Glass Houses

 I have been looking forward to this day for … well, 22 days.  give or take.  Ever since I first looked at the prompts for the Blog every Day in May Challenge really.

“Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel.”

Y’all know I have opinions… and I’m not afraid to share… so being TOLD to jump up on my soapbox…. The only thing left was to decide which one.

I could go down a “food path”… Y’all know I’m opposed to chemically altering food, GMOS, over processed crap – and especially doing so in food aimed at kids… In fact there’s a twitter party telling Similac that moms don’t want GMOs and especially not in their baby’s formula … You should join us because there’s a GRIP TON of awesome prizes being given away tonight.  You can also watch the short video and sign the petition to show your support.

I could go down the path of how I feel about people who “pretend” to be in tragic situations for the attention or some other agenda… but I think I’ve been pretty clear about that…

I could travel down the path of victimology and bust out my favorite quote from Dangerous Minds –

“You have a choice – it may not be a choice you like, but you have a choice.  There are no victims in this classroom”

But then, I decided that really what is weighing on my mind lately is the topic of judgment and finger pointing.   Have we always been like this?  Did the Interwebs just make it more pronounced? (Especially in the bloggiverse)

Today I read a post from a woman who admittedly does not have children – except that her whole post was condemning the parents of a group of children who were on a school field trip to a “brand name soda company” under the guise of childhood obesity… AND INCLUDED PICTURES OF THE KIDS.  (Granted she blocked out their faces but still) Throughout her post and the comments on the same, condemnation fell on the parents of these kids but I guarantee she didn’t speak to a single one.  So we point fingers and blame? With half-truths and no real understanding?

On any given day, you can read posts that are against freedom of choice… mothers choices to feed, play with, teach their children… Women’s choices to work or stay home… Men’s choices to – well hell, whatever I’m sure there are some manly issues too but I don’t know what they are…my point though is that more often than not, these articles are simply hateful because the author disagrees with the opposition.

Where’s the tolerance? Why are we so quick to judge a mother on her cell phone at the park while her child plays?  Why are we so quick to point fingers at the mother who decided to vaccinate her children – or didn’t?  Why are we so quick to point fingers at the mistakes of others before we even have an ounce of the facts.  Why are we so desperate to look down on others?  Does it make us somehow better?

I’m not opposed to having an opinion – See above – I CLEARLY admit I have many. I’m opposed to making someone else feel shitty because they don’t think the way you do.  I’m opposed to being an asshole and even more so, I’m opposed to being an asshole blogger.

Use your voice to lift others up – not knock them down… I’m not perfect, but I do pride myself on the belief (and I hope it’s true) that with my friends, we don’t have to agree to respect each other.  In fact, in my circles, there are a variety of beliefs on tricky subjects that should be taboo – abortion, religion, gun rights, politics… need I go on?  The point is, I don’t pick my friends based on the idea that we all always agree… and I respect the idea that we all come from different places which means that their opinions and mine aren’t right or wrong… just different.

Respect.

Tolerance.

Acceptance.

Glass houses people.  Glass houses.

Photo Credit: Flickr