Don't Tread On Me
So I looked at the news this morning and saw that Rosa Parks died. Usually when a celebrity dies I feel bad... I feel bad because now I'm going to be inundated with endless tributes and dedications and news piece after news piece about some celebrity whom I could give a fuck less about.
MUCH greater people die every day than the dumb-shit celebrities and they don't get more than a few lines in the obituary section of the local paper. Being famous doesn't make you a great person.
I digress...
Rosa Parks is different... You know what I like about Rosa Parks? She had BIG fucking balls. She wasn't afraid to stick up for what she believed was right, even if that meant going to jail for it. And what I like even more was she was just going about her everyday business, minding her own business. Yet when someone came to step on her rights, she had the balls to stand her ground. Knowing that meant getting a fine and going to Jail.
And she didn't do it because there were TV cameras, or Newspaper photographers standing around like todays media-whore activists (cough Cindy Sheehan, Jesse Jackson) ready to make her an insta-celeb.
She didn't go lay down in a street and cause a disruption like some dread-lock-Birkenstock-tie-dye-pot-smokin idiot who has time to lay in the street protesting against who knows what because they live at home and don't have a job. She was just living her life. Nothing more, but absolutely nothing less.
Every time I throw my Allen-Edmonds on the conveyer belt and walk thru the metal detector at the airport in my socks with my pants falling down because my belt had to come off to go thru Checkpoint Charlie... Er.. I mean the TSA Screening area.. Everytime as I stand there and get patted down with the back of some dip-shit government employees hand. Everytime I check my rights at the ticket counter I think "I don't have the balls" to do something about it. Everytime I open my luggage at the hotel to find the nice little TSA "We-just-bent-your-right-to-privacy-over-sans-KY-and-dry-humped-it-a-few-times" note that my baggage had been 'inspected' I think... "And I just took it"
Everytime I write the check for Uncle Sam in April knowing 75% of that money is just being given away to someone who didn't deserve it I'll remind myself that I'm not doing anything about it like you did.
So good on you Rosa Parks... Good on you for doing something you thought was right. Something that WAS right. Without the aid of a PR staff... Without television cameras to witness your 'civil disobedience'. Good on you for not wanting something from anyone else other than just your own inalienable rights to which every human being is entitled. Good on you for taking one for the team! People like Cindy Sheehan and Jesse Jackson don't have the character to stand in the same room with you. I hope we can all find a little 'don't tread on me' inspiration in what you did.
fhl
posted by N1K | 10:06 AM
7 Comments:
Amen. A joy to read. Thank You.
There are probably countless other stories of courage similiar to Rosa Parks. To those anonymous heros - Thanks.
I imagine Jesse Jackson claims to be on the same side as she, he is a detriment to African American people. Bill Cosby, adversly, is. He has put his balls on the line to speak what he feels is right and true. Enough of the God damn victim bullshit, stand on your fucking feet and make a life for yourself. Some of our fellow Americans of African heritage may unfortunatly be surrounded by shitty people in shitty neighborhoods but what if they took a Rosa Parks stand and said, "no fucking more of this shit". Call the police, clean up your yard, take a stand and fight damn it. Easy for me to say? Maybe, but I fight my own battles when I see them. I do not like myself to Rosa Parks but I will gesture to a mother to put a seatbelt on their child or pickup garbage on the sidewalk if I'm walking... not earth shattering but if everyone in this country gave a fuck we'd all live much better. There, world peace solved! LOL
Thanks for the posting Nik, for an ultra conservative you have a good heart. Love ya buddy!
J
Anonymous J stated:
"I will gesture to a mother to put a seatbelt on their child"
I agree with your point on many aspects, but gesturing a mother to put a seatbelt on her child is really none of your business.
When people are trying to do the right thing and make a difference in the world, you have to be careful not to infringe on their right to choose. If someone decides to not buckle their child in, cross the street against the light, not wear a helmet, jay-walk, etc, that is their business, not yours. Doesn't matter if it was stupid or not, it is choice. Rosa Parks made a decision to stand up for her rights, not infringe on someone else's.
