Opinions - Deserved of Respect?

The definition of Opinion as according to my word bible:

Opinion: (n) Personal belief or judgment

Personal to mean:

Personal: (adj) Individual or private; of the body eg personal hygine; (of a remark etc) offensive

And judgement:

Judgment: (n) Opinion reached after careful thought; verdict of a judge; ability to appraise critically; consider something to be the case.

All too often are our freedom of expression and opinion (Article 19) and freedom of thought (Article 18) used to justify some of the biggest blunders of humanity; Racism, sexism, religion, homophobia, just to name a few (I place religion in this satirically: I know that this is the real cause of these blunders.) But is this right? What does it mean to hold an opinion? Should we really respect one another’s opinions?
Of course we should, in theory. But a theory is nothing without evidence, so let’s get some. I’ve already stated the specific human rights that this particular freedom is protected by, but freedoms are not entitlements. They have responsibilities. Article 30 states:
Article 30
Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
But what does that mean?

Look at how happy she is!
How could you be against that?

Let’s say I wanted to put every woman in the kitchen, and disallow them any opportunity of freedom, because that was my opinion. This would not be protected in the freedom of expression, because it affects a woman’s freedom of peace from torture.
Article 5
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Or even freedom from slavery
Article 4
No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
But what if this particular opinion is a religious belief? (supposing I could provide evidence that this was my religion, like an old book, perhaps, or maybe my own interpretation, my opinion of a religion even.) Once again, this is entirely irrelevant. I am depriving a woman of her rights, therefore my right has been revoked. So, straight away, this idea is debunked. But of course, I’m using such exaggerated examples that I couldn’t possibly be wrong, not to mention I constructed these to suit my needs. Let’s look at something a little more credible. Opinion in general can be as varied and substantial as the human mind can muster. You might even be safe to assume that the human mind made them up! That’s an opinion you would be free to hold.
So what would be an example of a sustainable opinion? What is it that these rights protect? Well, so long as no ones rights are infringed, anything you like! You can hold the opinion that someone’s outfit is distasteful, so long as you don’t insist they wear something different. You can think that Justin Beiber is a quality choice of music, so long as you don’t play it in my presence, because of Article 5. You are even free to chose whatever religion you wish! So long as you don’t expect me, or anyone else, to also follow this religion, so long as your religion doesn’t infringe on other rights (such as freedom from discrimination and the ilk) and bear in mind that should you make the change from belief to fact, you open yourself up to scrutiny by others. As in, if you tell me you know for a fact that God exists, I am free to question you on the evidence. Especially if you insinuate that I will burn in hell for not believing in him... Essentially, you’re free to believe what you want, to think what you want, and do what you want, within question. This is the very important distinction. There are limits to what you can do, as there are other people in the world, people who don’t care about what you think, just as much as you don’t care about them. And it’s their right to do so.
But the question stands... Should we respect one anothers opinion? It’s all well and good saying you’re entitled to have an opinion, but respecting someone’s opinion is an entirely separate matter. What does it mean to respect someone’s opinion? Respect to me is to value it on an equal level as my own,  The dictionary definition is as follows:
Respect: (n) Consideration: Deference or esteem; point or aspect; reference or relation eg with respect to (v) treat with esteem; show consideration for
With esteem meaning:
Esteem: (n) High regard (v) think highly of; judge or consider
And consideration to mean:
Consider (v) regard as; think about; be considerate of; discuss; look at ... considerate (adj) thoughtful towards others ... consideration (n) careful though; fact that should be considered; thoughtfulness; payment for a service. Considering (prep) taking (a specified fact) into account.

I think I need this T-shirt.

This to me all points in one direction... mainly. If I am to respect your opinion, I must consider your opinion in high regard, carefully think and discuss it, with you or others, before I can consider myself respectful to your opinion. But if I am to hold it in high regard, it must stand up to my scrutiny, otherwise, I cannot respect it. This would be incorrect of me, by definition.  By asserting your opinion, you are opening it up to analysis to whether it is a worthy opinion, especially if you wish for it to be respected. This is part of society. And should you wish to be included in society, well… That’s up to you. But if you do, then you need to follow the rules of society.

I want to talk...

I want to talk about depression.

Appropriate.

It's a touchy subject, for obvious reasons. There's a lot of problems to do with depression, it's a massively scary thing to admit to. But why?

Right now, I'm feeling strange. I get this way sometimes... A feeling of uselessness, of despair. A feeling that you're not good for anything. It's not nice.

