You Don't Get a Gold Star for That...

I just talked about how the world is just a giant game to be played. And you all know I love my gold stars. But did you know I also play the games with everyone else? 

They just don't always know it. 

But I will think things like, "You don't get points for that." or "That's not an actual accomplishment, no stars for that."

Like there is a running tally in my head all the time keeping track of who is winning and who is losing. 

But the game is generally (imagine flashing lights and sparkles) WHO'S A GOOD HUMAN?

Like it's a constant running thing. Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Are you a decent person or a piece of shit? And then there are variations in the middle. I mean not everyone is all the way to POS but they might lean that way at times. No points. 

And sometimes my inside my head voice slips out and I say it out loud. "Did you think you deserved points for that?" or "Do you think that means you get a gold star?" The good thing is those things are universal enough that even though they might not be playing the WHO'S A GOOD HUMAN? game they understand what I mean.

There's a bible verse I like to trot out for those that use their religion as a guide. In the book of James, James says, Put up or shut up, My Dudes. Or you know, faith without works is dead. It's the one I use when they send their thoughts and prayers but don't actually DO anything else. We have a gun problem in the United States, we can fix it, but just saying you are praying for the latest round of victims and their families isn't the way. That's faith without works. 

You actually have to do something. 

Or stop doing something as the case may be. 

You see the meme posted around elections a lot. Some sort of picture or pleasant color scheme with the words Don't tell someone you love them, and then vote for someone who will hurt them. It's one I used to fight with my family over. Staunch Republicans voting for other Republicans knowing that those Republicans wanted to pass laws preventing gay people from having equal rights. How do you say you love members of your own family and then vote for people who will hurt them? YOU are voting to hurt them. That's you. 

You don't get points by saying I think it's fine, and then vote for people who will fight to make sure it's not. 

In fact, you get points taken away. 

Because if you know better, you do better. (Thank you, Ms. Angelou) So if you know it's wrong to discriminate against the LGBTQ2+ community and you are still voting for people who do...well that's worse. That's you actively making a choice to be awful when you know you shouldn't be. 

You are hiding behind whatever you are using to justify that vote, but you know that vote will cause harm to real people. You don't get points because you say words. You get points because you follow through with actions. 

"I'm not homophobic" while you vote for someone who wants to keep gay people from being able to adopt. You might not think you are homophobic but you are allowing homophobia so that's just as bad. And you don't get to pretend it's not. 

No points. Points deducted. You are losing the game. 

Try not to lose the game.