I do my own thing. I have my own beliefs. I taught my children to think for themselves and to question authority when needed. I've never tried to force my opinions or beliefs onto anyone else, not even my kids. They've always been allowed to make their own choices, unless it was harmful to them or someone else. Now, however, there seems to be a whole lot of individuals and groups of people - mostly Gen Zers and Millennials - who have decided that their opinions are the only ones that matter, and that they know what's best for everybody. I call bullshit!
I'm always being shown videos on social media of people who voice their opinion about a particular subject, regardless of what it may be, and they are adamant that what they think about the subject is the only way to think about it. People respond to the videos voicing their own opinions - some agree and some don't. There are constant vile arguments that take place in the comments regarding whose opinion is the "correct" one and someone, whether the person/group who made the video or a person responding, usually ends up getting banned or suspended just for speaking up about a topic.
My question is this. What gives any of you the right to think you can dictate what the rest of us ought to or ought not be doing or thinking at any given time? Who made you the end-all-be-all of any particular topic of discussion, or of any social issue that might be taking place at the time? And why are you creating issues where there wasn't an issue to begin with?
It doesn't matter where I look - any social media platform, out in public, at my kids' schools - there are individuals, and groups banding together, to put a stop to things they think are the most important and that they believe are harmful to everyone else in the world. Why? When did it become your place to tell us all how to live, what to think, who to believe, and what or who to support or not support?
Don't watch movies with this actor in them because he believes "this" about politics and "our group" thinks it's wrong of him so everybody has to ignore him or, in other words, cancel him. Don't buy this product because the co-creator voiced her opinion on social media and "our" group says she's whatever-phobic and you have to listen to us and cancel her and any products made by, or on behalf of, her.
Don't talk about your preferred religion because it doesn't match "my" beliefs so you need to be cancelled and banned from society and all social media platforms. Don't allow your kids to read these books because "we" have deemed them harmful to their young minds and because "we" said so it must be true, so now the books are being cancelled from any schools and curriculum. Don't attend these concerts because the band's music is disturbing and vile because "our group" says so, so we need to cancel them, too.
Are you fucking kidding me? Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, has a right to their own opinion without it being stepped on by some individual, or by some group, who thinks they are always right and everyone else is always wrong. And just because someone disagrees with you DOES NOT make them whatever -phobic. That's complete bullshit! It just means they have a different opinion. Get over it and move on with your life.
I don't generally mind anyone's business but my own but I did mention to my son a few weeks ago that he might need to follow me around from now on. I'm at a point in my life where I can't take this crap anymore. If I'm in public and I hear someone yelling at someone else because of a difference of opinion - phobic this or phobic that - I can't say I won't jump in and tell accuser off. My son will need to clamp his hand over my mouth and carry me away.
Now you might be saying "That's not minding your own business", and you'd be right. But when I can't go shopping without hearing someone get loud and mouthy because they feel the need to tell someone else that they are wrong for thinking the way they do, the opinionated, mouthy person made it my business, and everyone else's, when they started screaming for all to hear. I have a right to speak up and tell them to shut up at that point.
Many people that I know are actually afraid to speak up these days because they never know who will be standing close by and get "offended" by something that's said, something that probably wasn't even meant for their ears. My own kids have told me that they generally stay out of conversations with classmates because everyone seems to get offended these days over the dumbest shit. That's pretty sad, when you think about it. Not being able to speak up because someone else might cry about it because their sensitive feelings got hurt. Suck it up, Buttercup. Not everyone believes the way you do, and that's okay.
I have always told my kids that there are three kinds of business: your business, the universe's (or God's - however you choose to think about it) business, and other people's business. If you're anywhere other than your own business, you're in the wrong place. So Cancel Culture, why don't you go back to minding your own business and leave the rest of us to live in peace. The world would be a much more pleasant place if you would stop telling the rest of us what to think, how to act, what to believe, what to read, what to watch, who to vote for, what to buy, and anything else you can think of. I'll do me, and you do you, then we'll all be happy.
Until next time...peace to all.
