Saturday, December 24, 2016

Bullying



I rarely comment on anything I read here, but this article struck a chord and I felt compelled to write something (more like a rant).  It strikes me that the result of this election has so many people behaving like idiots.  Every election has winners and losers, and afterward people go back to their lives.  This time is different.  Those unhappy with the results are lashing out at people who are content with the outcome.  My position with the result is irrelevant, and I was not pleased with the result of the majority of elections in which I voted.  Like everyone else, I moved on with my life.


People now are reacting as if Trump is already in office.  He isn’t doing anything at this point except hiring his staff.  Why do people have their diapers in a bunch?  What do they think their irrational behavior will solve?  How about being part of a solution?  Instead, these people wail and gnash their teeth and do nothing except protest.  Who has the time for this crap?  If the economy had been improving like the current administration claims, these people might be at work, making a positive contribution to society.  That’s probably not true, as it is not easy to find work with a degree in ancient languages or [insert group here] Studies.  Not that there isn’t value in learning about these topics.  But the careers that these support are already filled by the few dozen people lucky enough to land positions in their field.  The rest will simply have to wait for them to retire or die.  In the meantime, they will have to slave away as a barista while trying to service their six-figure college loan debt that they will never be able to satisfy (Lots of people have student loan debt with six figures – they’re called doctors).  I feel bad they that their interesting degree isn’t as valuable in the real world as they were led to believe.  But don’t expect me to pick up the tab.  My kids will be attending college soon, and I’m more worried about that.


But I digress.  What got me was the action of two bozos on a flight, who decided to vent their frustration on Trump’s daughter and grandchildren.  One of the two men involved is an attorney.  A highly-educated person who of all people should know better and how to be an adult.  They were rightly taken off the flight, but what has happened to civility?  People didn’t behave like this when Reagan, Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2, or Obama were elected.  Further, what happened in society that people feel this behavior is acceptable?  Would it be acceptable for someone to express his or her presidential grievances to Obama’s children?  Of course not.  It is wrong.  How would you feel if someone was harassing your kids because of your work or position?  Children act this way in grade school.  A kid picks on another and uses a comment about their mark’s parent(s) to belittle them.  These people are called bullies.  Kids with this propensity are supposed to be corrected or at least grow out of it.  It is cowardly.  These are adults in today’s society???  It seems this generation of “trophies for everyone” adults/children has regressed as a group.  Worse, these snowflakes are grotesquely viewed as “heroes” to a cause.  Bad behavior is cherished when it fits their worldview.


It makes me sick.  If you want to see examples of real heroes, read about Marine Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter.  Their actions saved the lives of 150 people, at the expense of their own.  The account of this action is easy to find, most notably in a speech given by Marine General John Kelly (now retired, nominee for Homeland Security).  It is easy to find online.  He gave this speech just four days after his son, 1LT Michael Kelly, was killed in Afghanistan.

I’m finished with my rambling.  I will go back to quickly scrolling through Facebook posts to find something funny or interesting.

Addendum: I was just reading an article about the bozos mentioned above.  I mentioned one was an attorney who should know better.  The other is highly educated as well and also should know better.  He is a college professor who teaches - wait for it - Urban Studies.  He wrote a book about Hillary and people angry with him are slamming it for reviews.  You'd think someone trying to sell something that people review would have the common sense to be nice to other people, especially in public.