TJ
TJ... a parent is responsible for the LIFE of their child. It is the law in the State of Wisconsin that a seat belt must be worn by all occupants of a car. If a parent chooses to not obide by the law with regards to the well being of themselves, what the fuck do I care. It is when they impose their will on someone else that it makes a difference. As you may have noticed, I did not say that I notion to the adult to wear a seatbelt but to assume responsibility that an adult needs to take. Your rights as an American ends at the tip of the nose of your fellow American, your children are Americans too but the difference is that you make their decisions. If you believe that science and statistics about survivability of a car crash are for crap, be happy in your ignorance. Don't impose your ignorance to defenseless children. The essence of the law is to protect the ignorant from themselves, at least in this instance.
J
J. I agree with you that a parent is responsible for the life of their child. I don't care what the law is in any state. I don't care about crash statistics. I'm not arguing whether wearing a seatbelt is right or wrong. That's a different thread. My point is that the parent(s), and only the parent(s) of the child, is responsible for the life of their child.
I'm inferring from your comments that you believe that adults are responsible for their own actions, but children are everyone's responsibility. If this is your point, I just simply disagree. I'm not following Bitch Clinton's theory that it takes a village. It takes a parent, hopefully two, to raise a child. It's no one else's business if they get put into a child seat other than the parents. It's no one's business if a kid gets spanked in a store by their parents for misbehaving. Too many people have too little to do and keep getting into other people's business, which includes the raising of other people's children. If you want to take care of the children, you should get a couple of your own. Believe me they'll keep you busy enough to keep you out of other people's shit.
"The essence of the law is to protect the ignorant from themselves, at least in this instance." Owe man you are so wrong on this one! Seatbelt laws would not be legal if they protected a person from themselves. That is unconstitutional. Some fuckwad lawyers, the automotive industry and the NHTSA safety nazis all got together and proved to the courts that by you not wearing a seatbelt, you are a danger to others. I could go into this more, but it is not what this thread is about. In summary though, the essence of the law is NOT to protect people from themselves. It's all about money. Feel free to research this further if you truly care.
TJ
She sat down on a bus.....end of story. Yes it may have taken bravery...or maybe the story I heard about there being other seats available, but her just wanting to make a statement are more than urban legend. While I agree she's not a publicity whore like Jackson, Sharpton, etc., I don't think she deserves all the attention her death got. Yes.....she definately deserves mention, but several days of continuous coverage for her is absolutely overkill. It was a PC feel good moment for the media. The white male is quickly becoming the minority in this country....reverse discrimination/quotas is the new norm. We are being guilted into repaying the sins of our ancestors 150 years ago.
Fonzie
TJ, Jordan,
Great comments, There is a line somewhere.
Where that is I suppose is up for debate. I think parents are responsible for their kids, and for making choices about their kids welfare. Its does NOT take a village like TJ said (imo) it takes a parent.
Of course if any of us saw a parents beating the shit out of a kid in the parking lot of a store, I think we all agree that's wrong and intervention in the situation is advised and justified.
Clicking a seatbelt... Well... That's a choice I'd leave up to the parent.
If one supported making parents have their kids wear seatbelts why stop there? What about feeding your kid who is already fat chips, soda, and candy? Arguably thats MORE likely to cause harm to the child then not wearing a seatbelt.
But the government has stepped in and said you have to buckle your kids up, but yet you can feed your kid chips and soda and make them fat, and that totally legal.
I guess for me... I'd draw the line at PHYSICALLY harming your child. If you are in the act of physically harming your child. That should be reason for law-enforcement (or a citizen) to step in.
If you are just putting your child at risk (ie, not buckling them in) That's your choice.
But on the other side of the equation I don't have a problem with the 'deterent value' of prosecuting parents IF their child is actually hurt by the negligence of the adult. But that's a case by case basis to be decided in court.
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