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Stop Dehumanizing People!

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posted on May, 20 2013 @ 11:11 PM
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This topic made me think back on my life and realize that there are innumerable social pressures that try to convince (I say "trick") us into dehumanizing one another for myriad reasons over the course of our lives. I have always refused the lure of such forces. But I can remember all the times people seemed to think I was somehow out of touch or naïve because of that choice. Yet there were others who encourages me.

Because I've always been shy, I grew up somewhat insulated from other people despite my parents' best efforts (at times herculean efforts) to help socialize me. As a result, I have always been what many would term naïve when it comes to such divisive topics.

I remember during my first year of middle school, the only person I would talk to was the man who brought the milk to the school cafeteria. Even then I was into conspiracy theory I guess, because I distinctly remember this conversation we had. I told him I had read somewhere that some people believed HIV was engineered to wipe out minorities which the engineers were racist against. He said, "Oh, so they made it to wipe ME out, eh?" I said, "You're a minority?" I didn't even know what that meant at the time. I said, "To me, people are just people." He replied, "People are just people, eh? That's good. You'll go far with that attitude."

That attitude was instilled in me by my fifth grade teacher perhaps a year and a half earlier. She had been teaching us about the civil rights movement just as the Rodney King riots broke out. She said something to me I would never forget. I found her (she was black) crying after class one day. She said, "I don't want anyone to die because of the color of their skin. Anyone." And she meant just that. ANYONE. She didn't want her students to grow up in a world where anyone saw anyone else as less than human. It was breaking her heart to see what was happening. I never forgot that.

When I got older, I became more conscious of the racial divisions in the country. Both the deep and arguably justifiable anger that many still harbor to this day for centuries of brutal dehumanization, and the continuation of that dehumanization in parts of the country and in some facets of society. But while I of course disagreed with and lamented racism, I could never understand it, because while I respected everyone's heritage, to me our shared human heritage superseded that. People were still just people in my mind.

Later in adulthood this issue of "gender war" came up. I couldn't deny that there was certainly misogyny and sexism in the world. I saw it all around me, and it was clearly unfair. Women being generalized, objectification, unfair wages, etc. etc. I believed and still believed that something had to be done about such attitudes, and earnestly hoped that they would eventually be something our society could grow out of. But I didn't interpret those problems as reasons for men and women to be at "war," because in my mind people were still just people. Surely any eventual solution to these issues would have to mean that men and women were truly equal and living harmoniously with one another; not equal and in conflict.

Then when I got even older, I started noticing similar generalizations for different reasons being leveled at men by women. I was even the recipient of some of them, without justification. I regarded these as equally unfair because, again, people were just people in my mind. But I didn't blame all women for the actions of a few because I knew women who would never treat anyone regardless of gender or any other factor in such a way. People were still just people.

Today such division seems to be at al all time fever pitch, to the point that it's considered almost blasphemous to suggest what you are in this topic: that people are just people. If I say we're all just human, people of different ethnicities all get mad at me while still hating each other. Both misogynists and misandrists get mad at me. People of different faiths get mad at me if I say all faiths can coexist peacefully because we are all human. It seems almost taboo to even suggest it. It is harder today to say aloud, "People are just people" than it was when I was 12.

But I'm still here and after all I have witnessed and experienced, I will never agree with the argument that some people are less human or less a part of my human family than others. I will never stop believing that people are just people, come hell or high water.

Peace.
edit on 5/20/2013 by AceWombat04 because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 20 2013 @ 11:33 PM
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reply to post by smyleegrl
 


I admire your honesty, but I think you take things personally that aren't meant that way. You see a lot of misogyny, so much that you perceive it where it's not intended. Since we men are expected to take responsibility for our emotions, I don't feel too far off base saying that maybe you might give that a try. It's uncomfortable, but it is also the best reassurance that you are being genuine.

