When I read the news that a young Irish girl in Massachusetts committed suicide because of bullying my anger flared like a dragon whose panties were caught in a bunch. If that were my child I would have kicked the asses of every one of those little nine savages that taunted her and then I would have kicked their parent’s asses, the principal’s ass and the asses of any teachers aware of the situation. Granted, I would be in jail afterwards but in my rage I would assume my child would be safe, just extremely embarrassed of me on a national and global platform for the rest of her life.
Then later in the day I read of the young man in his twenties who jumped off of the Empire State building this afternoon. Below the article are crude comments of people poking fun at the situation. Last week it was the Tea Baggers spitting on Congressmen while calling out racial and sex-based epithets. That same weekend I had the pleasure of having grown women here in the city go out of their way [on two separate occasions] to insult and attack my person while I was just sitting minding my own business. I’m guessing that just my mere presence alone offended them. Umph.
During the course of the last year in particular I’ve been asking myself “what is the world coming to? Where is this heightened animosity from people coming from?” Hate and disgust at one another for no reason at all, children and adults alike.
Then it dawned on me. In this new age of information we have instant access to each other globally. We can travel and move to different continents in less than twenty four hours with ease. We can read the same news and share our opinions and thoughts via digital media and web instantaneously.
The truth of the matter is that people have always lacked empathy, class, common courtesy and respect for themselves and others. Meanness and hypocrisy is not a new fad. It’s just that now we can share our brutishness with others across the world at the drop of the hat because modern technology allows us faster access to the savagery of others and them to us.
What shall we name all this crazy? I’m thinking perhaps “The Age of Chaos.” Though one would hope it gets better at some point but it truly seems as it will only get worse. I say this all while posting this blog to share with friends from around the world. Oh lucky fucking us.
Say What?!