Why Are We So Mean?

When did we stop caring about how our actions affected other people? When did we start hiding behind the First Amendment to hurt people? When did we forget that hurting people is wrong? 

It makes no difference if you have a religion or none at all, the basic human understanding of a civilized society is dignity and respect - respect for ourselves and respect for those around us. We used to know the difference between the right to say something and the decency to keep certain things to ourselves. "Just because you can doesn't mean you should" can be used in so many situations, but we forget about it when it means we shouldn't. 

We have many freedoms in this country that are being abused to satisfy our own egos and self-gratification. We don't like it when others infringe upon our rights, but we fail to realize or care when we infringe upon others. We're too prideful to believe we should respect others if they aren't like us.

The founding fathers, when penning our Constitution, never dreamed we would become such heartless bastards. They never in their wildest dreams expected us to grow to hate each other so much that we are willing to use the freedoms they shed blood for as a weapon to hurt each other. When they declared that we would have the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, they didn't imagine we would assume they meant some but not all, even when they included "all men." I suppose they just didn't plan on the human race to devolve back into simple-minded cave dwellers. 

It's sad that I hear people say, "Your rights end where mine begin," while they are abusing the privileges of those rights. 

When did we forget, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"? When did we forget compassion and empathy? When did it become okay to push people to the point of suicide just because we have the legal right to say the things that do it? When did we decide it was okay to use our freedom of speech and freedom of religion as tools to torment each other? 

Is this really the outcome the forefathers planned? Is this behavior uniting us or dividing us? Is it making us strong or weak? 

Is it leading us to spiritual enlightenment, to God? Is this really the behavior that will get us into heaven? 

Does defending your beliefs mean you have to hurt others? Whether you are religious or spiritual or atheist, does hurting others in the name of your beliefs somehow validate your beliefs? Does it please your god? Does it appease your logic? 

To what end is using someone's personal journey in life against them? Does it make you feel better about your own faults? Does it help you fix your own problems? 

Does telling someone they are going to hell bring you closer to God? 

Does telling someone they are stupid for believing in a god make Science more factual? 

Does making fun of someone's limitations and mistakes magically make you perfect?

Does mocking a person for their different lifestyle justify yours? 

Does tearing a person down mentally, physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually make you smarter, stronger, happier, and/or more at peace with God? Nature? Science?

Why have we made common decency such an impossible feat? 

Why have we made dignity and integrity uncool and silly? 

Why do we perceive "live and let live" as a personal attack on us?

Why do we care so much about what another person is doing if it does not hurt us, does not hurt others, and has no bearing on our personal journey? 

Why is it so important to beat someone down with hate and intolerance?

If we are so concerned with what our neighbor is doing, when do we have time to work on ourselves? 

Does the Christian god teach that hurting others will grant the key to heaven? 

Do any of the pagan gods and goddesses teach that focusing on another's spiritual journey will make us grow in ours?

Does Science benefit when an atheist spends his time berating religions and spirituality? 

We waste so much time on judging others, criticizing others, berating others, condemning others, no wonder there is such an imbalance in ourselves and in the world. No wonder why peace always eludes us. No wonder why we have made depression such a profitable disease. 

When are we ever going to grow up and learn to share our country and our freedoms with our neighbors? When are we going to grow up and learn to communicate with respect and understanding rather than fight and bicker with hate and egotism? When are we going to realize peace can only exist when we practice peace in our own lives? When will we ever stop being so damned mean?