When my partner and I went to vote in the last election (and we live in a liberal island of Pennsylvania, which is surrounded by an ocean of conservative ideology), we were surrounded by like-minded people, most of them graduate students, who were so excited to feel like we were going to make a difference for a change. All of that hit home when we saw our local neo-Nazi asshole, sporting swastikas and holding a tee-shirt (on a hanger) that read “Keep America White.”

I was shocked that he didn’t get his ass kicked then and there. It wasn’t until after he voted that someone started to heckle him, but it ended without serious incident as he got into his pickup truck, flying Confederate flags — no joke — and drove away.

As much as I was disgusted by this guy’s existence, I look back and think maybe it was good he was there. We need reminders. We need reminders because those of us living in this weird liberal white middle-class college town have forgotten that there are still people out there who believe lynch mobs are a good thing. We sit back and rest on our laurels every day and pat ourselves on the back for being so aware of race (and sex and sexuality and age and class, blah blah blah) and then we go on pretending like race doesn’t matter, when clearly it does — when clearly there’s a history and a legacy and beautiful, smart, funny, compassionate people end up feeling like shit for being themselves — because of something the majority seems to think has disappeared.

The internal stuff kills me too. We have it in the queer community — the internalized homophobia and sexism (and I know it’s not the same, but maybe it’s a point of convergence, this self-hatred). Sometimes I feel like we’re told that there’s only one acceptable, legitimate way to be a woman, or to be a lesbian, or to be whatever. I think the same thing happens with race and ethnicity: the internal discourse is that there is only one way to be black or white or Italian or Jewish or whatever, and it’s such complete bullshit. No one should have to conform to some ridiculous essentialist notion of identity. That, in my opinion, would be a crime against humanity.

This post was mentioned on Twitter by silentpyjamas: @Alaksir @FatChickInLA @Abbalinio @SimianMobile I blogged about you today http://bit.ly/5P578...

I loved reading this and I will say I have had someone who tried to trash my name because she didn’t like the fact of me being me *•*¨`*♥* I can’t go into details as I am not evil and do not believe in naming names as that IS “Evil”.

*•*¨`*♥* Cosmic Blessings *•*¨`*♥*

@TravellingThrou *•*¨`*♥* Your twitter friend ;o)

Linux users annoy me because they claim it’s the best OS out there. I don’t really care which is the best however I do care which one I can use 3D Studio Max, Photoshop, Visual Studio, etc, etc. in.

I’m a programmer and developer so I haven’t found a use for Linux other than simple things, IT, and programming. I’ve found that most of the Linux ‘1337′ people are real dickish though. That’s enough to stay away for me.