I believe in the consistent life ethic. I am against all forms of aggressive violence, including, but not limited to, war, abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, torture, and police brutality. If that was the only thing you knew about me, you'd assume I love humanity.
That couldn't be further than the truth.
I don't like people. I find them annoying. Actually, a huge reason I don't like people is because they're always hurting each other. I don't want them to be killed or tortured, not in my heart of hearts, but that doesn't mean I love them. So I guess, I can be consistent life and still dislike people.
But there's another problem: I have a bad temper. I'm trying to work on it. I've gone to therapy, and it's been very helpful. But I still lose my temper from time to time. And in a few rare occasions in my adult life, I have acted out violently. I haven't murdered anyone or caused significant injuries, but any non-defensive violence is wrong. I always feel awful afterwards, like I'm a bad person. And when the fight is over a life issue, I feel like I've set back an entire movement. I am not proud of any harm I have done. I wish the Divine would take this weakness away from me and replace it with something else. But it's not that simple. I still have to work on it.
So, to anyone I have hurt: I am sorry. I know that's not enough because I can't undo the harm I've done, but I truly am sorry.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Monday, May 20, 2019
Why I'm against abortion
I am one of the last people you would expect to be pro-life. I'm a feminist, bleeding heart libertarian, biromantic, spiritually eclectic, goth/alternative person. Not exactly the image that comes to mind when you think of the average pro-lifer. But here I am.
I am against abortion because I am against the non-defensive killing of people. Usually when pro-choicers justify their position, they deny the personhood of the unborn. This can mean one of two things: either the fetus is not human and not alive, or the fetus is human and alive, but doesn't have rights. Both of these views are problematic. The first ignores basic science, which is pretty clear that a new human organism begins at fertilization. The second implies that some humans aren't persons.
I'd like to focus specifically on the belief in human non-persons. This view is incredibly dangerous. Dehumanization has only led to horrible acts of violence. What makes it okay in this instance? Since it is wrong to deny people their rights on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability, it is also wrong to deny a person their rights because of their stage of development.
It is also ableist to imply that a human being isn't a person because they are unable to function in a certain way. Many arguments against fetal personhood, if applied consistently, would deny the personhood of people with disabilities.
While this alone is not why I am opposed to abortion, it is also worth noting that abortion hurts the people it is supposed to help. Too often, problems such as pregnancy discrimination, poverty, and irresponsibility are not fixed because abortion as seen as a solution. It has been pointed out by feminists that society makes women bear the burden of avoiding rape more than it holds rapists responsible for their actions. Similarly, pregnant people are forced to bear the responsibility of adjusting to a system that doesn't accommodate their needs. The opposition to crisis pregnancy centers also leaves abortion as a poor person's only option, which is not at all pro-choice. Abortion is not the solution to the problem; it is part of the problem.
Some people argue that, even if a fetus is a person, abortion is morally acceptable because no one has the right to use another person's body without their consent. In “A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Jarvis Thomson uses this thought experiment: a violinist is attached to a person, and the person must choose between staying attached to the violinist for nine months until he recovers and “unplugging” from the violinist, resulting in the violinist’s death. However, this analogy still doesn’t justify abortion. Abortion isn’t merely “unplugging” from the fetus to preserve the mother’s bodily autonomy; the goal of abortion is to kill, whether through starvation, poisoning, or dismemberment (abortion sucks, literally). Furthermore, parents have an obligation to care for their children, whereas the violinist is a stranger.
That is why I'm pro-life. Thanks for listening to my TED Talk.
I am against abortion because I am against the non-defensive killing of people. Usually when pro-choicers justify their position, they deny the personhood of the unborn. This can mean one of two things: either the fetus is not human and not alive, or the fetus is human and alive, but doesn't have rights. Both of these views are problematic. The first ignores basic science, which is pretty clear that a new human organism begins at fertilization. The second implies that some humans aren't persons.
I'd like to focus specifically on the belief in human non-persons. This view is incredibly dangerous. Dehumanization has only led to horrible acts of violence. What makes it okay in this instance? Since it is wrong to deny people their rights on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability, it is also wrong to deny a person their rights because of their stage of development.
It is also ableist to imply that a human being isn't a person because they are unable to function in a certain way. Many arguments against fetal personhood, if applied consistently, would deny the personhood of people with disabilities.
