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POLITICS THREAD!!!!!!
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POLITICS THREAD!!!!!!
POLITICS THREAD!!!!!!
This is a place for us to state, debate and discuss politics! I encourage everyone to do so rationally and maturely, and would ask that all participants would refrain from abuse, even when in the heat of an argument, and that some of the more mature subjects would not be presented here. The Admins wll not publish any inappropriate comments.
However, I would discourage anyone from participating if they are easily offended, or dislike having their views challenged.
This may not be a popular idea, but I wanted to give people a chance to present their views and discuss the larger issues in our world today. I hope that this idea takes, and that it will also be enjoyable and informative! :)
I will begin by introducing a topic that is curently at large in America, but is also, I believe, appropriate for CB. I would ask the Admins to correct me if I am mistaken. :)
So-- what do you all think about the idea of including women in the military draft?
This thread is now closed for new comments.
Admin
submitted by Esthelle (Es-thel-ay, age Anonymous, Rivendell (I wish) ;)
(February 28, 2016 - 3:12 pm)
(February 28, 2016 - 3:12 pm)
Well, it may be true that sexism and racism are never going to fully disappear. But saying that racism/sexism is only "hurt feelings" indicates that it is a trivial matter. It's not. Race and your gender are things you can't control. Do you think it's okay for people to judge and hate you for it? Do you think it's okay to be though of as less because of who you are? I hope not.
Just because they may be a part of life doesn't mean it's "okay" to be rasict and sexist. As an individual, everyone should strive to be themselves regardless of prejudice and take an open mind to everyone they meet. There is nothing "good" about racism, sexism, heterosexism, any of those.
Your point about a perfectly sheltered world is a good one, however, some people are hurt because of these -isms. Just because people don't hate you, tease you, think that you're inferior, and show no respect for you, doesn't mean you aren't living a "real" life. Have you ever been bullied like that? Did you enjoy it?
(May 1, 2016 - 11:20 am)
Abi, I don't think Esthelle is trying to say they are only "hurt feelings." I think she's trying to say that our experiences --both good and bad-- help us to grow and change.
And she never said she enjoyed it.
I've been bullied for various reasons, some which I don't even know why, and my experiences have helped to me to grow and change.
I never enjoyed it.
And I never will.
I've been bullied because a girl's hormones went out of control. She kicked me in the stomach because she was upset.
I've been excluded countless times from Coco's friend groups because her friends don't want to hang out with a "big kid". (NOT Coco's fault)
I've been excluded because girls feel threatened by the fact I hang out with boys.
It's made me grow tough.
But I also am more quick to jump to conclusions.
It's made me discover I need to be careful with my friends.
And crushes.
There are some days, when all my negative memories come crashing down over my head like a giant wave.
And I need help.
But God always sends an island.
He sent me the CB last time.
It's helped a lot.
@Mei, are you for Clinton? (Btw, I think I'll recognize you if you actually do run for President ...)
(May 1, 2016 - 3:56 pm)
Yes, I know that Esthelle wasn't saying it was just for "hurt feelings" and I do agree that negative experiences can help us grow.
I do not agree, however, that there is any positive side to people bullying you for your race, your gender, anything. I do not think that anything good can come out of people hating you for the way God created you. And I also do not agree that trying to stop racism is useless. Plus, I personally do not want anyone to be hated for the way God made them and I shall try my best as an individual to make the world around me peaceful, loving, and open-minded.
(May 1, 2016 - 7:25 pm)
If there were votes for comments, I'd vote up Abi's comment a million times.
(May 2, 2016 - 2:52 pm)
I love that! That's really awesome, Abi!
(May 2, 2016 - 6:02 pm)
You're right that it's wrong, but racism and sexism have nothing to do with politics. EVERYONE gets judged and it's not the government's job to cuddle us as much as possible when there are more important and dangerous things to worry about. The government shouldn't interfere with our private lives. Being teased a couple of times is more of a child's problem and unless it is used in such a way that it breaks the law, such as underpaying someone for the sole reason of their race or gender, it should not be concerned with government.