Thank you for your contributions to this forum. I truly appreciate what you have to say, even when I believe you are mistaken. It's only my opinion, after all.



posted on May, 20 2013 @ 11:56 PM
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It's a paradox and a feed back effect, with the added bonus of anxieties from paranoia forming irrational conspiracies against the public. Basically, in nature as people, we do not tend to follow what's necessarily rational. Now in this age, we have increased tolerance to the point where most all can express pursuits, much more un-traditionally. To try and categorize our new society into small un-straying, exclusive groups, is impossible and propaganda. I personally have witnessed almost all unthinkably hopeless person, find what scorned hearts think is only for elite. I used to be a lonely, lost heart. The problem, or at least mine was along these lines. I eventually found my true reason for failure, that I blamed on others. For as well thought out, sane and provable my perception seemed. My insanity, was to ignore simple truth. Simple truth, is something you can find, if you just reopen your eyes and look around. My first, too long sentence explains what I had fallen victim to. By having an ache, that I could not treat, I turned to the internet for ears and empathy. I found comfort with media expressing relating sympathy. At that point I had validated myself as, uncontrollably exiled. For the part of the world I had looked to, insists it's true. Just like any injury, you always think that its ironic that you keep hitting it, when in reality you hit it all the time but you had to hurt it first to become aware. The ache now a pain, because I had situationally secluded myself from healing. I started repeating the paradox of finding others, to convince them to unite in understanding we are all alone. Saying ignorance was to blame. There is enough ignorance around to build a case for anything but in this instance, it was my own. Finally after alienating myself from most people, mainly from me misunderstanding their attempts to fix something, that they didn't understand. I was now truly alone. I had put all the good people in my life, into the "ignorant" box, for whatever stretched perspective I had created. I had only me left around to blame. Before I found the simple truth, just sitting out there... waiting. I then looked to the mirror, developing a perverse vain view of beauty. Feeling ugly, lonely, miserable and left exiled from the human spirit. I watched my perceptions of myself come true. My thinness that I had cursed as ugly, became more pronounced and unfix-able by food or or exercise. My charm that once caused purposeless smiles, now was replaced by a strongly objectable aura. Even with my best intentions at good actions, my eyes must have had hinted a sickly hate, to turn people away like I was. My hair thinned and skin tone turned sickly. Well it didn't kill me obviously and I was always able at anytime to just let a simple truth in. No matter how much evidence and self validation I stacked on me being right, i was wrong. On earth, for all who are free, it is impossible to not find love and a rarity to not find sexual validation. The greatest exception being those with the paranoid mindset, that the world left them out.

The reason that I posted this here, is that I feel that many of the dehumanizing discussions you refer to, are the results of growing self fulfilling prophecies. Our society now more connected than ever but obviously less social than previously, has not lost its potential social capabilities. Many are checking out of reality, some just in small ways, like the time spent reading this post. This is not all bad. It creates much good to share words and images. An openly isolated cry for help in this unreality must be addressed, "Deny ignorance". Much like injustice in real life and exposing the conspirer, take responsibility for words and replies so that's not what they inspire.
edit on 21-5-2013 by GoldenVector because: Grammar correction



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 12:19 AM
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I think there's a bunch of guys that like to whine because they are scared of women, scared to approach,scared to start a conversation and scared to try. I also think there a a bunch of guys who throw the responsibility of their feelings on women they may or may not know. I think there are bunch of guys that need to accept that a woman is a woman, and if they can't learn how to love them for what they are and deal with it for what it is than leave it alone and hush.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 12:26 AM
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I see more misogyny here on ATS than I did growing up in a very old fashioned, women are to be subservient and are incapable of doing anything aside from house work and cooking, church and household I grew up in.

It is a problem here. I also see misandry here as well and I report both when I see it. Most of the time it is in vain because the mods rarely take action.
I find sexism directed at both sexes offensive I am glad that this thread has been made and I would like to see the mods step up and take the issue as more serious than they have in the past.
edit on 21-5-2013 by calstorm because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 12:50 AM
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People can be foul, so what?...blaming it on a particular portion of humanity is silly. I agree with the OP.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 01:50 AM
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reply to post by smyleegrl
 


I have never read one thread on this site stating that women are the root of all evil... Typically it is said that religion is the root of all evil on this forum.