While this alone is not why I am opposed to abortion, it is also worth noting that abortion hurts the people it is supposed to help. Too often, problems such as pregnancy discrimination, poverty, and irresponsibility are not fixed because abortion as seen as a solution. It has been pointed out by feminists that society makes women bear the burden of avoiding rape more than it holds rapists responsible for their actions. Similarly, pregnant people are forced to bear the responsibility of adjusting to a system that doesn't accommodate their needs. The opposition to crisis pregnancy centers also leaves abortion as a poor person's only option, which is not at all pro-choice. Abortion is not the solution to the problem; it is part of the problem.
Some people argue that, even if a fetus is a person, abortion is morally acceptable because no one has the right to use another person's body without their consent. In “A Defense of Abortion,” Judith Jarvis Thomson uses this thought experiment: a violinist is attached to a person, and the person must choose between staying attached to the violinist for nine months until he recovers and “unplugging” from the violinist, resulting in the violinist’s death. However, this analogy still doesn’t justify abortion. Abortion isn’t merely “unplugging” from the fetus to preserve the mother’s bodily autonomy; the goal of abortion is to kill, whether through starvation, poisoning, or dismemberment (abortion sucks, literally). Furthermore, parents have an obligation to care for their children, whereas the violinist is a stranger.
That is why I'm pro-life. Thanks for listening to my TED Talk.
Saturday, May 11, 2019
April 2019 thoughts
I have decided to wear trendy clothes, listen to pop music, stop doing
art, and stop talking about that horrible Nazi band Rammstein.
April Fool's!
***
I don't believe in shaming girls for how they dress, but some girls are acting like not being allowed to show their midriff at school is the end of the world, and I think they should just be glad they don't go to BYU or, worse, live in Saudi Arabia. Count your blessings, you could have been raised by extremely religious people.
***
Rammstein: *breathes*
Haters: "Hitler also breathed! Rammstein is a Nazi band!"
***
Romantic/erotic novels are ridiculous. The guy on the cover always has his chest exposed, the writing is poor, and their idea of an "edgy" love story almost always involves domestic violence. Seriously, can't they come up with something more original? Or at least more wholesome? Wholesome love stories are nice.
***
Me, yesterday: "Ugh, I've had entirely too many cheeseburgers this past week and I don't need to have another one for quite a while."
Me, today: *Is considering getting a cheeseburger at [local restaurant]*
***
Yes, I am one of those girls whose only real reason for watching the Marvel movies is Loki. And it took me longer than it should have for me to accept that.
It's not because I'm shallow or boy crazy. I just really like Loki. And that's okay.
***
Till Lindemann said it's better to be pessimistic because then you'll be pleasantly surprised when good things happen, and I think he might be right.
***
I went to that vegan restaurant and asked them to make me a cheeseburger, and they refused. Those anti-choice extremists and their fake restaurants. #exposefakerestaurants
***
There needs to be a nonprofit organization that bakes cakes for people who leave the Ku Klux Klan and go on to fight racism. It should be called Cake! Cake! Cake!
***
Daylight savings time is really weird when you think about it. For example, right now it's midnight because the government says so, not because it actually is midnight. That sounds like something out of a dystopian novel.
***
Rammstein needs to do a cover of "Boobs in California" (from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), just saying.
***
(In reference to an LDS Conference Talk) Jesus says, "Come follow me." "But sir, the train track!"
***
***
I hate when I'm trying to listen to Rammstein but the bus driver is playing Taylor Swift.
*later*
I've been listening to good music for most of the day, and I still have that dumb Taylor Swift song on my mind.
***
Today is Marijuana Day. It is also Hitler's birthday. I can't think of anything clever to post, though.
***
I think a lot of feminist criticisms of Disney movies are incredibly anti-feminist. A lot of them are centered around the fact that female characters don't always save themselves, which is basically victim-blaming. Characters that fight are valued over characters that don't, implying that the only way to be strong is to show traditionally "masculine" traits, including traits that would be considered toxic masculinity if a guy had them. Elsa is considered "weak" because she's emotionally vulnerable, which is ableist, especially when you consider that she shows traits of various mental illnesses. Female characters that don't have love interests are valued over those who do, which implies that if you're in a relationship, you can't be strong.
Women shouldn't have to conform to your standards to be valued. Just let them be individuals.
***
Pros to Japanese street fashion: it looks awesome.
Cons to Japanese street fashion: it's expensive and not made for people who are overweight. Also, it's super impractical and I don't have the time or energy to put it on in the morning.
***
When proponents of legal abortion say that post-abortion regret, coerced abortion, and any negative experience with abortion is "anti-choice propoganda," then they're silencing people who genuinely want to tell their stories (even though many of those people may be pro-choice) and that's wrong.
***
That awkward moment when both the left and the right think the Equal Rights Amendment is about abortion, and Alice Paul was pro-life.
***
Make Hot Topic great again!
