So this has become a thing.
You've probably noticed
that I've pulled back over the last few months. I'm around less and
less, and engage less and less when I am here. Part of that, of
course, is just real life stepping in... rebuilding one's entire life
from scratch takes a lot of attention. Part of it, honestly, is the
lack of a need to blow off real-life frustrations by redirecting my
anger at more acceptable – and safer – targets. It's hard to
sustain anger when you're genuinely happy in your life.
But the largest part of it,
by far, is simply that I can no longer see the point.
There is a huge brick wall
of ingrained, bedrock-solid attitude that lies in between the issues
I fight for, and the goal I so badly wanted to reach. I've slowly
come to realize that it's not something I can fix. Once that wall has
been reached, there is no way to get past it. There's no gate, no
tunnel, no ladder over the top. It simply is, and always will be, and
nothing can change that mindset once it's in place.
I'm tired of trying.
I'm tired of crying.
I'm tired of being tired.
And I'm out.
At least for the
foreseeable future, I'm taking a break. From all of it. No more SJW
crusades, on any front.
Because when even those who
claim to be on your own side are willing to concede, to allow the
opposition to claim the “moral high ground”, and thus give them
the attendant “right” to grant or withhold services pending their
determination as to whether the person asking for access deserves
them...
The battle has been lost.
The way I see it, the
pendulum has swung too far to be stopped. The regressive, limiting,
controlling policies that were once considered too extreme to be
seriously entertained are now fully accepted and put in place. The
most basic progressive ideals have been pushed to the fringe, are
ridiculed.
Are called “too extreme”.
By the very people who once fought for them.
How do I fight that? How do
I fight my own comrades-in-arms?
I can't. And I won't. I
will no longer spend my time trying to explain to people that we
should not deny others food, or shelter, because they didn't do “X”.
Or marriage, or jobs, or the simple right to live their lives with
who they choose, because they didn't choose “Y”. Or a full range
of legal options because they were foolish enough to choose to do
“Z”. It was barely worth it when I was arguing against people who
had some justification, however weak, for not understanding the
damage they were inflicting upon others. I flat fucking refuse to
waste my time when those arguments are taking place with people who do understand, people who have themselves suffered the damage caused
by those views.
So, if you don't mind, I'm
just going to stand back for a while and watch that pendulum swing.
And when it reaches the end of that swing, and everything falls down,
I'll roll my sleeves back up and start rebuilding from scratch.
Because lately, that's what
I do.
But I won't continue
destroying my peace of mind by fighting those I love and respect.
There aren't any winners in that battle.
Peace out, guys. Take care
of yourselves. Know that I love you. And I'll catch you on the
flipside... always.