Racism and sexism are entwined in society and so they are in government as well. These are constant things and women of color face throughout their entire lives. It is not a matter of being teased "a couple of times." Some women face a constant state of anxiety, depression, and lack of safety as they go through the world. I urge you to look at connections between health, gender, economics, government, politics, and society, you might find some of the research out there very interesting. ~Admin
(May 4, 2016 - 1:11 am)
YAAASSS, PEARL, YAAASSSS!!!!!!
(May 4, 2016 - 11:18 am)
If people only kept their racist, sexist, and all the other negative ists thoughts to themselves, there would be no problem. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Thoughts become words and actions and often with awful consequences. And that's when we do need the government to step in, meaning what some people do in their so-called private lives invariably affects OTHER PEOPLE's lives in a very real way. And I totally disagree that to speak up against these negative isms when they occur is useless in changing opinion. Rather it is only when people do speak up that change can occur. That's how slavery was abolished. That's how women got the right to vote. Who here still believes that slavery is okay? Who here still believes that women should not be allowed to vote? Hopefully none. And that's because people, even before there were laws on these issues, SPOKE UP against them and the laws we have today reflect those voices and make sure that we don't forget the hard won battles on these issues. Government and its laws ARE the voice of the people and are only as good and noble as the sentiments of the people. To say that government is ineffectual and has no business in this area is to look at these issues on a very micro, short-term level.
(May 4, 2016 - 1:26 pm)
I have to disagree. Slavery is over. And women have equal rights. There is nothing more to be done. Teasing can't turn you into a slave or take away your rights. The government exists for the sole reason of protecting people's rights. Teasing can't affect your rights as a citizen in any way. Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can't hurt you. This might not be true while you're in school, but as an adult, bullying is not an issue. If people steal your things or beat you up because of racism or sexism, it's a problem. But these bullies will get charged for beating you up or stealing your money. They won't be charged for racism of sexism. And that's what we have police for, not government or political matters. It's not the government's job to pamper people. And when people do beat up other people, do you really think it's because of their race or gender? For all you know, they might have done it for any reason. Maybe because they're just plain mean. And white male people aren't the only ones who bully. Plenty of girls bully other girls for how they dress or how they're not allowed to put makeup and there are a lot of white boys who get picked on for being bad at sports or never having a girlfriend in their lives.
Racism is about more than just slavery, Pearl. And women are equal in the eyes of the law, but not in society. They are still paid less and less represented in important positions in work and the government. The same is true for people of color. Bullying can continue into adulthood, though not in the same ways you might expect (racism, sexism etc. continue on after school). Sometimes people of color and women experience what you would call "bullying" or other violence at the hands of the police. Words can hurt very much. Please be respectful of other's experiences and feelings. ~Admin
(May 4, 2016 - 6:03 pm)
Sorry. I should have made it clear that I was responding not just to your previous post but also to the one before that in which you stated that "THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT! You can't change what people think." In other words, I brought up slavery and women's right to vote to show how the values and laws that we as a nation believe in and take for granted as so obviously right and good today were different once upon a time. And that that change in thinking came about because, and only because, people continued to speak up against the injustices of slavery and denying women the right to vote. Indeed, if you go back further in U.S. history -- sorry, history geek here -- you would find that at one point, only white males who owned property/land were allowed to vote! How foreign a concept is that today?!! So yeah, it's not hopeless. There's plenty we can do about the various injustices still around today. And no, change may not happen overnight, but they can and will happen if people continue to raise their voices and fight for them.
Pearl, I don't know your background, but I suspect that it's not that different from mine. (Then again, maybe not). I have a stable family who loves me dearly and provides for my basic needs, a family who instills in me the notion that my thoughts matter and that I can be whatever I want to be. I live in an area that is relatively safe and has decent schools (and unleaded water! *Whew!*). But as I have gotten older, and as my awareness of the world around me expands through reading books and reading up on the news here and around the world, I've come to realize that my experience, unfortunately, is not shared by all. I believe you when you say that you "cannot see any signs of sexism in [your] life, nor racism", and I'm actually very glad that that is the case. But I also tend to believe other people when they say that they have experienced these things and how much these things have negatively affected them.
