9/11 and leftists

There is a disturbing trend that I have come across that has escalated to the point where I feel the need to address it.

It all started with the Boston Marathon bombing. I was in a building at school just doing my thing when I received a group text from my older sister assuring my family and I that she was alright, and responses from my parents along the lines of, "Thank goodness! Stay safe." I was like, "Whaaaa...?" because I had no idea what was going on. When I found out, my heart stopped (figuratively). My sister went to school in Boston, and she usually watched people cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon, but had not gone that day - the "what-ifs" in my head could not be silenced for a while. On social media, some of my leftist friends (and others who are not friends) were going off on how "this sort of thing happens everyday in some parts of the world, so this is practically nothing."

Before I go on, I have nothing against leftists. I disagree with them on some points, as I do with everyone to an extent. Other than libertarians, they are my favorite political group to work with. However, what I am addressing in this post today seems to be more perpetuated by them than by other groups. or so I have personally noticed. This is definitely not to say that all are like this. The reason why I address this to leftists and not talk about the problem in general is because this would then reach less of the intended target. Also, libertarians and some other people are guilty of doing this too.

When thinking back on the Sandy Hook shooting, I noticed some of these same people saying, "Children all over the world are dying - being murdered every single day." How am I expected to tell my family who lives in Sandy Hook that they should just forget what happened because there are other more terrible things in the world?

Today (9/11), US Uncut, a popular political Facebook page posted this picture and some commentary.

US Uncut

"On September 11th 1973, US-backed General Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected leader of Chile, Salvadore Allende. Pinochet ordered an air strike on the Presidential Palace, labor activists and famous folk guitarists were rounded up for torture, disappeared, and killed. Pinochet converted the national football stadium into a detention facility like Guantanamo Bay. Chile's economy was turned into a plantation for the 1%, as inequality and poverty skyrocketed under the imposed Milton Friedman-style economic model.

Over 40,000 Chileans became victims of Pinochet's terror. In response, the Nixon administration committed more money, more training, more torture equipment.

The world didn't begin on September 11th, 2001. Rather, for the first time in modern history, Americans were visited by the same violence the US has imposed since its creation. In Chile, the US murdered tens of thousands and impoverished millions. This wasn't America's first foray in international terrorism, nor would it be the last. The United States security state is a terrorist and a plague on the people of the world. Spread the word." 

I have a love/hate relationship with this Facebook page - I love one-third of the things they post, hate a lot of the other things, and like how they point out certain problems in and out of the US, but don't like their "solution" to it. Let me know if you disagree with me, but I view US Uncut as a leftist page.

"Milton Friedman-style economic model" laughability aside, information like this is good to know - 9/11 is and was not the only tragedy in the world. However, these kinds of posts and the comments that ensue reinforce this idea that somehow, because fewer people died in this tragedy than in other (lesser-known) ones and that the US is 'Murica, 9/11 and other traumatizing events in the US should not be mourned for and/or discussed.

Sure, we shouldn't pick and choose what the masses should concentrate on...

I have noticed that some people - and rightfully so, in my opinion - get offended when others post how "_________ died in this terrorist attack in ____________" on days like 9/11. Why 9/11 of all days? Like I have said, it is good to know facts surrounding occurrences in different countries and time periods. However, just because fewer people died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks does not make it not a tragedy because only 3,000 died compared to the 60,000 people who died in Chile in 1963 - both are tragedies.

Even more disturbing than this, which I have heard a few leftists say, is that the US deserves events like 9/11 because of our foreign intervention. Were the victims of 9/11 somehow directly-involved with our country invading other nations and acting as the world police?

I do not agree with our foreign intervention at all. (If you do, you should check out Students For Liberty's Peace, Love, & Liberty - it's free.) Sure, our country's actions have most definitely led to attacks on American citizens and on American soil, but to say that any of these innocent people deserved to die or that their deaths should be ignored is downright cold-hearted and disrespectful, especially to those who lost someone or know people who were directly affected.

So, what do you do when it is 9/11 and you want to take advantage of "Never Forget" and inform people about the injustices going on in the world today without coming off as a prick?

Click this for an example

The first problem I can think for an something like this (even though I made it...) is that it can be easily misinterpreted. Some may think similarly like me and say, "Yeah, we need to educate people on why wars are bad and why peace is good!" Others will be like, "Let's send Team America to fix everything!" That is why you should provide commentary or an explanation: "Condolences to those who were directly affected by the tragedies of 9/11. We have the power to prevent horrific events like this around the world by..."

I hope that writing this has provided even just a few people with some insight...

Nude celebs - what's the big deal?

If you have genitals, you probably know that there was a huge privacy breach that exposed videos and photos from over one hundred celebrities. (All women I think - just goes to show that there is a need for more female hackers.)

For those curious, these are some of the celebrities affected: Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Keegan, Kirsten Dunst, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ariana Grande, Victoria Justice, Kate Upton, Hope Solo, Krysten Ritter, Yvonne Strahovski, Teresa Palmer, Avril Lavigne, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna.

