Anger blinds you [View All]

it inflames you to the point that your emotions block your ability to make logical judgments about how you are going to do what you need to do and get what you need to get.

I've watched it in myself and in my friends, periods of time in our life when we are so overwhelmed by the injustice of our situation that we get flustered and make a series of bad decisions that only serve to worsen the already shitty situation, not only that, we are so blinded by thirst for vengeance that we fail to see positive opportunities coming our way and subsequently miss them.

It doesn't matter how justified your anger and indignation is, if you let it blind you, you will end up making major blunders and only make things worse.

I've given this piece of advice many times before to friends that were about to step into some major shit because their emotions were blinding them and now I recommend this train of thought to the more outraged members of the DU community: Anger can be a powerful tool only if you control it, if it controls you, it will ultimately lead you to self-destruction. Anger leads to frustration, leads to despair, leads to hopelessness, leads to darkness. I can tell many of you are at that point right now of being so angry that your ability to be logical is breaking down.

As a Californian, I cannot begin to stress the shame and anger I feel toward the people of my state because of Prop 8. I recently found out that someone I care for deeply voted for it, and it caused me great pain and confusion, I am yet to speak with them, and am putting if off because I don't even know if I can look them in the eye without totally cussing them out for it.

I want there to be no doubt about my absolute and unwaivering dedication to the idea that all humanity deserves equality in the eyes of the law without exception or limitation of any kind. If I critique some of the rampant anger that has taken place here at DU, it is only because I believe it to be ultimately counter-productive to a sense of unity and moral among the Progressive ranks and therefore a hindrance to the advancement of Gay rights.

The truth is that the overwhelming majority of DUers are the same place I am right now: full equality, no exceptions. If there are a few that aren't there yet, they are on their way and will be a helluva lot more helpful to the movement if given a helping hand and brought aboard as opposed to being shouted down as a bigot (that words has been used way too thoughtlessly around here lately) and pushed back toward the other side.

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO START A CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD AMONG YOUR NATURAL ALLIES, BUT TO RALLY THE TROOPS FOR THE NEXT BATTLE.

THERE WILL BE FULL EQUALITY FOR THE GBLT COMMUNITY. It's not a question of if but when. There is no question about this in my mind, it's the direction in which the arc of history is pointed -all the Evangelical wing nuts in the world can't stop it. But if we turn on each other every time there is a disappointment or difference of opinion on strategy, or if we constantly let our emotions get in the way of smart strategy, we ourselves will be responsible for making the day that can't come soon enough take even longer to get here.

so moral of the story: if that anger is eating you up and you gotta let it out, go to your nearest Mormon church next Sunday and scream "bigot" or "child-molester" or "you're not a religion, you're a cult" in the face of every dumb shit Mormon you see coming out.