American Damage 1 & 2

Part 1

Yesterday, I didn't have a whole lot of time to write this post, so today you get a two for one special.

My usual routine was followed, and I was downtown waiting for the train. The sky was overcast with spots of obvious rain and darkness. The wind blew violently down the corridors carved by the buildings, and there was a smell in the air that is usually typical of Fall in Houston. Given it is the middle of August, we aren't even close to Fall yet. I wondered whether this was just a nice break from the usual weather or something apocalyptic was happening. It's not that I actually believed that some doomsday thing was actually happening, but I must be paranoid about everything. It is in my nature to suspect that the worst will happen.

So...I am standing there with the masses waiting for our carriage to arrive, swoop us up, and take us away. Almost immediately, a man on a bicycle came riding up across the street from the stop, and he was yelling in anger about his sins, lies, and plain old being human. He then stops, looks at everyone waiting for the train and begins to scream his rants in our direction. Telling us all that we (collectively) are essentially going to burn for all eternity, and that he knows sin is what we are made from. Its as if he believes that at 7:15am people actually care what the fuck he is thinking or saying. A few minutes go by, and I realize this guy is still going. I look around to observe what other people are making of this guy.

The gay couple standing next to me were mid-sentence interrupted in their conversation when this guy began, and now that he is essentially singling-out people and damning them to hell, the couple turned away and start their initial conversation following one of the guys saying, "I don't have to listen to this crap."

There were quite a few people who I am positive did not speak english because they di not look up even once in acknowledgment of the antics.

Then there were those that were like me. Checking watches for the time, peeking out into the rail track to see where the train was, or just trying to figure out what set this guy off.

Just before the train pulled up to the stop, I noticed a huge gust of wind blow down the road, and it nearly knocked this guy off of his bike. He was very frail. Like he has spent the bulk of his life barely living. I looked up, and the sky was churning with gray. At this exact moment, the man continued his hellfire and brimstone rants, and I pressed play on my ipod to immediately drown the man out.

Glenn Danzig's voice lit up the speakers in my headphones with the song Halloween off of the 12 Hits from Hell album that never got released.

It was amazing how perfect the timing was for that to happen.


Part 2

What is it about people these days? Why are we so quick to run to the lawyers? What happened to just sucking it up and moving on? I am so sick and tired of hearing about how somebody else is offended by someones opinion.

This morning I heard a story on Fox News where they were discussing the new Ben Stiller movie, Tropic Thunder. The were going over the fact hat the movie uses the term "retard" a lot to describe the mentally retarded, and their are "rights" groups protesting the movie because of these words.

Let me first say that people are retards. What is wrong with using that word? Its in a movie, and now they want it banned?! Gimme a break. You can't ban words. It's retarded.

To all of the idiots out there that take offense to little things like this, please do us a favor and go fuck yourselves. I have a great deal of respect for mentally retarded people and their ability to get through life in spite of the tremendous struggles they face, but c'mon! Enough is enough.

Grow some skin, get a life, and have some fun. Stop trying to ban words because when taken out of context, you were offended. Learn to laugh at our differences, not in hate or disgust, but in the fact that if we can just learn to laugh at our unique characteristics, then we may actually be more understanding in the long run.

This is is just disguised censorship. It is disguised intolerance. Anyone who thinks otherwise must be one of them.