For all the dumbfucks out there who obviously have no concept of what The Golden Rule is, let me spell it out for you... TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. If you're Christian, you might better recognize this as "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" from Matthew 7:12. If you study Buddhism like me, it's "Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful" from The Udanavarga 5.18. If you're a Jew or a Muslim or a Hindu or just about any other religion, this probably still sounds familiar because The Golden Rule is a universal concept for all humanity. It kind of has to be in order for people to be considered "human."
In fact, Scarboro Missions has an excellent poster you can get which illustrates this beautifully (click on the image to make bigger)...
The reason I bring this up is because I am sick and fucking tired of a horrific personal tragedy occurring only to have the person responsible say "I'm sorry! I never thought this would happen!"
I'm sure that's the justification the bullies who tormented 13-year-old Seth Walsh will use. After being deliberately and systematically bullied because he was gay, this poor kid couldn't take it any more and hung himself. Now everybody is all shocked and horrified and "sorry" even though they stood around and watched it happen (or actually made it happen). Well, too little too late, a life described as "loving and kind" is gone. Destroyed by hateful morons too fucking stupid to understand that people don't like to be tormented by bullying day in and day out, and this is the only way they could find to escape it.
I hear about crap like this and go insane. It's pretty much my worst nightmare.
And as if that wasn't tragic enough, now there's been another suicide when Rutger's University freshman Tyler Clementi jumped off a bridge because his roommate streamed video of him having sex to the internet. And I'm sure that the dumbfuck responsible will be all "sorry" because they didn't realize people don't like to be tormented by having their personal sex life broadcast on the internet, and this is the only way they could find to escape it.
I mean, seriously. Did any of these assholes take ten seconds to ask themselves "Would I like to be treated this way?"
Did those responsible for driving Seth Walsh to kill himself even once think "Gee, I'd sure hate to be victimized every waking hour of every day... perhaps this poor kid I'm tormenting doesn't like it either?" Did Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei who are responsible for driving Tyler Clementi to kill himself ever think for just one second "Wow, I'd sure hate to be humiliated by having my personal sex life broadcast on the internet... maybe this poor guy wouldn't like it either?"
I'm guessing they didn't, because if they DID consider The Golden Rule, and then went ahead and did it anyway... well, that would make them monsters. Inhuman, evil, devious, vile, disgusting monsters. People so abhorrent that they have no place in society, let alone humanity.
And what about me? Did I ever think for a moment "Hmmm... if I ever made the horrible mistake of tormenting someone so badly that they ended up killing themselves, would I want somebody on the internet calling me an evil dumbass inhuman monster?"
Yes. Yes I did. And I seriously don't give a fuck.
Which makes me the biggest evil dumbass inhuman monster of them all.
Somehow, I'm totally okay with that.
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I don’t understand how a person can torment another human being. It makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Reading about these kinds of things ruins my day.
Sorry.
But the fact that this doesn’t make any sense to you IS something to celebrate! 🙂
First, this is a great piece that should have never been inspired to be written. And one of many reasons I love reading you.
Second, that poster is amazing. I’m glad that Taoism was included however, the quote that I found to be the most powerful and inspiring? The Islamic one.
And now I get to be labeled a ‘terrorist’ by the far right. Bring it. I’ve lived through years of being labeled fagot, fag, cocksucker, butt pirate, rump roaster, poofter, flamer and load librarian (ok, that one I just made that one up.) Your words don’t hurt anymore because I see through you ignorant intolerance.
While I am happy that these words of hate are finally starting to lose their vicious intent, it still makes me very sad people feel the need to use them in the first place.
We have a long road ahead of us. I’m glad you’re walking beside me. 🙂
Those stories just sicken me. How could anyone just be so fucking cruel?!!
Bravo for this post.
I ask myself that same question every day I open up my news feed.
Haters can eat a dick.
Starting with their own.
Poor Tyler and his family. I thought it was wonderfully quid pro quo that the NY Times online edition featured front page pictures of Ravi and Wei. I wonder how they and theirs like the humiliation of being shown on the internet. The whole thing is so tragic….
If there’s any justice in this world or the next, the humiliation of being called out as miserable excuses for human beings on the front page of the New York Times will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Because, odds are, it’s the only lasting punishment they’ll end up getting.
But there’s no agenda with the Golden Rule? How will these people control others with the Golden Rule?
Reading about this last death made me think and wonder when will humanity come before a mindless belief?
Sadly, there will always be those who feel that The Golden Rule doesn’t apply to them, and control is their right. So they do. And people die because of it. I can only hope there’s a place in hell reserved just for them.