April Fool's!
***
I don't believe in shaming girls for how they dress, but some girls are acting like not being allowed to show their midriff at school is the end of the world, and I think they should just be glad they don't go to BYU or, worse, live in Saudi Arabia. Count your blessings, you could have been raised by extremely religious people.
***
Rammstein: *breathes*
Haters: "Hitler also breathed! Rammstein is a Nazi band!"
***
Romantic/erotic novels are ridiculous. The guy on the cover always has his chest exposed, the writing is poor, and their idea of an "edgy" love story almost always involves domestic violence. Seriously, can't they come up with something more original? Or at least more wholesome? Wholesome love stories are nice.
***
Me, yesterday: "Ugh, I've had entirely too many cheeseburgers this past week and I don't need to have another one for quite a while."
Me, today: *Is considering getting a cheeseburger at [local restaurant]*
***
Yes, I am one of those girls whose only real reason for watching the Marvel movies is Loki. And it took me longer than it should have for me to accept that.
It's not because I'm shallow or boy crazy. I just really like Loki. And that's okay.
***
Till Lindemann said it's better to be pessimistic because then you'll be pleasantly surprised when good things happen, and I think he might be right.
***
I went to that vegan restaurant and asked them to make me a cheeseburger, and they refused. Those anti-choice extremists and their fake restaurants. #exposefakerestaurants
***
There needs to be a nonprofit organization that bakes cakes for people who leave the Ku Klux Klan and go on to fight racism. It should be called Cake! Cake! Cake!
***
Daylight savings time is really weird when you think about it. For example, right now it's midnight because the government says so, not because it actually is midnight. That sounds like something out of a dystopian novel.
***
Rammstein needs to do a cover of "Boobs in California" (from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), just saying.
***
(In reference to an LDS Conference Talk) Jesus says, "Come follow me." "But sir, the train track!"
***
I'm
going to write a bunch of short horror stories, but it's all stolen
from Thomas the Tank Engine episodes, except it's with people instead of
trains.
***
People are boycotting Brunei for criminalizing homosexuality.
But if they want to be consistent, why not boycott Saudi Arabia? Or any Middle Eastern country, really? Their laws are incredibly anti-gay AND anti-woman.
But if they want to be consistent, why not boycott Saudi Arabia? Or any Middle Eastern country, really? Their laws are incredibly anti-gay AND anti-woman.
***
An emo poem (in German):
Ich bin so allein.
Ich liebe Rammstein.
Menschen denken,
dass ich gruselig bin.
Kein Schwein versteht mich.
Ich hasse dich.
(Translation: I am so alone. I love Rammstein. People think that I'm scary. No one understands me. I hate you.)
Ich bin so allein.
Ich liebe Rammstein.
Menschen denken,
dass ich gruselig bin.
Kein Schwein versteht mich.
Ich hasse dich.
(Translation: I am so alone. I love Rammstein. People think that I'm scary. No one understands me. I hate you.)
***
Just saw a video of what Germans think of Rammstein and it wasn't as
funny as I thought it would be. I was kinda hoping they'd interview
someone who really hates the band.***
I hate when I'm trying to listen to Rammstein but the bus driver is playing Taylor Swift.
*later*
I've been listening to good music for most of the day, and I still have that dumb Taylor Swift song on my mind.
***
Today is Marijuana Day. It is also Hitler's birthday. I can't think of anything clever to post, though.
***
I think a lot of feminist criticisms of Disney movies are incredibly anti-feminist. A lot of them are centered around the fact that female characters don't always save themselves, which is basically victim-blaming. Characters that fight are valued over characters that don't, implying that the only way to be strong is to show traditionally "masculine" traits, including traits that would be considered toxic masculinity if a guy had them. Elsa is considered "weak" because she's emotionally vulnerable, which is ableist, especially when you consider that she shows traits of various mental illnesses. Female characters that don't have love interests are valued over those who do, which implies that if you're in a relationship, you can't be strong.
Women shouldn't have to conform to your standards to be valued. Just let them be individuals.
***
Pros to Japanese street fashion: it looks awesome.
Cons to Japanese street fashion: it's expensive and not made for people who are overweight. Also, it's super impractical and I don't have the time or energy to put it on in the morning.
***
When proponents of legal abortion say that post-abortion regret, coerced abortion, and any negative experience with abortion is "anti-choice propoganda," then they're silencing people who genuinely want to tell their stories (even though many of those people may be pro-choice) and that's wrong.
***
That awkward moment when both the left and the right think the Equal Rights Amendment is about abortion, and Alice Paul was pro-life.
***
Make Hot Topic great again!
