Trying to Feel Less Hate

Racism, contempt, and adjectives for #ThreeThoughtThursday

#1 An Adjectival Inadequacy?

Here we are, right in the window between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and a geeky question has popped into my head…

When we wish someone a Happy Father’s Day, what are we saying?

Is it a day for a happy father? I mean, it’s not, but it could mean that, right? There is no syntactical way to know for sure, is there?

#2 Contempt

This is an observation I made a long time ago, when I was far more focused on partisan politics…

People of all political stripes make ugly comments. That is the way of things. They even make ugly comments when someone dies or is stricken. But when it comes to ugly comments made by prominent people—officials, celebrities, major figures, politicians, etc.—the left seems rather more likely to let it all hang out.

Note, for example, this (eventually deleted) tweet from Bette Midler when Rush Limbaugh was diagnosed with terminal cancer:

Poor Rush. Poor, fat, stupid, sick, hypocritical, drug addicted Rush. Back when he was using, he admitted to taking over 30,000 OxyContin. You know what that means? He’s not just a moron, he’s an Oxymoron!

— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) February 6, 2020

I have noticed this more than once. It is almost as if you can measure the impact a conservative has had by the degree of contempt the left shows for him when he’s ill or dying.

I have not really seen anything come along in the ensuing years to challenge that observation. Quite the contrary—while rank and filers of all stripes say horrible things, prominent conservative political figures have tended to be more restrained. (I say tended; there are always some examples to the contrary.)

But all of that is not my point in mentioning this. My point, rather, is this: Wouldn’t we be happier not feeling any contempt at all? Doesn’t hate leave a bad taste in the mouth, weaken the immune system, raise cortisol, and just ugly-up everyone’s day?

One big key to moving away from such feelings is to move away from the system that appears to cause and necessitate them in the first place. We should not force our way of life on everyone else, so the best path forward now is the path out.

The destination is far away, which is all the more reason to start now.

#3 Nurse suspended for saying ‘being white doesn't make you racist’

Here’s one from the #NeverForget files:

A Christian nurse was left with 'crippling anxiety' after she was 'bullied' by 'woke' NHS chiefs for saying that being white doesn't make you racist.

Amy Gallagher, 34, a mental health nurse from Orpington, Kent, was on a forensic psychology course training to be a psychotherapist at the Portman clinic, which is part of The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline Amy has revealed how NHS bosses caused her 'crippling anxiety' after she challenged their 'racist' and 'offensive' views in lectures she was forced to attend.

keep reading

The story is from 2023, but this sort of thing still goes on. And even if it did not, I personally will NEVER FORGET that it was done. Never not ever.

I can stop caring what they think, but that does not mean I am going to let them interact with me and mine if I can avoid it.

All the more reason to begin our exodus.