Major Event Impact

I categorize events into two categories; important and hype. I personally do not pay attention to news because I will usually not like yet I know that is does not surprise me that it occured in that manner. The reason why I feel that way is because I prefer to focus on my own immediate issues and do what needs to be done for me. However if something important did happen it will have my utmost attention, and the last event that occurred that grabbed my attention was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11th 2011. For the first time in many years, I actually cared about something that occurred somewhere else.

There are two reasons why this disaster grabbed my attention, the first is that the country which is the source of my Japanese pride faced an apocalyptic disaster and the damage whiched looked like it was a movie was actually REAL. I actually asked myself, "Is this really happening? Is this some horrible joke? Is this a nightmare?" Unfortunately only one of those questions was answered, that it was really happening and the apocalypse was unfolding upon Japan. I almost wanted to cry because how could such a disaster happen to a country like Japan? I felt like I died inside that day.

Aside from dumping my emotions out upon that I will tell you what I think about news which is simply hype. Well, it is just as I say it is: hype. Therefore I just turn my head away from it and just continue on my life without being disturbed by that type of news. Why do other people get all worked up about news like that is beyond me, well it may just be the difference of interest between me and most people. But that is just how it is, I guess.

When I learn about information and wish to learn more about a specific event, I either look on certain websites, my e-mail news page, or ask one of my relatives whom always have updates about the news. Every time they always tell me about a specific event their information is always concrete and detailed. As for considering what type of news is just hype, well I usually dismiss something that does not involve any deaths or damages as hype because to me that is not important because I have better things to do with my life instead of being preoccupied about trivial matters.

Some people would tell me to watch the news and I would respond, "I do, and there is not anything that concerns me". Ignorant as that my sound I feel that way because I do not like being preoccupied with other people's issue, especially with people whom I do not know or will ever meet. As selfish as that sounds I hold that type of perspective for specific reasons (which I will not state in this blog) and will remain to holding on to those reasons until I go to the grave.

The Sting of Hate Speech

What is hate speech? How can one define it? Hate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, gender, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristic. In law, hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group. This is a formal way to define hate speech, but if one were take a survey about what makes speech become hate speech, the results would differ within each person's given answer.

How do I define hate speech? To me hate speech is an offensive type of speech that includes racial, gender, social slurs that are purposely used to degrade the unwilling receiver of this type of speech. People often express hate speech either consciously or just out of ignorance and is done constantly (almost every 2.7 seconds) without any end. Despite this being a worldly issue, there are individuals that have never heard hate speech in their entire life and are oblivious to the sting that hate speech delivers. Usually it is those type of people whom have never been a target of hate speech are the ones that either say it haphazardly or are just oblivious to this issue.

Unfortunately I was not spared from hate speech, as a matter of fact I was a target for an endless barrage of insults and implied racism due to my mixed ethnic heritages and characteristic traits. Also the ones who kept on firing these forms of hate speech were from a specific ethnic group (I will not say which one it is, but the answer is obvious), and peaked at it's worst when I was in high school. As the years passed my disdain for that specific ethnic group began to grow to the point if someone were to fire a racial slur at me, I would fire one back that was ten times more offensive. This also showed me that most people who express hate speech love to insult other races, however they will not tolerate being insulted. But to me that is just a typical reaction.

As a predominantly African-American and Japanese mixed individual, I am a target for multiple racial slurs and that is something that will never change as long as people still shoot off hate speech with ignorance, and unfortunately ignorance is not something that will not disappear anytime in this life cycle. But I learned how to tolerate stupidity/ignorance of such magnitude and how to counter their racial slurs because if you insult me, I will insult you back and make sure that you feel the sting of my words ten times more than what you fired at me. I will end this rant blog with a piece of wisdom; give what you can take, if you fail to simply do that then shut your damn mouth.

Which is more important- Happiness or Self-respect?

Two different concepts, two different mentalities, both of these words have a different meaning. Which one is more important? I say self-respect, because to me happiness is fleeting or temporary, however if one has self-respect that will always be with them until they go to the grave. I also believe that self-respect strongly defines one's character and sets a standards for those around that person to follow if they have self-respect. One other reason why self-respect is more important is because if one person does not have that, then what is the point of that person even living, they are only making themselves subject to other people's will making them no better than a lifeless doll. To me, that is one of the worst ways to live life, being at the beckoning of other people, which is absolutely disgusting.

As for the concept of happiness, it is always fleeting, not everyone can achieve it or can be allowed to experience it. It is also temporary, as it can either be related to someone or something else and if that something or someone goes, so does one's happiness. As for the emotion, well emotions do not last forever, although it may feel that way to certain people, but even happiness can be swayed as well and to be honest I would not hold my breath for something that is temporary, ever.

Back to self-respect now, to me the word self-respect means "respecting yourself" (although that is an obvious definition) and to hold yourself to a high standard. It also helps me shut out those who try to use me to satisfy their superficial whims and to set an example that I am not some clone like nearly every other person that exists around me. However if one person allows to be deluded by their own self-respect that is called being "conceited", which consists of over-confidence, arrogance, and narcissism usually. If one where to adopt this type of behavior and force the above mentioned traits upon other people that person will lose integrety and be considered just another (insert description here).

I have a lot of self-respect, too much for some people. But that just shows how little they know of me and the type of life I have led. If someone from my high school saw me as I am today and had not seen or heard from me since then they would think I was a different person, but that is fine with me, I do not like being as I was in high school because it sucked. I also do not believe in adopting a fake happiness, or pretending to be happy and nice to other because that is not how I live my life. Unlike most people I am honest with my character and I always say what I feel like saying without any sugar-coating because that will only just inhibit my own style and I also have way too much self-respect to lower myself to everyone elses' half-witted standards.