Voidrage

[Bill Cipher]

A trans man (Audrey Hale) just killed 6 people including three 9yr old children at a Christian school in Nashville which was an obvious hate crime but ok... it's all straight white republican christian men's faults.

Uh, what....? You can miss me with all of that.

Who the hell do you think was responsible for this person's ability to legally purchase 7 assault weapons?

Falling back on Transphobia and making assumptions about what was or wasn't in the mind of the shooter (and suggesting it was a Christian hate crime committed by a Christian graduate of the school), in order to obfuscate failed policies and a culture of daily gun violence... It's telling; that's all I'm going to say.

There's no need to debate with you further.

 

[Voidmatrix]

I received a request to unlock this thread...

However...

I intentionally avoided being anymore specific than I was so as to not stir dissent and confrontation. So much for that.

Being too specific also would open the door for this to become highly political. And I'm not trying to deal with that anymore. There's a reason that people end up angry after talking politics with me and why I tell people they want to avoid certain discussions of a political nature with we/

To be honest, the Nashville shooting is what tipped the scales for me and made me lose it, partly because I'm still trying to make sense out of what occurred at my high school. And Full disclosure, school shootings have always severely bothered me, being in the same city as where Columbine occurred...

I also chose not to be more specific because my anger isn't black and white and never has been. The issues aren't either. I suppose one way to say it is I'm livid at everyone on behalf of everyone. And not a literal "everyone."

Let's take the Nashville shooting as an example. While I find it disgusting and abhorrent and that there's no excuse, I still can't help but wonder and feel for the shooter. Sure, many school shooters can simply be said to be contemptible people, but all of them? I can't say, because I don't know the circumstances that led to their actions. In the case of Nashville, seeing some details such as the shooter being transgender (with a history of mental health struggles) and that the school is on the grounds of a church and is a private Christian school... I wonder how much of the position of the church and this person's experience with such led to their actions. How much of their motivation was inspired by them being marginalized and targeted? And not only by said church, but by people on the whole, because it's still a popular trend to castigate and belittle transgender peoples. While this excuses nothing in my mind, I do find it pertinent, as their experiences are causal elements that led to this tragedy. Perhaps, for some that commit such heinous acts, a bit more kindness by society could've helped prevent this.

All the same, I don't know, but these are considerations that my values tell me are appropriate to make.

There was also I bivalent intent behind the OP; as a therapeutic outlet for myself as I navigate and better own these feelings and emotions, as well as to bolster others through the act of bearing my vulnerability openly. I've found that when I'm feeling a sense of "weakness" it can be shared and used by others as a source of power for them. There's a lot of talk of being positive and yada yada yada, but I find such a stance delusional and inauthentic, and by sharing my state others may enable them to feel more comfortable acknowledging similar states within themselves.

I could dig into a lot of things said, but it's inconsequential to do so. All I ask is that everyone interacts in a manner that unites us, not divides us. That's what we need right now. We shouldn't be downplaying and invalidating each others' experiences and feelings and we shouldn't be interacting in a manner that is antithetical to our scruples of kindness and compassion.

Sending love to you all.



One love

 

[Wolfnippletip]

I love this community but these topics are pure poison. Lock it.

 

[OneIsEros]

Was gonna post, but…. Tired.

 

[Toshido]

A trans man (Audrey Hale) just killed 6 people including three 9yr old children at a Christian school in Nashville which was an obvious hate crime but ok... it's all straight white republican christian men's faults.

Uh, what....? You can miss me with all of that.

Who the hell do you think was responsible for this person's ability to legally purchase 7 assault weapons?

Falling back on Transphobia and making assumptions about what was or wasn't in the mind of the shooter (and suggesting it was a Christian hate crime committed by a Christian graduate of the school), in order to obfuscate failed policies and a culture of daily gun violence... It's telling; that's all I'm going to say.

There's no need to debate with you further.

You're right Bill there is absolutely no need to debate you further as you are not bound by the chains of Attitude like the rest of us are. To call me transphobic is something I take offense to, when all I did was state a fact that the Nashville police said live on air. I won't get into it with you about guns, as I don't think of the Nexus as a place to debate political issues, not that I foresee a constructive conversation with you anyways.