As for your reference to "Sticks and stones...words can't hurt you", I disagree wholeheartedly. Words are very powerful things. They have even been known to start revolutions. They can build you up or tear you down. The fact is that line you refer to is often used by kids to pretend that whatever taunts hurled at them is useless and painless, a brave front as well as a strategy to stop the teasing. The taunts can and often do hurt. So yeah, words can hurt. In fact, if they are hurled with enough frequency, venom, and force, they can whittle away, and even destroy, a person's self-worth. And since a nation is only as strong/healthy as the people that make it up, every time this happens, we as a nation are that much poorer for it.
Will not be able to post more on this thread because of other obligations. I hope I have not offended anybody by my post. Keep debating/discussing. That's the only way we can learn from each other. Virtual hugs for all. *HUGGS* :)
(May 5, 2016 - 6:33 pm)
(May 4, 2016 - 2:48 pm)
I think that as long as there is unequal pay between men and women, and girls are denied education, voting, and the same rights of men, sexism still exsists,and so should feminism.
(May 5, 2016 - 9:09 am)
Okay, guys.
What I was trying to say is NOT that racism/sexism are fine. I was NOT trying to say that we shouldn't do anything about it.
When I was talking about "hurt feelings" I was venting a bit on how I feel about things like College "Safe spaces", when people who are quite arguably adults demand enormous terms and courses of action-- the sacking of principals on very shaky grounds, the imposiotion of ridiculous regulations, and the injection of the "Safe space" itself, in which there is a tiny little section of the school grounds in which free speech may be practiced, and everywhere else no one may say anything that does not conform to the views of the students backing the demands. These people, it is seen, are not actually being threatened in any way. They actually mob to prevent and physically threaten people who even try to attend meetings protesting the new regulations.
The other students in the school, who came to get an education, suddenly find themselves pushed away to the sidelines, and their college-lives ruined by the constant disruption of sackings and confinements. People don't go to college to learn WHAT to think. They go to learn HOW to think, how to use their minds and form their own opinions.
This is an exaple of racism prevention carried to far.
Again-- racism/sexism are NOT OKAY.
I'm just saying that GOVERNMENTAL INTERFERENCE is not the best way to cope with it.
When we give the Government the power over someone's life to work good, it will inevitably take advantage of your trust. "If you allow men to use you for your purposes, they will use you for theirs" = Aesop. Governmental interference is usually NOT the bestcourse of action. There are times when it is necessary, but we have to be cautious about when we call in the big guns, and how much control over our lives we give to our Government. It's quite easy to give the Government power over someone else's life, but we don't always remember that whatever new authority the Government acquires, it keeps. And it will never hesitate to use what it keeps.
I don't pretend to be an expert, but I believe that there are other ways in which we can protect people from the real threats of racism, without using Governmental force.
A good way is, if racism is being violently practiced by someone in a town or a city, or by a group of people in a town or city, the other citizens take the matter into their own hands. They can do this by publicly scorning the offenders and supporting the victims.
I do not believe that racism/sexism are permissable. I do believe that there are ways to deal with it besides what we are doing now. I believe that we should be careful about how we sling these terms about. I believe that wanton condemnation only worsens the buisness. I believe that we should always think twice before giving the Government power over others (which gives it power over us in turn). And I heartily believe that this, like all the other problems of the world, are never as simple as they are presented to be.
(May 7, 2016 - 1:56 pm)
Okay, so, the thing is: feminism is still a Very Important Issue because, like, yeah, WHITE women are getting more rights, but the wage gap is different for women of color. I can't remember the exact difference, but it's something like $.67 to a white man's dollar for Latina women?
Also, as a white AFAB (assigned female at birth) individual, I don't see very many signs of racism or sexism in my life. That doesn't mean that other people don't experience this. And that's why it's important that we keep fighting to destroy the wage gap and other feminism-related issues.
Actually, I need to correct what I said. I haven't experienced discrimination for being AFAB, except for as a joke, but I have experienced discrimination based on my gender identity, which is a form of gender-based discrimination (that HB2 won't help with, yikes!)
You have something of a point; my sister is very prejudiced and the more my brother and I try to change her views, the more she seems to believe what she's saying. However, a solution to this could be to teach acceptance and/or tolerance from birth.
(May 9, 2016 - 4:14 pm)
(May 1, 2016 - 12:12 pm)