I’m getting my angry liberal/feminist on. If you think that might offend you, you’ve been warned. I also curse. A lot.

I think I’m fairly even-tempered. I don’t fight, I don’t get in yelling matches, I don’t break random objects in a fit of rage. When someone makes me upset, I try to tell them. If that doesn’t work, I’ll just ignore them. I believe in the anger management philosophy of walking away and settling down.

But that’s not cutting it right now. Today my anger has reached critical mass and is about to take everything out. I want to scream and then hulksmash everything. Once my deep, cold reserve of anger is tapped, get out of my way before I take it out on you.

Why so angry? Why today? Everything has just been building and now here I am. And, you know what? You should be really angry, too. We should all be spitting nails and blowing gaskets and losing our cool.

First, government. There are so many stupid, fucked up things going on, I’ll just go with the ones off the top of my head right now. The Shutdown, obviously, and the “looooming debt ceiling crisis.” There is a small, but very vocal, minority of nincompoops just fucking wrecking this country. They’re Cartman, screaming until they get their way, spewing ignorant bullshit and completely certain of their convictions. Thing that was said – we don’t need to pay all of our bills right when they are due, so it’s silly to act as though not raising the debt ceiling is a bad thing. True E fact: I am bad with money. I have played the old bill juggling game. You know what happens? You have no heat and your credit rating is so shitty you can’t get a store credit card at Lane Bryant or a cell phone that isn’t prepaid. I did this shit when I was twenty and am just now getting to a place where I can do things. But I’m sure this would work much better with BILLIONS OF DOLLARS and the WORLD ECONOMY.

Fox News, bastions of the truly ignorant, is calling this a “slim down” that’s good for America. We’re finally not spending money on those ridiculous entitlements. Sean fuckwit Hannity had the audacity to say on the air that it wasn’t affecting him, or anyone he knows, so it’s just the liberal media blowing shit out of proportion. FUCK YOU, you affluent white ASSHOLE. Seriously, I want Home Alone their entire organization. I want Bill O’Reilly to step on a giant nail, a hot iron to Steve Doocy’s face, a blowtorch to Hannity’s giant head, and all their sack of shit correspondents to walk on broken Christmas ornaments and Hot Wheels. That sounds like good family fun to me, and they’d have to do this or else they hate Christmas.

RAGESTROKE

So, there’s the fact that we’re going through this ridiculous process in the first place. But it’s the facts of how this is affecting actual people that makes me want to barf. WIC is cut, because those babies don’t need formula and their mothers don’t need bread and milk. The VA is shutting down a bunch of service. Because fuck those veterans that come back from war injured physically or mentally. But, oh shit, the WWII memorial is shut down? Everyone down there for a photo op, STAT. FAA flight inspectors, who needs them when you’ve got campaign contributors who’ll fly you around in a private jet? FDA food inspectors, pffft, when have we ever had unsafe food sold? The IRS is furloughing a bunch if people. Which, yeah, no one loves the IRS. But, you know what, you’re going to have trouble closing on your new home when the lender can’t get tax documents. But John McCain has seven homes, I’m sure he’ll let you borrow one.

I’m just so disgusted with politics.

So, I turn to my new favorite place, tumblr. And it’s awesome. And there are pictures of tiny animals in clothes and quotes from books and beautiful makeup ideas. There are awesome riot grrrl posters and feminist icon pieces and just all of my favorites. But, like anywhere online, there are a million jerks and tales of interacting with jerks. And after reading the umpteenth account of a horrible fat shaming/rape apologist/racist/misogynist/callous comment, I just want to burn down the Internet.

C’mon on people! Why can’t you all get your shit together?!? There was a time when it was possible to not know better. But holy jumping jesus, that is no longer an excuse. Everyone, male and female and all shades in between, you should all know that rape is never deserved. That you shouldn’t comment on a picture of a big girl who is clearly happy as fuck to kill herself so you don’t have to look at her ever again. You don’t get to dress up as a racial stereotype. You don’t get to call everyone fags. You don’t get to follow a woman down the street, propositioning and then threatening her. You don’t get to call a woman you don’t like a slut for not being your friend. You don’t get to commit random acts of violence. Ever. You don’t abuse your partner, your kids, your animals, your coworkers or strangers. Keep your fucking hands to yourself. Keep your mouth shut if you have nothing to contribute but hate. Wake the fuck up, grow the fuck up, take responsibility for your actions, change your negative ways and tell the jackasses around you to do the same. No excuses.

And, please, for the sake of my sanity and my stomach lining, get your shit together soon.

(If you want to tumblr with me, I’m at owlizabeth.tumblr.com)