All I was doing was pointing out how a group of people were being blamed and I defended them. I don't appreciate the bashing of any group I don't care what group it is. (Unless you're a pedophile or violent criminal) I don't even know why I'm attempting to defend myself as you've made up your mind already and that's fine. I really don't care, as the Nexus seems to be deteriorating lately anyways in terms of how and where certain mods choose to spend their energy, the chat has turned to complete mush with quality members leaving left and right. I'm fairly new, so that's a bad sign, as I absolutely love this place.

This thread is like bad acid being passed around at a festival. Void, I know it wasn't your intentions, but the underlying tones in the OP seemed to point to the obvious, but it was Pandoras rant that got me riled up and I apologize for that, as I have apologized for being harsh on Pandora's comment.

Bill you can think of of me as a gun toting police loving transphobic white supremacist if you want, but the people who know we well here know that's not true, as I love everyone, well almost everyone.

 

[Bill Cipher]

You're right Bill there is absolutely no need to debate you further as you are not bound by the chains of Attitude like the rest of us are.

I'm also way smarter than you. So there is that as well.

But look, man... you said yourself that this place is 99% men, and you went out of your way to chastise one of the very few women who exist here - for expressing a woman's point of view and raising absolutely legitimate complaints about institutionalized misogyny.

And you did so very condescendingly - as if on behalf of all men she had somehow bullied you personally.

That's just weak. Super weak.

Then you followed this up with a dumb retort that can only be interpreted as Transphobic, and THEN went on to call out the tragedy in Nashville as "an obvious hate crime" - as if you alone are somehow privy to this week's shooter's motives, and not just parroting some talking point you came across today in conservative media.

So, I can't say what's in your heart; but I can confidently tell you this:

You have a predilection for putting your foot in your mouth and saying some really dumb shit.

Let's just leave it at that.

 

[Toshido]

Yeah let's leave it at that. Can we let the thread die the death it deserves then?

 

[OrangeEnergy]

This thread does not deserve to die. People verbalising issues they are having trouble with, as Voidmatrix has done initially, seeking compassionate understanding and support is a very important part of what makes this community special and worthwhile.
Unfortunately, it gets quickly hijacked by people who simply cannot respect the rules of not making political statements, and the identity politics and positing of personal opinion as undeniable fact, as with so much of the 'discussion' in the world, rears its ugly head. The utilisation of popular, yet ultimately meaningless, phrases to describe acts is just intellectually lazy and ensures any actual debate is corralled into tight confines that negate the opportunity for understanding and any meaningful resolution.
I have a LOT to say on the subjects that have been touched on in this thread, and trust me, if you meet me in person you will hear my opinions loud and clear, but I reel my neck in, do not rise to the emotional bait, and keep my opinions to myself, because all it does is poison what is, for me, and I am sure many others, a font of pleasure and enjoyment.
If we are not able to talk about emotional issues we are having on this forum, around the world and the things that trouble us, without having it descend into just another clichéd Twitter abuse hurling contest, then I will be removing myself from the community.
People who have entered into this conversation, spouting their politics and then saying the thread is toxic and should be shut down, maybe have a look in the mirror and contemplate how your actions have contributed to the toxicity, and derailed the debate around the original post.
For the love of Shiva, keep your political opinions to yourself. They are not facts, no matter how strongly you feel.

 

[OneIsEros]

I will throw in a small two cents. This got derailed when a woman assumed she knew who she was talking to, and said they didn’t know anger. I don’t know anything else about the person other than that they identify themselves as a woman, and it turned out, she was speaking to someone who subsequently identified themselves as a black man. I think we can generally agree both demographics have a lot to be angry about. We’re anonymous people online, folks. We don’t know who we are. There was a good point in retaliating against Pandora’s final comment, in light of the fact that she basically unwittingly told a black man that he didn’t know what social injustice felt like. But, on the other hand, the derailment past that in my estimate has gone way too far.

Widderic and Bill: all I’m going to say is I think both of you made good points about each other, which is horrible for both of you.

From where I’m standing some apologies are in order.
Pandora, to Void, for a not too egregious mistake - just a toe out out of bounds, which might not even have been out of bounds but for the fact that it turned out she was speaking to a black man.
Bill, to Widderic, for being a bit too abrasive. It is satisfying to see in some scenarios, but.
Widderic, to Pandora, for borderline invalidating her anger against some demographics that are very much overwhelmingly the problem in some very real social dynamics.

I think the thread could be salvaged if that happened…

 

[potnoble]

Hi wonderful people

Stay pissed is probably my new slogan.
But it is true. It is always good to sort out problems, but sometimes you have to call out
people or society for their bs.

