People are wasteful, selfish assholes and it’s pissing me off. In a world where poverty, starvation, and homelessness, still exist, not to mention the decimation of our country’s education and arts funding, it is reprehensible to me that people with money think nothing about throwing it away. What am I ranting about, you ask? Well, there are countless examples of the kind of waste that I am talking about, but today’s example is the President of Texas Motor Speedway who offered to pay a local DJ one hundred thousand dollars to change his name to that of the speedway and to get a tattoo.
I get that a business needs to spend money to promote said business, but at some point shouldn’t we, as the consumer, hold these jackholes accountable? People think it’s funny and kitschy, but really it’s just so very unethical in a “friend of the world” kind of way. We all have a responsibility to try to give back, both to the Earth and to humanity, and maybe it’s unfair that a larger part of that burden should fall on those with more influence and assets, but so what? I believe we should all do what we can and I am the first to admit that I’m not up to my own standards when it comes to volunteering my time. Money is easier and I do that, but time is where I’m selfish.
Since monetary donations are so easy when you have it, then there really isn’t a good excuse for why those with money to burn on shit like changing your name, getting a boob job for a bet (a dude, not a woman), or spending tens of thousands of dollars for your kid’s birthday party or bat/bar mitzvah shouldn’t do more. I know it’s depressing. We need entertainment and frivolity if for no other reason than to break up the monotony of bad news. The economy still sucks, unemployment is up, the housing market is still not great and our asses aren’t getting any smaller. Life isn’t always golden and we have daily reminders of the bad, so a little fun is necessary, but at what price?
How do we justify elaborate awards ceremonies or PR stunts with so many real causes and charities that are desperate for money? Your children’s educations are suffering because their schools are out of money. They aren’t getting the music or arts educations that are so critical to rounded development. Libraries are shutting down or unable to order new books. Teachers are being laid off and classrooms condensed. When we have a nation of stupid in 20 years, don’t act surprised. Until we make our voices heard and prioritize charity over whimsy, it’s not going to get better. We’re getting dumber and the results speak for themselves.
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