pay what we HAVE been paying out into the world. In short, hopefully simple summary: football players should not make as much money as they do now. Soldiers should not make more than football players do now. But, in principle, soldiers SHOULD make more than football players do. That's my take on the whole debate.


J R Williams

Brief encounters in classic stupidity

I've already posted a blog post today, so I'll try to be very brief here. I just had a run-in during my US Government & Politics class that I'd like to share. It is my personal opinion that you are not entitled to constantly complaining about the ineffectivity or policies of a president if you didn't even bother voting in the first place. Today the teacher asked us our opinions of Obama, and one guy had to enunciate his hatred of Obama and his policies. When asked which policies he didn't like, he couldn't name a single one. He just said "I don't know, he's just a terrible president" over and over. Mind you, I am NO supporter of Obama. Not by any stretch. But at least I can back myself up if asked (I'm keeping this post short, otherwise I'd be going on about it for another half hour or so). The teacher asked who he voted for and he said he didn't vote. This guy is in his 30's. Honestly, if you can't take the time to drive a few minutes and check the box for the other guy, you shouldn't take the time to complain about who won for his entire term. After all, you had the opportunity to contribute to doing something about it and you didn't. So with the absolute greatest measure of respect, shut your mouth. Nobody cares.

J R Williams

Time to kill

Immediately I'm going to quell any misgivings regarding the title of this post. I'm not actually killing anything, nor am I "figuratively" killing anything. I merely have time, literally, to kill (as is the common lingo). I got to school 20 minutes late for class, already paranoid of missing out on important information. You see, I'm very often late for that first class. I arrived only to be informed that class had been cancelled. Jubilation? I think not. Now I have almost two hours with which to wander aimlessly around the school waiting for my next class, which isn't until 10. Normally I would get out of class and still have an hour to kill between classes. This is just madness. So, naturally I decided to update my blog a second time today. I have no life.

Big Number 20!!!

I was so excited for this post, being my big number 20th blog entry, that I had to jump right on in without even coming up with anything in particular to say. So, I'll simply rant about the first few conversational/update-worthy things that come to my mind. Tomorrow morning I have an exam in Criminal Justice, which I was conclusively unprepared for about an hour ago. Sure I paid attention in class and took copious notes, but never was there anything that was prophesized to appear specifically in the exam. So, naturally, I immediately panicked. This panic, rather than quickly abated, rapidly doubled in depth when I asked a fellow classmate what the exam was targeting. She told me very matter-of-factly that we were to be tested on the content of the textbook's chapters 1-4. This prompted an immediate slew of profanity in my head, seeing as I have NOT purchased the bloody book. Now, before you face-palm yourself and tell me how stupid I am, I know. I should have went and bought the stupid book. But honestly, the rebellious side of me yearns to complain that the teacher could/should have at least done the courtesy of specifying publicly that it was dire to acquire a textbook. Or, how about this insane idea: let's actually inform the class on something that they're going to be tested on once in awhile. What a revolutionary concept. Nevertheless, I blessedly had an Email copy of the powerpoints used to give us the main points of the class information (many of which are supposed to appear on the exam). Thus, I have spent the last 2 hours taking down extensive notes from these powerpoints; writing down anything I deem to be important or stand-outish. Hopefully that, coupled with my destiny of intensive cramming between classes tomorrow, will be enough to give me a passing grade.

And now, I've talked about one single subject far longer than I'd anticipated being able to talk about anything in particular, period. I'm quite proud of myself in that aspect... save for the fact that I just realized I should be using this time to study rather than blog about how I should study. Ah, irony.

J R Williams