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Sticks and Stones
 Scott Bushee -- Reader´s Advocate
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My best friend and I have this plan.� When we are all grown and old, and the kids are gone and whatnot, we want to be the two old guys who sit in rocking chairs out on the front porch with shotguns resting on our laps, yelling at little kids to get off the damn lawn.�
Thing is, I am kind of impatient.� I want to start doing that now.� The problem is that I currently lack a shotgun, a yard, and a front porch.
But seriously though, there does seem to be a lot of annoying small children running about this campus.� So I ask:� Why is that?� Why does it seem that this campus is composed solely of small children?� Everyone seems so damned bent on being eternally offended by everything.� It is such a colossal waste of time and energy.
It is a sign of the times that, when one encounters any sort of verbal affront, rather than acting like an adult and simply ignoring it, protests must be held, letters must be written, and all must hold hands and weep.�
What a bunch of cry babies.�
Why not simply grow up?� I assure you, it would be easier on both of us.� For you, your precious feelings would stop being hurt every time someone says something you don't like, and for me, I wouldn't have to listen to you whine.
Though, in truth, the whining doesn't bother me much.� Let people watch Oprah and emote and whatever.� It is when goofballs try to censor others that I become perturbed.
Because censorship happens, it is necessary to examine this problem at its root.� Why on earth would you get all riled up over what someone says about you?� Why do you care so much?� What are words, that they can do such things to you?
Words are just sound waves, people.� That's it.� They can't hurt you unless you let them.
Say, for example, a young woman was walking to class.� Outside her building, a boorish preacher yells to her that she is a whore. Should she be hurt or angry?� Why?
Let us examine this rationally.� A person made a statement about the nature of something in the world.� X is a Y.� According to the law of excluded middle, this statement must either be true, or it must be false.� Either that person is a whore, or she is not.
If she is not, then there is no reason to get mad.� The person is obviously trying to mess with her, and by getting mad, the preacher wins.�
If she is a whore, then there are two further branches.� Either she doesn't mind being that way, or she does mind.�� If she is comfortable with who she is, then, again, she should not get mad.� If she is not, then she maybe should get mad. However, she should be mad at herself, for acting in a fashion she dislikes, not the person who points out the action.�
And this is exhaustive.� There is no other choice.� There is simply no reason to care what people say about you.
So grow up.� And get off my damn lawn.
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