I am confused please elaborate on how you came to this conclusion



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 02:59 AM
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Originally posted by smyleegrl
Greetings, ATS!

Okay, I’ve got a burr under my saddle and its driving me nuts.

I am sick and tired of reading threads about how women are the root of all mankind’s problems. Can’t get a date? It’s because those darn women won’t give you the time of day…never mind the fact that you ooze disdain for women with every word. Society’s going to the dogs? It’s the fault of those darn women. How dare they want equal pay for equal work. How dare they have the audacity to want to live a life where they make their own decisions.

Honestly, what gives, ATS? We’re supposed to be denying ignorance and moving past this grade school mentality. Why are there so many threads blaming women OR men for all the evils in our society?

It’s the same as arguing that all Muslims are evil terrorists, all Christians deluded fundamentalists, all, all, all. That’s the problem right there…the word all.

When you categorize an entire group of people by one characteristic, you dehumanize them. And I propose that dehumanization is what leads to rape, murder, and ultimately, wars.

So please. Take a moment and recognize that people are people. Women, men, Muslims, lesbians, whoever…..we’re all just people.


No.

I will explain why, this part of the "forgive feminism for being a hate movement that caused the lost generation of Gen Y men" program. Part of the 4th feminist wave(a silent wave to enable a future resurgence).

Those who are guilty are guilty. What they are guilty of is a matter of question, but something can never be forgiven nor forgotten. The crimes of the feminist supremacist movement is one such thing. Way I see it, if feminists can demonize all men, and use the sins of all men real or imagined since our species walked this planet, to push for systematic anti-male discrimination in every facet of our society, then at the very least it is a just thing to hold all feminists accountable for the actions of most feminists/ feminists in positions of power in society and within the feminist movement.

At-least that way, independent thinking gal's and guy's with a crumb of self respect and human dignity are given the chance to do the right thing and avoid being a party to feminism.

I know taking a hardline will extend things, but it guarantees that once feminism is exorcised from positions of power, individual feminists will go to jail or at the very least face similar fallout as white supremacists did in the late 80's- throughout the 90's.

The fall of feminism in the West will not be like the fall of Communism in the East, when the fall happens, thousands of people will necessarily have to rot in jail for the rest of their lives.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 03:04 AM
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Originally posted by votan
reply to post by smyleegrl
 


I have never read one thread on this site stating that women are the root of all evil... Typically it is said that religion is the root of all evil on this forum.

I am confused please elaborate on how you came to this conclusion


It really isn't all that confusing, just remember the fact that feminism is a female supremacist movement. As such, they view what is good for feminism is good for women, so somewhere along the way's it turns into "Feminism=Women;Women=Feminism" in their minds.

In reality though:

Women=Human being; Human being=Men and Women; Feminism= Bigot.
edit on 21-5-2013 by korathin because: first sentence wrote "the" instead of "that"



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 03:09 AM
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reply to post by AceWombat04
 


You, sir (or madam), are wonderful. I've never read words on here that made me want to high-five the writer so much.

Peace to you!



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 03:15 AM
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Originally posted by korathin

Those who are guilty are guilty. What they are guilty of is a matter of question, but something can never be forgiven nor forgotten.



If this is truly what you believe, I feel sorry for you. I hope someday you'll realise that the ability to forgive makes us better human beings.

Peace.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 07:58 AM
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Originally posted by ParasuvO
reply to post by smyleegrl
 


To be honest, your OP is not very spot on, this strange belief that people are "just people" is surely another fallacy that allows all kinds of oddball behaviours, now you are giving excuses to the problems.

It almost appears that you are mad at men, for not seeing things as freely as you, as in , "I am just a person, I should be allowed to screw up as often as I can".
I can understand why you would think this. I reread my op this morning it does come across as blaming men. By way of explanation, I will simply state that I wrote the op after spending considerate time in a very misogynistic thread.


It is a fact that almost everyone makes all kinds of mistakes, but it is not "normal".
I disagree. I think making mistakes is a very normal part of life.