A few of these famous people have denied these photos of being theirs, some outright say that those are photos of them, and others like Jennifer Lawrence's representative say, "The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence," which is a more professional way of saying, "Yes, those are her titties."

When reading articles and comments on social media regarding this, I was displeased to discover a myriad of comments like these:

1) "Most importantly...where can I find these?"

2) "These celebrities deserve it. Why are they complaining anyways? It's like a celeb rite of passage. They always have their fame and money to cheer themselves up."

3) "There is one simple answer to all of this: DON'T TAKE NUDE PICTURES OF YOURSELF!! God, people are so stupid."

The problem I have with the first comment is that it is called a "privacy breach" for a reason - it is violating people's privacy. Sure, I am curious how some of these celebrities look in the nude (especially with the lack of professional lighting, Photoshop, etc.), but I try not to encourage the exploitation of these individuals, especially since these photos and videos were posted without their consent.

I felt bad enough sharing this on my personal Facebook - Libertarian Troll

Somehow, a lot of people think that celebrities literally have it all. "Is  John Travolta depressed? He's famous and has a lot of money - he can just buy the new "Be Happy Forever" medication that only rich people can afford! Wait...no such thing? He still has a lot of money...and he's famous. A lot of people like famous people. Also, didn't you know that money can buy happiness?" If these celebrities wanted the public to see these naked photos, they would have found a way to make it happen - staged it in a way that actually makes the individual stand out. "Hope Solo has private photos released at the same time as over a hundred other female celebs? Who cares - I'd rather ogle over an Oscar winner!" (Okay, I admit, I had to look her up to see who she was and make sure she wasn't an Oscar winner to make the joke work.)

I hope that not everybody forgot that celebrities are human beings too.

So the third example is probably the most-said and is definitely the one that pisses me off the most. I seriously would not be surprised if over half of my Facebook friends have nude photos of themselves. It is when nude or partially-nude pictures of celebrities emerge that I notice slut-shaming at its worst. First off, these people have the rights to take pictures/videos of themselves and send them to those who want them. Secondly, why does the United States have to be so prudish?? Good luck to the mother who wants to breastfeed her hungry child in public without anybody flipping shit. If you want to feel sexy, go for it (hopefully you don't rely on the opinions of others to feel confident though). If you think believe nudity is natural, you may just be right.

Jennette McCurdy on Reddit

As for "knowing better" because these may come back to haunt you some day...Why should the public even care? Last time I checked, my GPA does not rely on how sexually-attractive or "immoral" I am. (I mean sure, there may be some subconscious influence, and I would be lying if I said it would be terrible if my GPA did rely on my attractiveness - though it is subjective.) Why should a man not be hired by a company because sexy pictures he took of himself for his wife five years ago were found?

Penis ≠ Incompetence

Vulva ≠  Incompetence

Breasts ≠ Incompetence

Butt ≠ Incompetence

We all have at least one of these body parts (butts). "Oh my god, I have seen his bare tush - we can't hire him!"

Even if a person does regret taking photos of him/herself and is afraid of a possible leak, it does not mean that the person deserves to feel that way. This is just speculation, but I think it is very likely that the main reason someone is afraid of having risque photos uncovered is because of the fear of being shamed. Why shame someone for something they did in private, which does not hurt anyone?

The Onion made a very good point that every potential 2040 US presidential candidate is unelectable due to social media.

What do y'all think about government action on behalf of victims?

Scarlett Johansson's hacker was sentenced to ten years in prison. Is this a worthy punishment? Is there a better way of dealing with this individuals? (I am not talking about victory parades.)

Rumor has it that these photos and videos from this ordeal were obtained via Apple's iCloud. I will not bash people for having this kind of content on the cloud or their phones, but just be aware of how easily it can be accessed by those with bad intentions. (If we cannot trust Apple with our nude photos, how can we trust them with our wallets?)

There are jokes (or maybe they're not supposed to be...) that someone from the NSA leaked them. Whether or not that is true, it is scary to think how they can look at your personal stuff. However, as a friend once told me, "I don't care if the NSA sees me naked. The poor people who work there are always being antagonized by the public. If the sight of my genitalia makes them even a little bit more happy, so be it."

I am glad that I am not the only person pointing out the ridiculousness of this "scandal," Forbes has this great piece on it, so does Clickhole, Daily Life, and The Huffington Post.

The point of this all is that nudity is nudity. I am a firm believer that our obsession with over-sexualizing and shaming the naked body needs to stahp. Judge me all you want, but I am not ashamed of the God-given beauty that is my body.

Taking one for the team

You have my consent to look at this and even enjoy it. However, you do not have my consent to use it in a way that will reflect badly upon me or make me feel bad about myself. Why am I doing this? Some people may think it is for attention. To be honest, if utilized correctly, I could make this a very popular post. The real reason I am doing this though is because I would feel a bit hypocritical for writing about nudity not being a big deal, then keeping myself hidden. It sure is one thing to talk to talk, but another to walk the walk.

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