Well that escalated quickly

It’s a funny old world.

Funny as in peculiar rather than in any laugh out loud sense.

Unless that is you are laughing at the absurdity of it all.

On a daily basis we see people getting very upset about things that really aren’t worth bothering about, or to be frank it is usually about it something that isn’t any of their business.

Examples are everywhere.

Is there a month that passes where we don’t see some 50+ punk pushing himself towards an aneurism because Primark are selling a Ramones t-shirt?

(And yes it is predominantly men.)

Is that really something to rage about though?

James Hetfield of Metallica recently said he doesn’t give a fuck who wears one of his bands t-shirts.  

He’s obviously making a buck from the sales, but the attitude is still one that some people could consider adopting.

Why give a fuck?

Can you imagine someone getting angry about the colour of the gloves that another person was wearing?

That wouldn’t be thought of as normal, but it’s not that far removed from the anger directed at kids wearing a Ramones t-shirt that we see all too often.

And more recently there is the beard hate that has become so common that it is creeping up on Primark t-shirt hate on the inside lane as the go to rant subject for some.

And I don’t use the term hate lightly either.

When did facial hair become such a red rag to the reactionary bulls?

Fuckin' hipster this and fuckin' hipster that, and unsurprisingly it usually comes from those who think that Sartorial Elegance is the name of a racehorse that is running in the 2.30 at Cheltenham.

I have a beard, and to be honest about it I don’t care if you don’t.

I genuinely don’t walk down the street and privately rage at the smooth chinned people that pass.

If I did I would go and see a doctor.

And it would be disingenuous to claim that it is all just a joke and people need to get a sense of humour.

It would belittle something that is actually a problem in our society.

To call it just a joke is the rhetoric of the bully.

The trending term for this is gaslighting.

That’s not to say that humour doesn’t have its place, but there’s a huge difference between having a sharp dig at a mate who will take it in the spirit intended, and give it back as good as they get, and taking a photograph of a stranger and posting it on social media with a less than witty comment designed to attract a mob response.

The latter is just bullshit, and it's hurtful.

And the thing is that if we consider that this type of behaviour exists on a scale then we have to accept that it is on the same one as racism, homophobia, and a whole list of other views that defy rationality.

Some will say that it is at one end of that scale and the others are at the extremist end, but what is the difference between a kid getting punched in the mouth for being gay, black or muslim and one being punched in the mouth for offending someone’s warped fashion views?

At the end of the day it is still the same fat lip they all have.

And in response to claims that it doesn’t really go further than that, and victims of racist and homophobic assaults can be subjected to far worse, then just cast your mind back to the murder of Sophie Lancaster.  

And yes I'm linking the slagging off of people on facebook with an actual murder because it is all part of that wider problem. 

Intolerance. 

It’s actually astounding that very often the worst offenders are not even teenagers, but adults who really should know better, and it begs the question why they don’t.

What was it that happened to them to instil this sort of negativity that bubbles over into rants at total strangers on facebook and twitter.

Or on some occasions rises up and spills out at taxi ranks and in bars where some unsuspecting random individual ends us subjected to what should simply be called a hate crime?

Would describing it as a hate crime be considered going too far?

Or is it just uncomfortable to take that on board while thinking about personal behaviour.

I get that.

It’s not easy to frame it as such when maybe a few days ago you were indulging in it, but it is possible to simply sit back and think about it for a second or two, be open up to a bit of regret when you realize that you wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of it, and then learns from it and move on.

This was written after seeing in quick succession two posts on facebook.

One was the photograph of someone on a bus who was clearly minding their own business and were unaware of being photographed.
They weren’t conventional looking and certainly weren’t making an attempt to follow any current fashion trends, but they hadn’t asked for their photograph to be secretly taken and shared with the intent of them to being the butt of jokes by people they don’t know.

The other was relating to the Manchester terrorist attack and framed around the send them home knee jerk reactions.

Both were specific reaction to other people looking different.

(The latter focussed on everyone that wears a burka and failed to accept that those wearing them are all different people. Some will be training to be doctors, others will be looking forward to starting their first job, and there is no end to who they all are. All unique, and the vast majority having no intent to hurt anyone else.)

So in closing it is just left to be said that just a tiny bit of consideration about how our actions can impact on others can make a world of difference, and if writing this encourages anyone to take that moment to think about that then it was worthwhile putting it out there.

Be the difference you want in the world.

And if there is anyone reading who feels that they are the bearing the brunt of small minded comments from people, well all I can say is take some pride in not being them.

Life could be worse.