All I can say about this is “The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it.” Hope people from all over be reading your post and considering THE GOLDEN RULE. At least, it will teach them a humane lesson. God rest his soul.
Excellent job, older Dave. God bless you.
Agreed. Fortunately, we can act to change those things we’re dissatisfied with! Best of luck to us all. 🙂
And then asshats in the public entertainment arena, such as 50 Cent, tweet their rhetoric to their masses, who then see it as being a little more acceptable to not follow the Golden Rule. Sometimes, I regret being human.
Even more regretful than the people spreading this kind of bile are those who listen to it. Made worse by those who actually believe and act upon it.
I am (seriously) losing faith in humanity. It’s becoming so “us against them” and it’s making me so depressed and sad.
But intolerance and bigotry will eventually prevail and we will win!
We have to.
I love that poster.
Also, bullies don’t act alone. They feed off the complacency that surrounds them. In that way, everyone is responsible to some degree for the misery that they inflict. Except me an you. Cause we wouldn’t stand for that shit.
I would certainly hope we wouldn’t.
Somebody HAS to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. Especially when lives are at stake. If they don’t, then we all lose. 🙁
It literally makes me sick to my stomach to read these things. Inhuman is right.
That poster is great. I need one of those.
I think if it DOESN”T make you sick to your stomach, you’re either not paying attention or made of evil. I’m glad you are neither!
People like that, who have nothing better to do then torment someone for their personal life and personal choices, are just some of the most pathetic creatures on earth.
Which is why we have an obligation to point it out to them!
As often and as loudly as we can.
Check out this crazy fucking shit.
What. the. hell.
What the hell? I’ll TELL you what the hell… this guy is obviously a repressed homosexual who is infatuated with another guy in a way that goes against his religious beliefs. And so he does the only thing that stupid fucking assholes know how to do when they’re too big a moron to figure out their shit… they attack. We’ve seen it again and again and again. It used to make me sad. Now I just want them to disappear off the face of the earth for the betterment of all humanity.
I agree 100% Dave, I like to think I live fully behind the ‘Golden Rule’. Though an atheist, I like to think I’m hugely appreciative and respectful of other peoples religions and beliefs, until that FAIL with the golden rule! … and once FAIL, truly terrible things like this happen. Very, very sad and completely avoidable with the Golden Rule.
I’m scratching my head at the folks who are saying (Rutgers) “it was just a prank.” Like this is supposed to make it okay? So that means he over-reacted? That’s like saying “oh you shouldn’t be mad that when I sucker punched you in the stomach you’re heart stopped and you almost died. It was just a prank.”
What the hell!?
I can not even form the words to convey how much these articles piss me off. Maybe the ‘bullies’ were suffering from lack of oxygen from having their heads shoved up their asses for so damn long?
This? Very well written. Bravo my friend.
I have two teenagers. My son is 15 and in high school and my daughter is 13 and in middle school. Even though I live in Michigan and they live in Florida I talk to them about bullying a lot. This is the age where it is most common and I want them to understand that it is not cool and will not make them popular. I also talk about standing up for the little guy who is being bullied. My daughter almost got into a fight at school because she stood up for this one girl who was being made fun of. Bravo to her. Had she gotten in a fight over that, I would have talked to her father and made sure she was not in trouble for helping that girl.
I am a gentle loving caring trusting generous person. I am raising my kids to be the same way. Years ago when my oldest got bullied on the bus she was honestly in shock. She couldn’t believe that someone would hurt someone else on purpose. I can’t believe it either. I can’t imagine the life a person would live that would allow them to think being unkind to someone else is fine or something they should do. Sadly a lot of parents are teaching their kids to be this way either on purpose or by example. Things like this make me want to take my kids and all the good people in the world that I know and move to some island somewhere where mean people don’t exist. Want to come with us?
Dave, you are a constantly wise man in a frequently unwise world.
Thanks for this post and your thoughts. Also thanks for the link to the Missions poster. Though I think it needs Atheism adding. They could use a cartoon of Will Wheaton and his tag-line “Don’t be a dick!”
Not as serious as the other options perhaps, but along the same lines. 🙂
There was an individual who made my life a living hell in school. Later, as an adult, I’d heard he’d died not long after graduation. As a rational, compassionate adult, 40 years later, he’s the only person that I can say I still can’t help feeling, (even though I know better), that I’m glad he’s dead…Well, him and Jerry Falwell.
I’m afraid enough won’t be done until a few more “Columbines” happen.
So sad to hear how the parents had complained to authorities and received no support. The bullies need to be remanded to some serious therapy.