If she wants your opinion, she will give it to you.
12 June 2007She can consider that my entry for her monthly tag line/slogan contest. I recently added a link to Violent Acres on my sidebar, but I have not found a good post as of late to really come out for the blog. Now I have. I don’t agree with everything VA has to say. But, at least she understands the concept of making an argument, be it for or against something. That is the failing of so many blogs. Anyone can create a blog, and add peel and stick personality and methodology to it and even get popular and ride the wave of attention whore all the way to the bank.
It takes bigger balls, made of titanium, to stick your finger in the eye of the lion that is the masses, and consistently, and effectively defend your own beliefs and values without losing your mind. VA understands that, its why I enjoy her blog.
So, today, I wandered over and lo and behold I found this lovely nugget: The Biggest Tragedy of the Welfare System
And, it is a masterstroke. For the sole reason that while she is mainly making a general point about parents in general, I felt a strong connect on the fact (and maybe that was not her intent, or her purpose) that she was also making a good point on single parents. And let me tell you, I feel strongly about single parenthood. As a single father who has a 14 year old daughter, you have no idea what I have had to deal with.
Because of stupid and idiotic stereotypes, I typically have to do it 200% better than anyone else. I am looked at as odd, because I do things not everyone else does. I have pushed my kid to learn how to think for herself. And you would be just aghast at some of the things grown people have said to me in response to that. I have taught my daughter that, while you have to be respectful of the world as a whole, that does not mean you have to lie down for anyone either. Personal respect is earned, not deserved, and that goes for me as well. Anyone who has read my blog knows this has been one of my core beliefs forever.
But, VA gets it right on the head: children can not learn respect, for themselves or anyone else, if they have a parent that does not *provide* for them. And what the mommybloggers DO NOT GET, is that “provide” is a multifaceted term in this regard. Did Paris Hilton’s parents provide for her? Money yes. Clue no. As evidenced by last weeks incessant bullshit.
And that’s the core of it: if you’re a fuckup, if you cannot earn the respect of your own child by doing the right thing, be it providing clothes, food, or how to think…you do *not* deserve to raise a child. Or, to put it more succinctly…It bothers me that…
You need a license to fly a plane.
You need a license to drive a car.
You need a license to practice medicine.
Hell, you even need a license to FISH.
And of these licenses can be revoked at any time, if you screw up with them.
But, any two complete fucking morons can get together and initiate the spark of life in a new human being. And, its hard to revoke children. And that my friends, is the tragedy that VA is really cutting to the quick with. She is attacking the notion that it’s some god given right to create idiotic drones, and release them into the world for the sole reason of: “Because I can”.
Just because you can do a thing, does not mean you should. And that’s what sticks in the craw of the inane mommybloggers. Not all mommybloggers are bad. Some are okay. But a vast majority of them have no clue as to why their precious little snowflake is a fuckup. Why their children scream when they cant have something.
I am a single DAD, and I had to make a HELL of alot of sacrifices in order to raise Selphie right. There were times I had to just go without something, to make sure she had what she needed. And, in raising her…I have NEVER used a single godamned foodstamp. Ever. Why? Because I refuse to take something that I did not earn. I refuse to get something for nothing.
And in the end, my daughter has learned how to think, and has learned that life is not handed to you: you have to go out and get it yourself. And that infuriates people. The people who love reveling in this plastic throw-away society we live in. It’s especially infuriating to people who don’t like the fact I have raised someone of the female gender to think, and to understand. Now think about that, people are getting infuriated by the fact that someone advocates EARNING what you have in life. That’s the tragedy here.
And that’s the bottom line. And that’s why Violent Acres hit the mark on this one. So I encourage you to go and visit Violent Acres. As I said, there are things you may not agree with, but she does have the articulate sense needed to make an argument. And, really, an argument is not a negative thing. People who think it is, do not understand vocabulary. Even Anthony Burgess said: people are afraid of language. Never has that been more apparent than these days. She provokes debate, by making solid arguments. You might not agree with her reasoning, or her conclusions. But, regardless of that I have to give her props for understanding how to structure her thoughts, feelings and ideals in such a way that you cannot easily just dismiss them. And that’s what annoys the shit out of the people that cannot stand her. Their only defense is to try to pick apart little bits here and there, and they look exactly as they post: like tiny fools with a limited grasp.
They would circumvent the total to pick at the parts, never realizing that you look like a Paris Hilton in the process: You want to tear down the wall because you don’t like the color shade of one of the bricks. It’s amusing to watch. =)