Most people that take psycedelic substances have a very good outlook on life and the planet we live
on. But alot of us become too nice and instead of telling people to go eat their shorts, we try
to be understanding.
I would have skipped alot of bs in my life if i would have stayed pissed.

I still want to say: One love and have a gud one and all that :thumb_up:

 

[Voidmatrix]

I was going to bow out (never thought I'd do so in one of my own threads...)

However, the last thing I'd like to add is while I understand sentiments like the ones shared above, and while I may be too understanding (if that's a thing), I feel that people not understanding each other is why we have many of these issues... evidenced by this thread...

I guess, be understanding and stay pissed. I don't know. I'm broken

One love

 

[Tomtegubbe]

I guess, be understanding and stay passed. I don't know. I'm broken

One love

You have been very consistent in your heartfelt attitude for others. Lots of love, Void, in this very sad situation.

 

[OrangeEnergy]

I was going to bow out (never thought I'd do so in one of my own threads...)

However, the last thing I'd like to add is while I understand sentiments like the ones shared above, and while I may be too understanding (if that's a thing), I feel that people not understanding each other is why we have many of these issues... evidenced by this thread...

I guess, be understanding and stay pissed. I don't know. I'm broken

One love

Yes indeed, be understanding of others, but pissed at the world. I'd say that is a healthy mindset.
You bring an awful lot to this place.

 

[Bill Cipher]

This is exactly why casually throwing around propagandistic talking points is so damaging - not only to the national discourse, but to scores of living human beings:

Details about the Nashville shooter's gender identity sow confusion and disinformation

Hours after the fatal shooting at a private Christian school, police said the suspect was transgender. That information has fed what one trans activist called a “disinformation ecosystem.”

www.nbcnews.com

Disinformation spreads through undue oxygen supplied by the conflict avoidant. Same goes for misogyny, racism, transphobia, anti-Semitism, etc. - all of which metastasize when they're allowed to remain unchallenged. Civility at the expense of human lives is a cowardly goal, and see nothing/say nothing as community credo is nothing I'll ever align with.

This is all my way of saying "sorry, not sorry". Respect is not a given. If you say something dumb which is meant to denigrate already marginalized people, I'm most likely going to push back on it - here, on Twitter, or at the grocery store.

 

[Toshido]

Ah the NBC link right on.

Anyways.

I just want to apologize to those I disappointed with my rambling yesterday, and although it is in no way an excuse, I was simply not myself.

When things were beginning to become so polarized, I spoke up about my opinions and in the process (as Bill so eloquently put) tend to "put my own foot in my mouth" and as a result had some 20yr long friendships come to an end. Where some were quick to disband me, others stuck with me. It certainly goes both ways, but I'm man enough to admit my own shortcomings as a fallible human being, and also as an intermittent "a-hole".

This was the first time in 3-4 years that I decided to open my mouth and blurt out a sort of verbal diarrhea because I was mostly frustrating that this was a topic I found on the Nexus. That's no one's fault but my own, and in the future will do my utmost to refrain from adding to the conversation. Because in the end, my mission here at the Nexus is to build bridges, not burn them.

To Pandora, shame on me. I should have had a private discussion with you and in the process most certainly would have learned something from you instead of having a hissy fit and being crass. I hope that instead you can forgive me and our friendship can grow stronger, as I respect you and find value in knowing you.

To Void, you've been there for me since day 1 and I completely disrespected your thread. It was meant for you to vent, not for me to vent. You KNOW I love you. Maybe that's why it was easier for me to feel like it was ok to blast away on here.

To Bill? I don't know man. It is what it is. It's kind of hard to have a constructive conversation about any topic with you on here because you come in wielding a Lvl 99 Ban Hammer and all I have is a Lvl 1 Rusty Sword. But I'll tell you one thing, I WANT to be your friend regardless of our differences if that means anything.

I promise from here on out if I see a thread that rubs me the wrong way, I'm just gonna stay out of it, because in the end, I'm here to meet good people and further my knowledge with extractions and entheogens. If I want to vent my opinions about controversial topics, I'll write in a diary...

Peace.

