Support System @ MindSay 
From Freedom and Reason
Is this the Mother of all Dumb Arguments? Could Very Well Be.
I am being criticized for my criticisms of capitalism on the ridiculous grounds that I live in a capitalist society. It's a bizarre criticism, but I have faced it before.The basic argument is that because I buy things I support capitalism. I don't know why those who make this argument do not immediately recognize how completely absurd it is.
True, I support capitalism in a material sense when I buy things, but that's not support in the sense that I promote capitalism or that I have a desire that it succeed. I support capitalism materially because I am forced to. I live in a capitalist society by misfortune of birth. I didn't choose it.
Slaves supported the system of slavery on these grounds, since their labor is what made the system of slavery possible. Slaves accepted food, housing, medicine, indeed everything from the slave owner. They had to. They had no choice. It's called surviving.
Likewise, I have no choice under capitalism but to buy food and medicine, pay rent, and so forth. This reality of the situation is in fact one of the central reason why capitalism and every other exploitative system is wrong.
If I were forced to contribute my labor to a society in which the workers owned and controlled the means of production, that would be one thing. Every society in history has required those who could work to work for the betterment of the community. "From each according to his ability to each according to his need." I would even settle for "From each according to his ability to each according to his contribution," with some social provision for those who cannot produce enough for themselves, of course (you know, children, the disabled, the elderly).
But under capitalism, I am forced to contribute my labor to, and obtain necessary items from a class of non-workers who monopolize the means of production. Capitalism is in essence a system in which people who don't work live of the labor of those who do - and they live even better than the producers do.
Being forced to contribute to such an unjust arrangement is what's wrong with capitalism.
It isn't supporting capitalism to be forced to live in it any more than prisoners support prisons.
Frankly, I would be embarrassed to have made such a stupid argument.
I'm certain I am not alone in feeling occasionally overwhelmed by LIFE. I also know this feeling is not limited to single women, however ... my support system is not currently what I'd like it to be as a direct result of my divorce.
One of the hardest things for me in my divorce recovery process has been the rebuilding or re-establishing of a support system. Those who I thought were part of this group, desserted me about six years ago and left me more deeply scarred than the divorce. Only a few occasional relationships remain. I do not do the bar scene or the church scene, although the latter is not completely out of the question. It feels somewhat hypocritical, though, since it is my belief/ understanding that most organized church assemblies function in many ways contrary to New Testament teaching. While I realize that there is no such thing as a perfect "church", still ... I would be going just for the social element. So I am appealing to those who are my friends here for thoughts, comments, questions, ... ideas. This is not a trick question! Even here, it seems sometimes that many of you don't quite know where to 'pigeon hole' me.
OK ... well ... there it is ...
~ B
I am the prostitute working the streets because nobody will hire a transsexual woman.
I am the sister who holds her gay brother tight through the painful, tear-filled nights.
We are the parents who buried our daughter long before her time.
I am the man who died alone in the hospital because they would not let my partner of twenty-seven years into the room.
I am the foster child who wakes up with nightmares of being taken away from the two fathers who are the only loving family I have ever had. I wish they could adopt me.
I am one of the lucky ones, I guess. I survived the attack that left me in a coma for three weeks, and in another year I will probably be able to walk again.
I am not one of the lucky ones. I killed myself just weeks before graduating high school. It was simply too much to bear.
We are the couple who had the realtor hang up on us when she found out we wanted to rent a one-bedroom for two men.
I am the person who never knows which bathroom I should use if I want to avoid getting the management called on me.
I am the mother who is not allowed to even visit the children I bore, nursed, and raised. The court says I am an unfit mother because I now live with another woman.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who found the support system grow suddenly cold and distant when they found out my abusive partner is also a woman.
I am the domestic-violence survivor who has no support system to turn to because I am male.
I am the father who has never hugged his son because I grew up afraid to show affection to other men.
I am the home-economics teacher who always wanted to teach gym until someone told me that only lesbians do that.
I am the man who died when the paramedics stopped treating me as soon as they realized I was transsexual.
I am the person who feels guilty because I think I could be a much better person if I didn’t have to always deal with society hating me.
I am the man who stopped attending church, not because I don't believe, but because they closed their doors to my kind.
I am the person who has to hide what this world needs most, love.
If you think Homophobia is wrong re-post this.
I am going to make the scariest phone call of my life tomorrow. Or rather, today. This phone call will determine my plans and hopes and dreams for the next four years and it is going to be hard hard hard work. This is the scariest thing I have ever decided to do and I have such a great support system but that doesn't change a thing. I am going to have to say goodbye to everyone all over again and I am going to have to say goodbye to my girls. I don't think I will even be able to see them for the next four years.
Kylie is going to be twenty-four years old by the time I get home. Sadie will be eight and Lady will be eleven. Kylie and Lady may not even be alive when I come home. They are senior citizens even now. I may have to say goodbye to Sadie, she may have to live with someone else and no longer be my baby. It is so scary that I am going to miss so much of my babys' lives. But the chance for something to happen is too great.
If I get accepted, if I go to Ohio, I will be working from before sunrise to well after it sets, every day. The things I will be learning will be priceless and worth the labor in the long run, I just pray to the Lord in heaven that I am up for the challenge. I know that if I go, I am going to cry when I leave and I am going to cry when I arrive. It is going to be a big deal. Things this wonderful don't happen to me. Chances like this are once in a lifetime. I have to go. It's my duty to go. I can make a difference.
I am doing it for my girls, I am. With the knowledge I learn in the next four years I am going to be able to help so many people and their ponies. I will be able to help so many. But it is going to be so hard to take those first steps. But I am doing it for my girls. Everyone knows that and they know how diserving I am of this chance I have been blessed with. I mean, I made the top ten short list of applicants out of four hundred people who applied. I will take this chance, and I will get the spot and I will go to Ohio and I will be there for the whole four years. I'm doing it for my girls.