The reason you see many of these kinds of posts here, should actually be cause for a red flag to be thrown up, since most of the guys on here, are very deep thinkers, are quite balanced and know what they see, they are not posting this in spite, but in sadness at the lack introspection going on.
Are you implying that most of the women on here are not deep thinkers or balanced? That women don't engage in introspection? Because I fervently disagree with that statement. I've seen countless thoughtless posts from BOTH genders, from all religions, nationalities, etc. That's why I wrote this thread. I want us to move past this childish nonsense of "he said/she said/they said"


Fact is, women talk about men a thousand times more than we do about them... gossip is over the top, and thought to be necessary. All this talk about men going on all the time, and never does any of them actually work on themselves, is what I see, all the while they trash any and all other women around them.
Women are social creatures, no argument there. The language center of the brain is different in men and women. And women are far more critical about other women than we should be. I've seen it, too...men fight physically while women fight verbally/socially. Of the two, I'd rather just take a punch than be socially outcast.


And it is true, the men who are shy and not mean to the girls actually scare the females most of the time, for we can see right through, but they want to give it a name, and just live in emotion.

Luckily I have noticed a shift going backwards out of these patterns, but the actual desperation of women to just be with someone is downright scary, if you pretend to be even remotely nice, they want to harness you in immediately, not realizing that we are not willing to be destroyed for no apparent reason...as soon as the past comes up, about the "idiot men" they have all dealt with or imagined too, get out immediately.


May I suggest broadening your horizons a little? Not all women are desperate, over-emotional leeches. I won't make the standard counter-argument about men here, because I want to move beyond those boundaries.

This was the entire purpose of the OP....to help people realize that in the end, regardless of gender, nationality, race, sexual preference, religion....we are all just PEOPLE.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 08:00 AM
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Originally posted by votan
reply to post by smyleegrl
 


I have never read one thread on this site stating that women are the root of all evil... Typically it is said that religion is the root of all evil on this forum.

I am confused please elaborate on how you came to this conclusion


There have been countless threads over the year, typically they get 404ed pretty quick (thank you mods!)

I've sent you a message with an example. I believe its against T&C for me to link it here.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 08:26 AM
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Originally posted by Kang69
You know I have almost no experience with women, but I met one that turned my world upside down.

I think I experienced "limerence". I know not a lot of people don't experience this so it's kind of hard to explain, hell, I'm having a hard time understanding it.

We spent two weeks together in a foreign country and in the first time in my life I felt pure unbounded joy. I think I was happy for the first time in my life. Real happiness too. But maybe this is the guise of limerence, but I don't care, I would rather live two weeks with her then live the life I'm living now..

But I'm not one of these man childs that blames other people for his own problems. I find it hilarious that men have to blame the women. All problems come from within. Look inside yourself, you may not like what you see, but trust me, you'll have an easier time later down the line if you try to understand yourself better.

I know must of this is mumbo jumbo, but the fact remains you have quite a bit of people in this world that don't want to take responsibility for themselves.


Also, has anyone else experienced "limerence"? This is not a crush, this is a curse. I dream about her almost every night, and when I do I wake up in a cold sweat with a crushing weight on my chest and stomach. I feel like I'm being haunted and tortured.

The women I met on this trip made all other women look like insignificant ants. She was a beacon of light (this could be the limerence playing tricks on me) but she was one of these rare women that stood for good no matter what. We spent two weeks together and I felt like I knew her in a past life time. We would finish each others sentences, we were like an old married couple at a young age. Old souls.

And now I #ed it up like I do with a lot of things, and she will be in my dreams I think for my whole life. I'm not sure if she was my "soul-mate" but our chemistry together was something I could never even dream of having with a women.

Every day is just a constant numbness, god I hope this # ends, I hope I stop dreaming of her. I would rather be water boarded then go through this./end rant



I've never heard of limmerence before, that's very interesting. It also sounds absolutely hellish. Hopefully time will help you move on.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 08:37 AM
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reply to post by korathin
 


This rant wasn't about feminism at all, although I can see how you might have come to that conclusion. I wrote the OP after spending a lot of time in a very misogynistic thread, and I agree a lot of the OP comes across as men vs women. That was wholly my fault for not expressing myself better.

