So yes, it's been a bit of time...

Well, I never said I was gonna update this regularly...

Tonight's pet peeve?

The blind.

I don't mean people whose optic nerves don't work, or who have glass eyes.

I mean people who are willfully ignorant.

I'm talking about people who, when faced with a decision, would rather just pick at random; or worse, would just pick whomever they THINK they're SUPPOSED to pick.

People who can't be bothered to think for themselves. Who can't be bothered to learn about things that will impact their lives.

One of my Facebook friends, under "political views" flat out states that she thinks politics are boring. Yet she has no problem joining a FB group that's anti-Obama, operating under the premise that because he didn't hold his hand over his heart when the flag was displayed, he doesn't deserve to be President.

I don't care if you think Obama should be President or not. I personally would rather have him than McCain, but if that's not your cup of tea, fine.

But DON'T say you find politics 'boring' and then advocate a group that spreads misinformation.

It's that whole "the flag was behind him and the pledge was spoken and he didn't cover his heart OMG!!!" thing. The same thing that has already been explained, and explained quite well.

Because it wasn't the pledge. He knows to put his hand over his heart for the pledge. It was the National Anthem, and he was raised that when that song plays, you sing. So he was singing.

I just hate this whole propaganda/misinformation/smear shit that seems to go on about the same thing forever.

I HATED having the pledge be compulsory in school. I remember one year I was so jealous of the kid who didn't stand (for religious reasons). I hated having to stand and cover my heart. I especially hated in the lower grades, when kids wouldn't be saying it, the teacher would be like, "So-and-so! It's time to say the Pledge!"

It didn't make sense to me that in order to show my allegiance to my country, I had to stand up and speak in unison with a bunch of other kids, and that if I didn't, I was somehow a bad citizen. I feel the same way about church~if you don't show up, you aren't really a Christian.

It's not an issue with authority. I just don't think that I need to participate in some ritualized display to prove my loyalty.

And then I hear, "But Amanda! You had a wedding! Isn't that just a ritualized display to prove your loyalty to Zach?"

Well, yes and no. I did speak vows at that wedding, in front of many witnesses. But I didn't do it to prove to all of them that I love my husband. That portion of the ceremony? Was for me and Zach. Not for our parents, although I know his family was happy to have it finalized, and it wasn't for the minister or for God. I spoke those words to Zach and for Zach. It was probably the most intensly private moment I've ever had.

And I never NEEDED to do that to "prove" my love and loyalty to him. He already understood and knew all of that.

BUT back to the topic.

The Willfully Ignorant. Those who know that there is more to know, but would really rather not put in the effort, or challenge their beliefs, or keep an open mind.

I saw a bumper sticker once that pissed me off to no end, and not surprisingly, it was at CBC/CCU. "If you leave your mind open, your brains will fall out." Kind of funny, until you actually realize what it is saying.

I like to compare it to a bad case of encephalitis. In extreme cases, the brain swells so much that a portion of the skull must be removed in order to keep the brain from squeezing against the sides of the cranium. You have to remove the piece of skullbone to make room for the growth, otherwise there can be permanent brain damage or death.

The willfully ignorant make me think of the people whose brains just keep swelling and swelling, but there's nowhere to go. They don't allow for the growth.

A closed mind doesn't allow for the possibility of change. It doesn't allow for the growth necessary to keep changing, to keep getting better. They'd rather stay the same and keep with what they have than risk opening their minds and finding out that maybe they don't have all the answers already.