 

[OneIsEros]

I was where you were at at one point in my life Bill. Maybe I just got too tired. I still come out guns blazing now and again, but I get more hesitant to do it with time, and I think it’s been for the better in my own dealings with people. I hope it has not been empowering to things I’d want to see disempowered. But language like “I’m also way smarter than you” seems like a failure to the very spirit that motivates you. It just doesn’t win. It also is very far from true that intelligence means a darn thing ethically. Heidegger was a brilliant philosopher and an unrepentant Nazi. And I know that you and any person with an ounce of reflection knows this basic fact, which is why it isn’t a winning statement. If you choose to be aggressive, own up to the statement and do it intelligently.

 

[Bill Cipher]

Everyone's comments are noted.

Much like the OP, I'm tired.

 

[BundleflowerPower]

Awareness is painful.

I have a lot of resting anger that I harbor deep inside, mainly managing on my own. It's not fair to make others deal with it.

I feel you.

If speaking words out loud is as powerful as some have said, then I've cursed the world for that (or at least for whatever, with me, resonates with I feel like you mean). Cursed it with Voodoo even. And when I curse the world with Voodoo, it's a blessing as far as Mother Earth is concerned. No child would ever forget Nature's agency according to the way my voodoo curse works. Eventually Heaven with Earth.

That's basically what my spiritual ethos is, when I become emotionally charged about whatever is is that I dislike about the hunan world.

Of course thats when nobody is around. Plus I think words are over rated in such situations.

 

[OrangeEnergy]

This is exactly why casually throwing around propagandistic talking points is so damaging - not only to the national discourse, but to scores of living human beings:

Details about the Nashville shooter's gender identity sow confusion and disinformation

Hours after the fatal shooting at a private Christian school, police said the suspect was transgender. That information has fed what one trans activist called a “disinformation ecosystem.”

www.nbcnews.com

Disinformation spreads through undue oxygen supplied by the conflict avoidant. Same goes for misogyny, racism, transphobia, anti-Semitism, etc. - all of which metastasize when they're allowed to remain unchallenged. Civility at the expense of human lives is a cowardly goal, and see nothing/say nothing as community credo is nothing I'll ever align with.

This is all my way of saying "sorry, not sorry". Respect is not a given. If you say something dumb which is meant to denigrate already marginalized people, I'm most likely going to push back on it - here, on Twitter, or at the grocery store.

Every word you wrote, resonated with me.
Then I read the headline of the link you posted. I read no more.
After all that has led us to this point?

widderic - That's a hell of a non-apology.

I was happy to give you the benefit of any doubt up until that point, but I am not your mother, and I'm pretty sure no one else is on here, so I'm not sure who you're going to be disappointing, exactly?
You use placatory language whilst swerving any ownership for your words, deflecting the discussion towards your virtuous desire to study extractions and entheogens, simultaneously acting as if your sentiments would have been fine had they just been aired some place different. That is not how I view it, and it seems disingenuous, at best, to try and frame things in this way.

I'm aware my opinion may be difficult to hear, but I am not trying to attack anyone, just voicing my perspective in the hope it may give folks an opportunity to reflect on how their opinions can affect others.
I am glad the thread was opened back up to allow people to show their support and sympathies for Voidmatrix, and I hope it will serve as a positive learning experience to keep this kind of thing reoccurring in this wonderful place.

 

[OneIsEros]

Awareness is painful.

I have a lot of resting anger that I harbor deep inside, mainly managing on my own. It's not fair to make others deal with it...

This is precipitated by the fact there was a shooting at the high school I graduated from that happened last week.

I'm not even going to get into the list of things pissing me off about the world, my life stress aside. The specifics don't matter. But my fury is evident.

I'm over being considerate of the views of the loudest ones with the weakest arguments, so sure of their conviction, bolstered purely by bias and not expansive reason and thought and permeating such behavior of thought to the masses, increasing insipid vapidity. I'm at a point where I care what someone else thinks only to the point of what kind of bulls*** I may have to encounter and deal with. I'm over feeling bad for thinking that people are stupid.

Feel free to ignore. Feel free to delete. I just wanted to get a little of this out of me before starting work.

You have my gratitude for you tolerance.

One love

The part where you say “I’m over feeling bad for thinking people are stupid.”

I don’t know if you actually mean it (it is a bit touching to think that you would feel guilty for such a sentiment!), but, I do admit that I tend to look at most adult humans as predominantly childish. Not in order to rage against them, but to try and contemplate what it would mean to be a mahasattva, a “big being”, an adult. Doesn’t make me one, but the recognition of what it’s not presumes some intuition of what it is, and anger against what it’s not presumes that there is an intuition that we should be what it is. What does it mean to be one of the real adults in the room?