It's funny how we designate our 'love' to such inanimate and useless things. Inanimate in a sense that it could just be a mere object and useless as it has no real purpose to ourselves, personally. I've been thinking about this for awhile and it's funny how it happened to be part of the topic of discussion of today's oh-so-long Philosophy class. I think it was about legitimacy and where we designate our sympathy too. For instance, when the U.S. got owned on 9/11, Canada contributed millions. But during the whole tsunami fiasco, I believe Canada offered up only hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why is that? Is it because the U.S. is closer, and therefore deserves more of our money? Or is it because the South Asians deserved less money because the tragedy that befalled them was a natural disaster and was inevitable? Of course, I don't expect alot of people, besides people who have family and loved ones overseas, to understand what I'm trying to say. "Of course the U.S. deserved more money! We can't relate to those overseas! What goes on over there is none of our business!". Or how about those seals during seal-hunting season? People, including goddam Pamela Anderson, don't see past those big, cute seal puppy eyes and realize that if this animal had the chance to eat you, it would. Seals stink, and apparently they're over-populated, so how 'bout them apples? Those puppy-seal eyes are a defence mechanism for seals so they don't get slaughtered! Do I sound like your modern day Cruella DeVille yet?
I don't hate animals, in fact, I like animals so much that I don't see myself owning a pet (not yet. Maybe when I'm 40 and desperate for companionship I'll get a dog). I'm not here to discuss politics, though. In fact, I should be the last person to because I'd be exiled for my opinions. What I wanna talk about is my annoyance with people who disperse too much 'love' and 'sympathy'. Yes, love is blind. We're not expected to think logically because love is supposed to justify every irresponsible, careless move we make.
CNN recently did a report on germs and children. As I read the article, I kept thinking to myself "I could've told them that a long time ago!". I recently saw a TV ad for some children's hygenic products that was supposed to "make going to the bathroom fun!". For the life of me, I cannot recall the company's name or the name of the products. It was a line of products of anti-bacterial soap and ass-wipes (for lack of a better name) to get children hyped up about going to the bathroom and washing up, by camouflaging the bottles in bright colours and personifiying the alphabet. I was so angered by this commercial. DO NOT BUY YOUR CHILDREN THESE PRODUCTS. It's bad enough we expose children to all this anti-bacterial bullshit propaganda, but to provide products designed for children to wipe their asses with chemical cleansers is appalling. Is it really necessary? Are they really that germ-infested down there? Are our bodies really that incapable of fighting off crap coming from our own bodies?! C'mon now. 20 years ago we didn't have any of that shit and guess what? WE'RE STILL ALIVE!
This new anti-bacterial soap generation we're getting into is an irony in itself. Instead of it somehow protecting us from "god-awful life-threatening germs", we are depleting our immune systems of fending for themselves. Think of the immune system as an army. If someone else is fighting their battles, what are they gonna do when they have to fight the battle themselves? Now, I know I'm not a doctor nor have I taken a Biology class, but this is common sense, right?
I can understand that mothers want to protect their spawn from all things bad, evil and G-Unit. In fact, Mother's Love is the best protection a child can get. But when that Motherin' Love becomes Smotherin' Love, it can do more harm than good. Thanks to a good mix of product propaganda and paranoia, they've gone to the Bad Side. No longer must they fend off the gangstas, bad influences and the evils of Harry Potter; the new enemies are microscopic and come in packs of a billions and can be only be fought off with the likes of Mr. Clean. Armed with Swiffer and Lysol Anti-Bacterial Wipes, they can banish those evil lil' buggers with ease and settle down to Desperate Housewives without worrying about whether the next surface their chid touches will kill them.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a dirty person (I'm not!). I'm anal about washing my hands before I eat and I don't even wear my shoes inside my house. There's no such thing as the '5-second Rule' to me, only '5-seconds to get it in the garbage'. I don't even condone kids eating and crawling on floors in public. But there's just a line you draw between paranoia and being comfortable with every surface you touch without wondering who's ass it has touched.
Kids get sick, shit happens. It's not only unpreventable, but it's also beneficial. Next time, the kid will just have to learn not to lick other kids.
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