‘Family Guy’ has lowered the bar for crude, offensive, lowbrow humor to depths not even the Glomar Challenger could reach. And even though the show most often embraces the broadest of leftist cliches, there are moments when the show is almost as subversively conservative as South Park. When an entire episode focused on Rush Limbaugh in a fairly positive way, for example. Or when Brian — the show’s atheist liberal Mary Sue (who also happens to be a pompous, pretentious, free-loading, racist, amoral, alcoholic sexual predator) — gets called out epically for his phoniness.

The character of Meg is constantly the subject of abuse by other characters, even though she seems to be the least dysfunctional person in the family. In the episode “Seahorse Seashell Party,” she finally confronts her family about the abuse they constantly heap on her.

My point is that with all the irresponsible, reckless, idiotic behavior in your past, that somehow, heh, somehow you have the nerve, the arrogance to consistently and ruthlessly point out my shortcomings.

Ultimately, everyone concludes that the reason they hate and abuse Meg is that by abusing her, they avoid confronting their own dysfunction and are able to live in denial of how truly screwed up each of them is.

I wonder if the reason leftists are so fanatically hateful toward conservatives comes from the same place. Conservatives, by and large, are responsible people who make responsible decisions most of the time and strive for drama-free lives. The left, on the other hand, celebrates dysfunction. But of course, dysfunction has consequences, and routinely making bad choices will for most people result in a miserable life.

Rather than confront one’s own dysfunction and take responsibility for one’s actions, how much easier it must be to heap scorn and hatred on other people? If your own life is a dumpster fire, how gratifying it must be to call an otherwise together person a “racist” or “homophobe” or whatever this week’s perjorative is. (“White nationalist.”) And even if your individual life isn’t, you probably know people who are dysfunctional, and they probably blame others for their condition, and you do too because it’s easier to go along with your friend then to tell them that the choices they’ve made are suboptimal.

My sister teaches public school in Michigan, the state that put Trump over 300 electoral votes, but just barely. (I guess so many people have left Detroit that it’s harder for the Democrat-UAW Fraud Machine to pump out “votes” like they used to.) She posted this on her Facebook.

Ok- here’s the facts. I voted for me.Yep, that’s right, for *me.* Though the media and Hollywood elite continually told me that if I didn’t vote for Hilary my gay, black, Latino, one-legged, short, tall, woman friends would be doomed, I stepped back and said, “Nope, probably not; I think our society is smart enough and compassionate enough to not let that happen.” (If I’m wrong- I’ll revolt with you- and I’m packing heat.)

The scare that I have every month is what drove my vote. My bills keep going up, and my wages keep going down. My shoulder gave out in May but my son got hurt at the same time. I can’t afford to pay what my health insurance is costing me out of pocket and the deductible from emergency room visits, chiropractic appointments and physical therapy sessions. [VtK Note — Because, thanks to Obamacare, you’re now on the hook for the health problems of people who don’t make good health or economic choices. Imagine what car insurance would cost if you didn’t have to buy it until after you had an accident {pre-existing condition}] So, I have invested in Motrin, gained 10 pounds from being unable to workout and basically accepted defeat in ever sleeping pain free again.

In a year, my son will start college, followed closely by his two sisters. Although Bernie promised “Free Tuition,” I also know that there is no such thing as free in a Socialist society. Going after Big Business in a Government that is built on Capitalism and Free Trade is going to drive those businesses out (of business) Their billionaire owners can afford to close up shop and live for many generations without a second thought. But, my profession counts on employed people paying taxes. If they don’t work, I don’t get paid. Truth. So, when they moved their business away or shut it down, then my neighbors lose their jobs and the small businesses such down.

So, I’m really sorry that have been misled into thinking that your neighbors and friends are bigots and racists when in fact they are just middle America that want to live a happy life without living paycheck to paycheck. Two working adults with Masters degrees struggling because of a decade of social change (supported by a majority of Americans on the left and right) and not one iota of help to the economy.

So, yep, I voted for me. If I find myself in the same boat in four years – or living in a country where people are denied basic human rights- I will vote for change again- and again- and again as long as it takes. But I will not be tricked into thinking that my country will allow all human decency to cease because of my vote.

Kinda related (but mostly not quite worth yet a post of its own): Kids, How to Talk to Your Emotional Failure Parents about the Election:

You know what would be super cool?

Parents who could teach me coping skills. If I’m supposed to crap myself and drown in tears every time something doesn’t go my way I am going to get run over by the Social Darwinism bus before I’m 25.

 

Headed to my hometown this weekend to spend time with my “ultraconservative family.” There will be some dining out at our surprisingly good small town Italian non-chain restaurant, also a brew pub I have heard very good things about, where I’ll be meeting up with a gay Libertarian I only know from the interwebs but seems like a cool guy. I am hoping to find the time to get some shooting in. Followed by a quick trip to another brew pub in the town where I went to college and the purchase of some very expensive imported cheese.

And the perfect traveling-to-the-hometown music for this weekend.

I have been sans internets all weekend — more or less — because of matters related to The Big Move so, no posts. Anyway, on my birthday, I got this text from my son, which made for a pretty freakin’ awesome birthday.  (Even if said birthday had not included awesome food and great company.)

Just wanted to thank you for teaching me to think critically at all times even about religion. I also admire you for being wise enough to know that faith and reason are not exclusive. I think its cool that you can justify your faith using reason. now that I’m out in the world I realize that is rare and precious.