A Mrs. Pinky rant:
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Humanity, despite its best efforts, as a whole is deeply incapable of escaping evil and immorality no matter what we come up with to combat it. And until we humans accept that we are not born good deep down inside, but are instead naturally inclined towards doing evil, only then can deeper understanding of why the world is the way it is and can enlighten us to what we as people need to do fix ourselves.
We all need to understand that good moral character is a choice we each sacrifice to make each and every day. That being a good human being is a conscious decision that takes effort on our part whether we like how unfair and unpleasant it sounds. Most importantly, it is even a good thing to see people choose to be good and do good. Unfortunately, man has a tendency to praise lazy and fraudulent acts of courage in a time when such actions do not live up to it.
Courage is defined as standing up or doing something despite being afraid of the consequences. Yet, this is not what first world people stick the courage label to these days.
That is NOT what takes courage in the eyes of those with the loudest voices or platforms right now. Being lgbt today, being a social justice warrior today, and preaching equality today; does not invoke courage in my eyes. I am so sick and tired of people getting credited with being courageous for doing things that are now acceptable in society. Standing up from a position of safety is the exact opposite of courage.
The United States had a small band of men standing up to the British empire with its grips too tight and caused a revolution. Today people just whine about every little thing and throw a few tantrums here and there risking nothing that is remotely close to losing a life. A hissy fit is not revolutionary. Being offended and displeased is not brave.
Caitlyn Jenner got on a cover on a popular magazine, a reality show, and the approval of family and friends benefitting positively from the transformation of genders saying that “she” felt this way for a long time. So, it boggles the mind then. Why not come out back then, if being your “authentic” self is the most important of thing? That is what bravery and courage is. Doing that which is difficult while it is difficult.
Choosing safety over doing what one believes to be right; That is not what courage looks like. Millions of lgbt people were stabbed, shot, murdered for decades that came out at times when coming out was not met with open arms. Whether a person agrees with the lgbt community, many stood in the crossfire to be what they believed was authentic at times when it was not seen as “ok” to do so. And many sure didn’t get a tv show out of it.
Real oppression happens today. A girl was shot in the face for just wanting to learn. Women are being sold into sex slavery by terrorist groups. Little girls are impregnated by warlords to create child soldiers. Men are being bashed and persecuted for standing up for their religious beliefs despite them not going with the trend of popular society, when they were raised that one is not supposed to go along with others if it goes against their own morals.
But, now everyone is an activist. People jump behind computers, sit down during football games and other meaningless gestures that keep them out of the frontlines, from a safe distance with no real danger and effecting no real change.
As someone who experienced the horrors of war and the reality of what standing up for something can cost someone, phony courage is not only offensive but it is downright disrespectful. Millions of graves are filled with the souls of people who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and to take a stand for something instead of straddling the fence in a half-hearted attempt to look cool.
If someone is not invested up until dying for the movement that they say they so proudly and boldly support, that is not courage. That is someone that wants a pat on the back and some attention. And that person needs to go have a seat. We have enough people that just want attention and frankly it’s a huge turn off.
Fake courage is not courage at all. It diminishes real courage, diminishes real heroes, and it takes away the importance of real issues we desperately need to address right now.
