The Problem With

     I've been reading about more people leaving Facebook and not watching TV or boycotting certain companies, which is a good at heart theory to whatever you're against and CAN be a good idea in extreme cases. 

The problem with those theories come after the boycott or exiting of the social media platform; after someone bans something, they need to be willing to never go back to it and dive into what
happens if people that agree with that philosophy all disappear from whatever it is. In extreme cases, this works out, like if a person find a Racist store then that person boycotts and tell everyone to stay away it usually works out in that person's favor as far as their willingness to fight it hard core. 

But let's take a less openly wrong case;  as a conservative leaning person, platforms like Facebook or YouTube or Huffington Post actively fight against my political views and those I follow on these sites.

This is not a case of abortion, which I am vehemently against in any situation that's not immediately life threatening so I don't think taking Facebook (for example) and fighting it with every fiber of my being is the best course of action AND the reality of Facebook is that I've used it to keep up with the lives of friends and to connect with/have deep conversations with people I never would have gotten to without FB; if
I left Facebook and had no alternative for those things I would either be hurting myself or I'd end up going back to it and feeling like a failure in some weird way. 

     So I chose a while ago to invest very little into Facebook as far as making my FB part of my identity and only use it to make initial contacts or to message people, I keep in mind that I only use it like a machine and refuse to be insulted or take ANYTHING on Facebook more serious than I should...which is so very little that it's pretty much nonexistent. And let's be honest, don't we all use Facebook as a way of showing off or  as the ability to see memes?! Well I do at least. 

So I took the power away from Facebook, at least over my political and personal investment. 

     Another example I encountered is a group of Christians who boycotted Disney based on how Disney teaches kids things they don't agree with and all the many subliminal messages in many Disney movies and TV shows.

This is all true, at least to some extent and it makes sense that Christians wouldn't want their kids to learn from some of the underlying lessons but the problem with that is what Disney will definitely become without any Christian fans for them to think about when making movies/TV shows.

     Now I must make this disclaimer, I do not think that only Christina are moral or want good things so I'm not giving Christians the sole ability to lead a company to better things in this way, but I am saying that as a Christian who got saved at a later age, I have seen much more of a community wide desire to protect themselves and those around them from things they feel affect their minds or spirit.

Here's the problem with this philosophy, if all moral people boycotted Disney then Disney's only audience would lead them to make more and (what moral people consider) worse movies/TV shows.

     I talked with a customer at my job about social media and is it worth quitting Facebook so I went off on a tangent which resulted in this entry. I'm interested to know what others think about this topic, is it worth boycotting social media platforms or companies? Is it NOT worth it to ban companies from your life? Is is bad to use platforms for only what you want? Is it right to take what you want and leave the political parts or opposing aspects?

     It's something to think about and talk about.

The OTHER Other Side

     Let's talk about transgendered people and the arguments surrounding that whole topic. Now, I need to make this clear that I'm not going to say things that are completely and universally right with no room for any other potions, I am speaking from my point of view and the logic presented to me; I hold the right to change my perspective when shown truths, lies or something more.

     The biggest religious debate I hear is Deuteronomy 22:5

Deuteronomy 22:5 says,
"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God." (KJV)
Taken at just that, it sounds very much like the bible is taking a black and white stance against women wearing men's clothes, which in principle opposes transgenderism in at least appearance. IF you take it at just that one line, that is. The thing about interpreting biblical philosophies is that cross referencing and reading full portions is more important than taking sound bytes or tiny portions that seem to say concrete facts. 

For every truth in the bible, there are multiple sections that explain or expound on whatever it is that's being talked about. And in this exact reference, people 
think this is God's way of saying women should not wear men's clothes and vice versa. But in fact, reading thew whole chapter, it does not mention men wearing women's clothes or women wearing men's clothes anywhere else. What it does reference is respect and responsibility by talking about a person finding his brother's animal and not keeping it and helping their brother's animal (ox) if it falls down instead of not helping. 

The main principle being taught, if you read the chapter in full and see many concordances, explains the principle of not getting away from your own responsibility. A man should not act like a woman to get away from the rsponsibilities that are his and samer thing for a woman. 

This is not about transdgendered people and even if it did mean men shouldn't wear women's clothes, trans people aren't simply cross dressing so the issue is not even covered without context. And there's nothing else that tackles cross dressing for it's own sake or people who have to deal with feeling or desiring to be the other gender (I'm not talking about sexual preference here at all)

     Another issue the physical vs the emotional.

By that I mean trans people are emotionally not accepting what they physically are. And while physically our bodies are what they are and chromosomes are what they are, that's not all there is to it.

Studies have shown that trans people often (nothing is unanimous, almost ever) have closer brain functions to the sex they feel and act like more than the sex they were born.

It is also recognized in the DSM as gender identity disorder and while some may take offense to that, it does acknowledge that it's more than just an issue of people not accepting what they are. There are many articles and studies that prove that there is more than just people who are emotionally making a snap decision.

And then there is the other side of the emotional argument, the side I come from most often. When I tell people about me (the real me, that is), the first thing I explain is that I've been suicidal all my life and for the first time..I'm not. I'm not saying I don't suffer from suicidal thoughts ever but a really big weight has been lifted off my chest and I've been actually happy while learning how to freely live my life.

And that may be over emotional or not completely logical and it may go against my chromosomes but to not want to die is one of the biggest things I've ever experienced. I use this as a strategy when talking to someone who disagrees with transitioning because emotions are a very big part of what I'm going through.

     We're all trying to be happy during our short time on earth, other stuff happens and others take some of that happiness but overall we want to be happy. I want that too.