Newsgroups: alt.suicide.holiday
Subject: Re: IMHO
From: emiddlec@mora.gac.edu (Eric Middlecamp)
Date: 12 Nov 92 23:04:05 -0600

In article <1dte0pINNoj3@bigboote.WPI.EDU>  writes:
>Well, before I start let's just get the IMHO out of the way... All that follows
>is a product of my mind and therefore is my opinion....
>
>...
>
>Back when I was a good little catholic boy and I had this rosy picture of the
>world and how good people were at heart, etc. Well, that's bullshit. I used to
>get so depressed, upset, and confused when I read about child abuse, beatings,
>torture, crimes, murder, the homeless, etc. How could this happen if everyone
>was so nice? Answer, they're not.
>
>I agree with Paladin, people are evil at heart. Most animals are. Watch babies
>or little kids. Damn mean bastards. They want everything NOW, they'll punch,
>claw, and bite. Scream if things don't go their way. Little kids fight all the
>time, and emotional torture is the norm. There is always someone to ostracise,
>ridicule.

I think you are perhaps looking at children who are too old.

>Or watch a couple of kittens. When newborn you get near them and the first 
>thing they do is swipe with their claws. It's ingrained.

Really? I would have heard about that, I would think..

>...
>You keep saying that a dark out look is a choice, but you encourage people to
>change. Why? Is it any less valid. There is no way I can have a **bright outlook**
>and still acknowledge all the pain in the world. I sort of take it personally
>and I do what I can to improve things. I think I can make a difference, so I
>try to. I still think the world sucks and humanity sucks. When things get to

I think, in his terms, you do have "a bright outlook." You work to make things
more positive.. you aren't stopped completely when thinking of the negative..

>Like Tuesday in my english class. We were holding a discussion of the different
>treatment of males and females in primary education. (We had just read an essay
>from 1973 on the topic...) and an Asian student spoke up with (paraphrase) "Men
>and women are different! Men have to be men and women have to be women! There
>should be different standards!" That pissed me off, I thought we were making 
>some advances. Prejudice gets to me, bad. Well, he had a traditional upbringing
>and sexual equality isn't as advanced around the globe. But even in the US 
>there is a 'glass ceiling' in many fields above which women rarely are
>promoted. Things like that get to me and dim my view of the world. 

This is a really tricky issue. I think men and women deserve equal treatment 
by law, and yet I think men and women are different. Naturally this varies.
Don't flame me for saying so; just try to justify both sides and you will be 
looking at it like I do. That is all I ask.

>...
>
>You keep insisting that the slightest dark worldview is an unhealthy situation
>using charged words like 'wallow'. You claim to advocate "expanded options and
>horizons", but it seems only if they are bright and sunny. 

Seems like an honest mistake-

>You say that those arguing for a dim outlook are afraid of change?
>It occurs to me that perhaps you feel threatened, that maybe the world is a
>dark place and being happy a lot isn't normal.
>
>...
>
>Depression dos not readily convert to anger, for me they increase together. If
>I get pissed I normally get a bit depressed, and vice versa.

Perhaps the same thing?

>If you want to continue to post the 'happy' view, fine. That is your right.
>Perhaps I will have to become more active and darker and begin posting the
>truly dark outlook to balance things out. I've been on both sides, and I can
>argue the happy points rather well, but seeing them over and over is very 
>annoying.
>
>...
>
>I'd like to see you take the time to respond individually, taylor your replies.
>Stop making sweeping generalizations. I hate to say this, but I get mail from
>a lot of lurkers and they say things like "Who is this Brady ackhole?" My
>view isn't as negative, but a lot of what I hear is that they are insulted by
>you lumping everyone together with statements about most or all but a few, etc.
>It annoys me too. We are all individuals and I dislike being thrown into a
>group classification. I am me, not a section of ash.
>
>This whole situation is depressing.
>
>###############################################################################
># I have one prejudice, and that is against stupidity.  Use your mind, think! #
>#Email megazone@wpi.wpi.edu  Moderator, WPI anime FTP site 130.215.24.1 /anime#
>###############################################################################
Newsgroups: alt.suicide.holiday