I'm not saying I am depressed, but rather, I might be. I might be depressed. It's a really strange set of affairs; I actually feel so useless that I don't deserve to say I'm depressed. I'm definitely not suicidal. I don't deserve to say that either. Even if life IS pointless. It's not even really low self-esteem. I don't have an awful lot to have low self-esteem about. I life in a middle life. I'm not well off, but I have little to no money. I couldn't afford to keep myself alive for the 2 weeks that I'm supplied with government money. I'm on Unemployment benefit, and made to feel as guilty as possible about it, by everyone. By my parents, by society, even, to a degree, the government that gives it to you. Sometimes I can't help but wish to be worse off than I am, so that I can justify the feelings I have. It's not fair to say that, I know. But I'm on such a middle level...

I don't even want to make this blog. I feel like I'm complaining when I have no grounds to complain. I'm just being a whiney white boy. But dammit, my brain is telling me that I have these feelings. I don't know how to get around it... So I'm not allowed to vent because other people are worse off than me? It's selfish to think that, but what's more selfish than being depressed? I feel like my life is too hard for me. It's such hard work to be depended upon all the time, to be strong for everyone, it's cliché, I know. But it's true. It's a massive struggle, to have all the people around you expect you to be there for them, and not have them be there for you, emotionally, I mean. It's not like they physically stop existing as soon as you've helped them... Boy, wouldn't that be a treat? I live a middle life. I'm autistic, but not very much. I'm fast, but never the fastest. I'm smart, but no where near the smartest. I can debate pretty well, but what kind of use is that? When in life do you ever need to debate with someone? I play guitar, I love to play lead, but I'm shit at rhythm. I can't compromise, it's all gotta be my way... But I'm second best, how does that work? I live a middle life.

I like cats. They make me happy.

I'm never picked first for something, I'm usually not the funniest person, or the best actor, even though that's my career choice. I'm not the best at anything, no where near. I'm not the best looking, or the best boyfriend, though I try to be. That's what's important, right? Trying hard. It's only important that you try... Important to who? Who am I trying for? What use if trying to be important, if no one gains anything from it?

How I would love to live life.

I don't want anyone to read this. I hate sympathy. It's pointless. It's always followed by a compliment. Like, "you're not ugly, you're handsome!". Words mean nothing. Actions are what counts. What does it matter what you say? I'm never shown that I'm handsome. My mum might say it... Because she's a good judge! Second best is the place I'm assigned. Second best is the place I'm gonna have to accept.

Winning is great, but it just means you're better than people who are worse than you. And that's relative. Totally depends on your category, doesn't it?

I'd like to say I have something meaningful and poignant to finish with... I don't. This is just a feelings blog. I try to keep my personal feelings out of this, but it's my blog. Don't like it? Deal with it, it's mine. Go make your own blog, take whatever you like out of this, and stick it in it. Then you can read it without my personal stuff.
Anyway, I'm gonna go and make some funny stuff. Gotta keep trying, don't you?

That baby video.

I refuse to include a link to the actual video in this blog, a quick scout of the internet will find it you if you're truly determined in finding it, but I did include a link to Huffington Post article on the matter... The video in question entails a woman... Not mercilessly, but certainly incessantly beating a young child, of no older than 3. Though I'm terrible at guessing age, don't quote me on that.* I say it's not merciless, because she stops from time to time, to look at the child, before resuming the attack. She begins with a cushion, and not a soft looking one, from the way the babies head is moving, before changing to a hand, not a fist, but definitely a hand. and then some kind of what I assume to be plastic item. She then cycles between them, all the while stopping to let the baby 'breath' before continuing. Now, I'm staying as impartial as I can. I want you to make up your own mind. I don't urge you to see it, it's definitely going to be disturbing to those of you who can't handle a bit of child-abuse. A good gauge of whether or not you're going to be able to withstand watching it; if you find the Dead Baby Joke page offensive, you're definitely going to want to steer clear. Fuck, if you find the word cunt out of your bounds, I'd avoid it like the plague. It is not easy watching. But, being a man of the mind, I tortured myself, so that you don't need to.

The first thing that springs to mind, is why? Why would anyone want to do this? I don't wish her harm, or any kind of capital punishment. That would not solve the problem, only feed my own animalistic urges of sacrifice for repentance, and I feel I'm above those days... But instead, I just wonder, what possessed her to do so? She's of an Asian persuasion, so perhaps it's a cultural thing, though to assume so would make me racist, so I shan't do anymore than just query. My second assumption would be that the woman is of unsound mind, but the problem with this, is there is a young girl watching, and also someone operating the camera. Now, he's were it gets strange. The woman with the camera is not impartial. She seemed to be pleading to the woman to stop. There was a point where kicking was involved, and the woman appeared to be pleading a sort of 'don't, don't kick her.', but of course, I do not speak the language. I am only speculating on the tone of voice used. It wasn't an urgency, more of a suggestion, like when someone is trying to put together an Ikea wardrobe, and it doesn't fit right, so they start to bang it shut, but it won't work, so the get the hammer, and that one wise person says 'Don't be daft, you'll break it.'

So could that be what this is? Some kind of... Repairing baby thing?