An explanation of my political views
Title is self-explanatory.
- My views on economics can be best described as neoclassical liberal (AKA bleeding heart libertarian). This means I believe economic freedom is compatible with social justice. I support significantly lower taxes, less spending, and no bureaucracy. I support some social safety nets and regulations so people aren't neglected or taken advantage of, but definitely not socialism.
- I am against all the wars the United States is currently involved in. Not because I'm an isolationist, but because I'm against bombing countries and killing civilians. Why is "stop killing children" such a controversial viewpoint? Foreign policy is nuanced, and defensive killing may be justified, but murder is never justified.
- There are so many things I would change about the education system. It's an issue that's very close to my heart because I personally had a terrible experience in school. The education system is government brainwashing. Children are not seen as individuals. Children have very little freedom. (Also, fuck all the states that still allow corporal punishment in schools. It's 2019, people!)
- I am against the war on drugs. I personally don't use drugs, but it's wrong to ruin the lives of nonviolent people. Drug addicts need treatment, not prison.
- I am against NSA surveillance and other violations of the Fourth Amendment.
- I am against the death penalty. It is not the place of the government (or anyone really) to decide who lives and who dies.
- I believe we should be compassionate towards undocumented immigrants. No more tearing families apart, and no more harming children.
- I support freedom of speech. Which includes your right to say stupid things, but also my right to tell you that your opinion is stupid.
- I support LGBT+ rights.
- I also support the right to refuse to participate in a gay wedding. Or whatever. Just as long as you're not denying LGBT+ people food, housing, or other public accommodations.
- I am against abortion. Science shows that a new, unique life begins at fertilization. Simple decency requires one to believe that killing people is wrong, and that all human beings are equal. This isn't about religion or punishing women for having sex. It's about human rights.
- I am against euthanasia. I think the right to die makes sense in theory, but in practice, it's lethal ableism and often involuntary.
- Rape culture is real, but not because accused rapists have the right to due process. Many people who have been proven guilty of rape have gotten away with it, and that's wrong.
- I believe police should be held accountable for their actions and not blindly trusted. I am against police brutality. Black lives matter.
- I support gun ownership rights. If gun control laws become as strict as the left wants them to be, it will give the police more power that civilians don't have. Also, self-defense is a right.
My religious beliefs
I can't really categorize my religious beliefs. I've found truth in many belief systems, even belief systems that seem to conflict with each other.
So... what do I believe?
So... what do I believe?
- I believe in a God and Goddess, and in Their Son Jesus Christ.
- I believe Jesus suffered and died for our sins and struggles, and to overcome death (Christus Victor), not to save us from a vengeful god.
- I believe we should all follow Christ's teachings.
- I believe in other lesser deities, saints, angels, spirits, faeries, and other supernatural beings. I do not worship these beings, but I work with them in my spiritual practices.
- I believe in magick, but not in rejecting proven facts.
- I value knowledge and reason.
- I value creativity.
- I believe in nonviolence.
- I believe all human beings are created equal.
- I believe in the worth of each human as an individual.
- I believe we have a moral obligation to help others, especially the most vulnerable members of society and those who cannot care for themselves.
- I believe that if one's actions do no harm, they should not be condemned. Actions that only do harm to the person making the decision should be strongly discouraged, but we should not punish the person making the decision because that only hurts them more.
- I believe in treating animals with respect. While it is not wrong to use animals for food or clothing, it is wrong to torture living things and kill for pleasure.
- I believe in treating the earth with respect and not being wasteful.
- I believe that we must repent and try to make things right when we do harm.
- I believe in free will.
- I believe in being honest.
- I believe in life after death, but this should not be our focus.
- I believe that when we live a moral life and have no unfinished business, we go to heaven (or whatever you want to call it).
- I believe that after we die, if we have lived a moral life, we become like Gods and create our own heaven based on what we love.
- When people make decisions that harm others and do not repent, they will experience a type of karma in the afterlife where they feel the pain they inflicted on others. This is a natural consequence, not a result of the Gods punishing them.
- I believe that, when we have unfinished business, we either dwell on earth as spirits, or are reincarnated into another realm.
- I believe that the Gods did not create morality. They only enforce it. Morality just is.
- I believe that we should each develop a personal relationship with the Gods, and that there are many different ways we can do this.
- I create art.
- I pray.
- I cast spells.
- I ponder important things.
- I study spiritual topics.
- I meditate.
- I go out in nature.
- I celebrate holidays, including (but not limited to) Christmas, Easter, and all Neo-Pagan Sabbats.
- Most importantly, I try to live my life in a way that is ethical.
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