What I'm trying to suggest is that we move past stereotyping anyone...whether for gender, race, religion, nationality, or what have you. It happens a lot here on ATS. I've seen countless comments that target an entire race or nationality, and I contend this is wrong.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 09:00 AM
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reply to post by smyleegrl
 


For what it's worth, smyleegrl, I completely agree with you and understand where your post is coming from. People are so quick to categorise an entire gender / race / religion according to the behaviour a small minority chooses to engage in.

The sooner we are all able to show compassion for each other, and remind ourselves that everyone else is just as fallible as we are (and vice versa), the sooner we can make some progress.

Thanks for the OP x



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 10:18 AM
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Originally posted by smyleegrl
Greetings, ATS!

Okay, I’ve got a burr under my saddle and its driving me nuts.

I am sick and tired of reading threads about how women are the root of all mankind’s problems. Can’t get a date? It’s because those darn women won’t give you the time of day…never mind the fact that you ooze disdain for women with every word. Society’s going to the dogs? It’s the fault of those darn women. How dare they want equal pay for equal work. How dare they have the audacity to want to live a life where they make their own decisions.

Honestly, what gives, ATS? We’re supposed to be denying ignorance and moving past this grade school mentality. Why are there so many threads blaming women OR men for all the evils in our society?

It’s the same as arguing that all Muslims are evil terrorists, all Christians deluded fundamentalists, all, all, all. That’s the problem right there…the word all.

When you categorize an entire group of people by one characteristic, you dehumanize them. And I propose that dehumanization is what leads to rape, murder, and ultimately, wars.

So please. Take a moment and recognize that people are people. Women, men, Muslims, lesbians, whoever…..we’re all just people.

what threads? the only one ive seens is about that guy who cant get a date cus he's a wimp, or something like that.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 10:27 AM
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Women MUST heal men, Really??? Poor Poor men,

OK Taking THAT logic then Palestinians MUST HEAL the Poor Poor Zionists Blacks MUST HEAL the Poor Poor White Slave Master and KKK Racist Rape Victims and Child Rape Victims MUST Heal the Poor Poor Rapist and ABUSERS Jew Survivors of the Holocaust MUST HEAL the Poor Poor Nazis Sudanese women with their Breasts cut off and Children Slaves MUST HEAL their Poor Poor Captors Nine year old girl ganged raped and traded for a DOG in Afghanistan MUST HEAL her rapists, and the DOG too .......

I see. Sigh

healing was obviously required BEFORE these animals did any of those things, don't you agree?

when i type stuff, i try to explain it..



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 10:30 AM
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reply to post by Arolexion
 


Most of the threads get 404ed pretty quickly, as I explained above. There have been countless others. And not just a man vs woman thread, there are anti-Muslim threads, anti-Christian threads, etc. Nothing wrong with debating and sharing opinions, but blanket statements such as "All Muslims are terrorists," are reprehensible.



posted on May, 21 2013 @ 11:59 AM
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Originally posted by clairvoyantrose
You know, I'm actually perfectly fine playing the role of a woman in society. From the dawn of time it has been about man and woman. One cannot survive without the other. I think women are straying too far from the nest and maybe we have caused a bunch of problems. Men are the hunters, we are the gatherers. We are there to help, understand, love unconditionally and back our man 100%.


No we are not. We are our own people, with our own brains which enable us to have our own dreams and ambitions. Some women like to hunt, some like to gather, please dont perpetuate the myth that women only want to be housewives and love unconditionally because its our "calling"


If we all worked communally, life would be so much more fulfilling and us ladies wouldn't feel compelled to compete against man. I don't need to prove myself to anybody -- I just want to love and be loved.


By going to work to earn money i am not competing with men, im living my life and going out to earn money so that i can do the things i want to do. Ive got nothing to prove to the opposite gender by working, i am simply going about my life as a woman, get over it.



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