There are moments towards the middle when the baby starts to get up onto all 4's, and is discouraged, with a few more blows to the head with a cushion, and what appears to be a twisting of the arm. Then later, toward the end, the baby begins to crawl to the woman for comfort. Even through beating, it pleads for comfort. I was moved at this. I felt a hope. The baby was beaten up the side of it's head, not hard, more of a firm push with the palm, and it still reaches out to the woman. In a weird way, it's inspirational. If you can get past all the baby-beating. But nothing of this video can I make sense.

I guess this is born through the current influx of attention to the [Controversial humour] Dead Baby Jokes page. People are fighting out against it by showing what real human cruelty looks like. Which is fine. I'm all against child, or indeed any cruelty. Cruel thoughts can't be stopped. Cruel actions can. I just wish that the people who were petitioning against this page weren't such a bunch of reprobates, wishing and actively threatening anyone who would do such evil as associating themselves with the page. Including myself. And all I do is provide them with some perspective. Oh, how that makes me a paedophile!

There's no actual point to this blog, so real pinnacle message or climax. This is mere journalism. Not good journalism, but relatively impartial. As journalism should be. What I will ask, is if you watch the video, I want you to forget you're watching a baby being beaten, I want you to watch thinking 'there is something being beaten by someone, and there are people watching'. I want you to become impartial. Judge not lest ye be judged. I want you to think about what you're watching, why it would be done, what would drive someone to such... unforgivable acts of human indecency. I want you to look through my eyes, and see the facts, not the feels.

A quick google search after I wrote this has shown me that this video has actually gone viral a year after the woman was prosecuted, serving 18 months in jail, and the baby is fine.

Huffington Post article link: (the next time I do some critique, I'm gonna do a google search beforehand. This was all done through passion. I apologise for my flaws.)
Huffington Post report on Malaysian woman baby abuse video

Freedom of Speech and it's Impact on Us...

On the topic of Freedom of speech, a problem that often occurs is ones ability to receive insults. This happens more often than one may think, one man's trash is another man's treasure. But what is to be done about this? And how can we avoid it? Should we avoid it? In order to progress with freedom of speech, do we all need to kind of... Toughen up a bit? Or should we continue down a path paved in eggshells and peoples feelings? (Future Allan here, just to let you know if you don't read this, I will be incredibly upset. It's really insulting.)

Black guy joke.

 First we must define insult to properly gauge what is quite going on. Dictionary.com states that insult is;

'To treat or speak to insolently or with contemptuous rudeness; Affront.'

 Which means calling someone a name, and meaning it. The key word in this definition would be insolently (boldly rude or disrespectful), or contemptuous (showing or expressing contempt, or disdain). This is to mean that if someone is making it their mission to hurt your feelings, they are being insulting. Saying rude words is not insulting, unless you are of a particularly weak disposition, or have an inability to register the complexities of human interaction. This is where we run to soft ground.

 There has been, probably all through every one of our lives (though I'm not one to make assumptions of generalisations, that's for another blog) been a time when someone has said something which hurt our feelings, rightly or wrongly, or perhaps even pushed us to the brink of shaving our heads and joining a monastery. and then they deliver the line to the teacher, or boss, or my mother, the magic 'I didn't mean it!' they may not have meant it, but those words still stung. Does that mean I can say 'you're no longer allowed to say that in case it upsets me.' Or should I just learn to deal with this issue? What if it's a serious issue, like the loss of a parent, or my sexual feelings? Or even my race!

White joke... White people are the joke.

 Racism falls into this topic quite well. There is always a race card floating about, there is always an insulted member claiming vendetta against your violent disregard for their culture (I only asked if they were paying too much for their gas!) but as we established earlier, contempt must be felt for it to be an insult. Is it perhaps that the hatred they feel towards us can trigger an insult in them? Can we be insulted for being insulted? only an individual can answer that problem, and unfortunately, wikipedia does not have an answer, which means one, at least at the moment, does not exist in solid format. So for now, we'll use our imaginations (no, I'm not trying to be insulting) and say yes, it's more than definitely positive.

 So, does that mean that taking offence is a personal choice? We can't entirely rule out the fact that they didn't mean it, (other than the fact there is no such thing as fact, which actually makes this fact not a fact... another days work...) So that means that this should be ruled out as a variable. Does that place the entirety of whether or not what you just said about my mum was meant offensively all in how I receive it? How else can we take offence? Is there another way to gauge whether someone is offending me? What about if they are consistently saying the same thing?

 The legal definition;

 (The Crown Prosecution Service. (2012). Stalking and Harassment: Legal Guidance: Crown Prosecution Service . Available: http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/stalking_and_harassment/#a01. Last accessed 12 Jan 2012.) 'Although harassment is not specifically defined it can include repeated attempts to impose unwanted communications and contacts upon a victim in a manner that could be expected to cause distress or fear in any reasonable person.'

