A few quick rants

I got into a conversation with someone close to me (not necessarily by choice) over the holidays who, while having a conversation regarding white privilege and the use of derogatory, racially loaded terms, remarked, "But I didn't enslave anyone. They themselves aren't enslaved now. I don't think there's any reason why I can't walk up to a black person and ask 'What's up nigga?' when I'm obviously just kidding around." So, so much wrong with this white person's line of thinking. We do not live in a vacuum; there is a lasting legacy of the consequences of slavery and "separate but equal" doctrines. First off, why would you want to be so hurtful? This person, as far as I know, has made little to no effort to understand their privilege or investigate why "kidding around" like this can be so damaging. White folks who want to be able to use racially charged insults because they are "politically incorrect" or exercise their "freedom of speech" are nothing more than willfully ignorant, selfish, spoiled brats who are so blinded by their own bigotry that they can't even conceive of considering another perspective. Although I'm not one to make resolutions because I don't want to reserve making changes in my life to one arbitrary part of the year, I am definitely resolving to continue to distance myself from people whose antiquated attitudes do nothing more than make me want to break glass ashtrays. Why glass ashtrays? They are the most satisfying things to break, IMO.

People who do not consider arguments outside of the status quo do not get to claim that ardent leftists (the good kind! hehe), feminists, anti-racists, or any other type of activist who rejects the mediocre politics the media wants us to feed on are close-minded. If you have never challenged your mind by looking into other perspectives and you're pissed off because someone might cause you to question the tenets that prop up your narrow world view (because new thoughts are scary sometimes, yes), you just might be the very thing you're accusing someone else of.

For pity's sake, who isn't popping offspring out these days?! And why? Why is it so alluring to give birth to a helpless human and conform to society's gender norms? I...I am at a loss. Like my last post alluded to, I think I need to just stay away from Facebook, or purge the friends list to narrow the abyss I've unwittingly created, and that I choose to stare into every day.