Hi y'all!
This has been an ... interesting year. Lots of crazy events and a big highlight on inclusion or lack there of.
Sooo I'm curious, have you take any steps towards fostering inclusion in your life, this year?
Hmm. I didn't actually notice any focus on inclusion this year, as such. "Stop killing us" has been a big theme. Inclusion... well, maybe I just missed it.
This year I've taken a number of steps towards fostering exclusion in my life.
Germs? No! Visitors? Get out; go away! Family? I have moved all the way across the country. I have no need to be breathed on by anti-maskers at this point in my life. Nor do I need to be proselytized, I know all the arguments already, you're the one who raised me to win theological debates with preachers and church elders, Dad, I'm familiar with the material.
I'm excluding a lot of garbage from my life this year.
Liking it so far.
What inclusion? I'm a misanthrope. I suppose I've included more hatred into my life.
Hmmm well I'm really quite sad by the fact that this immediately went to hatred and divisiveness.
Thanks for participating anyways?
I suppose I'm happy you feel safe enough to share.
I suppose, when I see people protesting for their lives to matter and be accepted, appreciated and loved, that they are literally screaming to be included.
I feel like I have, but when I started to write, "Whoo-hoo! Look at me go! I'm so woke!" is what was coming across.
The reality is, that my level of understanding around historical trauma and how others are impacted by racism and systemic marginalization is yet to be informed to a degree I feel good about.
I just started a course through work related to this, so I am proactively working toward getting myself there...
That and I interact with others, who are far more engaged than I've been, on a daily basis. That's helping fill out my foundation too.
@Sashamcgee I have devoted myself to volunteering in several diverse organizations and have found that I am happier. I gave made many new friends of all ages, races, and sexes. Many previous barriers I held have come crashing down this year for me. A good thing that has come out of an otherwise crappy year. There is that old adage about being handed a lemon.
@quixotic_life that's really awesome. And I definitely wanted a tad bit of look what I could do because I think its helpful to get ideas of different ways we can all be proactive. I appreciate the honesty!
@Mmart that's really great! Thank you for sharing! I do love lemonade 😋
@DarrenWalker Good for you. I too have cleansed myself of people who are constantly trying to change me or are just not healthy to be around. Many bad habits have hone kapoop also.
@Sashamcgee Hugs to you.
@Mmart huggies 🤗🤗🤗🤗
Thanks, @Mmart. There are some things it's just better not to be included in, I think. (Like the consequences of other people's denial of science, for instance. Stop killing us, why don't you? Geez!)
@Sashamcgee: One of the joys of this site is that I don't have to worry about getting whipped or starved for saying something someone doesn't like. The worst thing that can happen? I get banned! Much better than living at home. And I do appreciate your thread. It's comment-provoking.
I haven't? I've never cared about a persons skin color or sexuality. I take people as individuals and not a monolith. As such I judge each person on themselves, not on the color of their skin or who they prefer. To say that, for instance, you have to accept a black person because they are black means you have to accept ALL black people because they are black, no matter what kind of person they are. This year I've made friends with people who are black, Hispanic, gay, lesbian, and bi. Not because they are those things but because they are good people. No group of people deserves blanket respect just for being one specific thing, unless that one specific thing is being a good person.
@Sashamcgee don't be put off by @UltimateChungus, he just likes to pretend he's a miserable old scroat. His posts are best enjoyed with salt.
Anyway, there's nobody more inclusive than a misanthrope - they include everybody in their misanthropy.
@DarrenWalker I'm glad you found value in it.
@BrianL I happen to think all people deserve respect. It's not based on any factor other than being a human. So I guess I agree and also disagree? Hmmm either way, thank you for your input 🙂
@CuddleDuncan I'll try not to be lol 💜
I include every one on one of my two lists of people. You're either on the list of people I care about, or you're everyone else. That counts right? Lol I even allow people from the second list to move to the first one sometimes. Ya know if they are decent seeming people. Or can manage to stand my (hmmm not sure if sometimes or often is a better word choice here) brash and semi abrasive presence. I swear I get less so when they move to the care about list lol
I always include myself in any cuddle session I participate in. It would be a shame to miss out on myself enjoying an activity.
@Sashamcgee Respectfully disagree. Scammers don't deserve respect. People who knowingly and willfully spread hatred don't deserve respect. People who intentionally harm others in any way don't deserve respect.
@BrianL I'll agree with most of that. That last line doesn't parse for me though. If person a sees person be being assaulted by person c and jumps in to save them, person a damned sure has my respect.
Feel free to disagree most people seem to, but I feel there are situations where the use of violence is not only acceptable but damned near mandatory.
Not a popular world view in today's "civilized" society I know, but screw it.
@BrianL I understand what you are saying, but I think @Sashamcgee is saying is she has a respect for all life. So do I. You can believe what you want but it never makes sense to say I respect life and then say except for.... Either you respect life even if you condemn a person’s actions or you don’t respect life because of their actions. One’s life and one’s actions are two different things. I don’t respect a person if they murder but I can respect their life. It is the fundamental basis why I do not believe in capital punishment.
@BrianL @FunCartel summed it up pretty well for me. But I'll add a bit of my own perspective and opinions.
So saying that you don't respect others who spread hatred or cause harm ... I mean truly that could be each and every one of us. I'll speak specifically about myself. I've caused harm before. I work really, really hard not to, but I have and I'm sure will continue to do so. You know, because I'm a human. I'm full of flaws and so are you. And I understand murder and rape and theft and much harder harms to swallow. However death row is filled with people who were harmed and just continued that cycle. Maybe it's the social science major in me, maybe its naivety. I'll say this though, looking for ways to love others instead of ways to separate myself from others feels much better when I'm trying to fall asleep at night.
No, inclusion isn’t important to me so I have no interest in fostering it in my life. I see inclusion the same way as I see churches. Live and let live but means nothing to me. If someone wants to be friends I’m open as long as the person is nice and we get along, have some things in common, all that. But inclusion just for the sake of itself and forcing things unnecessarily sounds like a problem to me.
@Sashamcgee You sound like a person with a huge heart, even with flaws like we all have.
@SonnyJo Very good point. I think it does no one any favors to be artificially inclusive. I agree it should be organic and sincere.
I guess I need to stop seeing myself for that reason.
I will get along and be friends with anyone based on whether they're a good person. To me, it has nothing to do with skin color, gender, orientation, etc. As long as someone isn't an asshole or anything, they're good with me.
@FlyingToaster What if they come from a long line of assholes and it is in their DNA? In other words, biology determined their level of assholery at birth?
I'm all for including everyone & everything as long as you don't violate anyone else's rights or feelings.
@FunCartel If they find assholeness in DNA then I suppose inclusiveness would need to take that into account
@FlyingToaster: "Behavioral Genetics: The Science of Antisocial Behavior" may surprise you.
@DarrenWalker Interesting. Thanks
@FlyingToaster: Sure thing! (Yaaay, I've been appreciated....)
I've been educating myself, donating $$ to causes, sharing things on FB, upped my following of groups-I'm-not-a-member-of on FB, having great discussions, contacting my POC friends more to see how they are, making some new friends across difference... I was already this sort but the recent BLM stuff has really exponentially expanded my efforts.