 This says that if someone is persistent in their insulting, you're being harassed. Which still leaves a lot of gaps for someone to BE insulted, but makes clearer justification for how someone may feel if insulted, though this goes slightly out of the way of insult into threatening behaviour, which tends to violate the freedom of speech of a person anyway. We should perhaps draw a line under harassment, but let's not forget it's intention! If someone is continuing to insult us, this violates our freedom of speech, and is therefore unwanted, and should not be tolerated.

Gay Joke

 So far, unless someone is deliberately continuing to say things which they know are offensive towards you, we cannot define what an insult is. It is still just something which we ourselves define as insulting. If this is the case, why on earth would anyone want to be insulted? Perhaps we should redefine what insults are, and instead, call them 'flashes of ignorance.' After all, how can we despise someone who does not know better, and there can be no insult if the person does not understand the topic!

 So, to summarise, (FINALLY! trust me, you think this was hard to read? I had to write it. And proof read! And no one ever forced you to read this... Unless the future Allan added in a bit right at the beginning that said you have to read it otherwise you've insulted me... He's a crafty bastard like that.) if we can feel insulted just because we don't like someone (we won't go into the reasons for not liking someone, they can be serious and true, like they killed your father, or they can just be because they insulted you previously! perhaps you don't like their ugly shoes... ) or by feeling harassed (the continued insults that leave you fearful of leaving your house, or using the bus) or even by stupid comments made by people who can barely walk and breath at the same time... then are we to blame? Is it your fault you don't like someone so took their harmless comment as an insult? Perhaps it is important to kind in mind the circumstances, but in general, my personal opinion is yes. And here is where i get into the philosophy behind this long and tiresome blog (well done you, for reading this far! have a gold star. Unless gold stars are insulting to your mental ability, sexuality, gender, race, culture, religion or astrological inclination... )

 The only clear definition that can be made of an insult (short of it's your own stupid fault you lily-livered chicken-noodle.) is that a stupid person has said it. Therefore, since stupidity is the bane upon mankind and itself, it cannot possibly be insulting. You may have been insulted by someone with the IQ of a brain damaged gnat (it's brain damage was caused by the abuse he would receive from his alcoholic father beating him mercilessly with his tiny little shoes - Oh, and if you're insulted by this, imagine how the gnat felt! He only lives a day... ) but you were insulted by a person with the IQ of a gnat! (he's alright now! He's up in fly heaven, flying with Fly God. What? There is no fly god? Racism... ) you couldn't possibly be any worse than they are. There is a wise Facebook quote which states 'If people are trying to bring you down, it just means that you are above them.' Hold this always, hold this dear. And remember, no one has any write to comment on the way you walk, because they haven't walked as far as you have.

 But what about swear words? And hurtful gesticulations? I know I touched on this briefly, but I kind of sauntered past it like a blind elephant. Did you know the OK sign that all Americans with their wrong way facing baseballs caps flaunt like it's their own creation or something, is an offensive symbol in Greece? Basically, what I mean by this, is every word means something to someone, somewhere... Somehow. Sometimes, we just need to face the fact that words can be interpreted as offensive. FOR EXAMPLE! The word gay. It's a word generally believed to mean homosexual, which originated as a word to mean happiness, or glee, joy, if you will. The reason the definition was adapted to homosexuals, is due to it's meaning of campness. Some people find this word offensive, especially when it is used in a derogatory way (Man, I watched a film last night, it was totally gay... Brokeback mountain is not worth the hype.) how should one feel about this? This is one of those times when contempt comes into play. If it's being used in a playful way, why should it be offensive? Language is a beautiful thing, it's words can be used over and over again to mean many different things! If you ever commit one word to mean one thing, you are condemning language to become obsolete.

Dead baby joke.

 Turns out I'm not quite finished yet... You see, another topic which comes up when we talk about insults, is the other side of the coin. You insulting other people. What if you insult other people with your views? Perhaps you taking offence to a word they said offends them! Then it becomes a matter of arrogance, of pride, of 'I'm more important than your feelings, so you should just stop speaking.' Equality must be equal if it will ever work. You must be able to take a few punches before you throw a few. You must be willing to work if you want a holiday. You must be willing to scratch a few backs... I think you understand by now. there's no need to belittle, that's insulting, and arrogant! Should I continue it... It would become harassment! So, in conclusion, (Yes, folks, this is the end... ) In order for us to claim to have been insulted by someone who is exercising their freedom of speech, you must feel yourself to be above them. And if you to feel that you are above them, you are most certainly be bellow them, because each man, woman, and all that comes in between, is made equal, no matter of status, money, car or racial orientation. The only thing that makes someone's place, is their attitude... So never feel insulted just because someone made a bad joke. Just get even instead! Make a joke about their nose.

 With this in mind, fuck you all for reading this!