Why I made the cancer post in GD.

[Berry Cool]

Because I'd seen incredible bullshit posted to DU in the past 48 hours, and one of the bullshit posts I'd seen--which surprisingly had nothing to do with Keith--was one in which someone (whom I shall not call out, perish the thought) defended and justified the feelings of schadenfreude some people might experience at thinking about Tony Snow's cancer (which sounds as if it's becoming worse).

This individual Just. Didn't Get. It. Not only was he/she unable to step into another's shoes and realize that some conservative wingnuts think liberals are the "evil" ones as sincerely as liberals think the wingnuts are evil, he/she was also unable to grasp the concept that cancer cells, being blind, deaf, dumb things whose tiny cell-brains know only the concept of "stay alive and make more of yourself," could not give one flying fig about the virtues or lack thereof of the body they inhabit, and do NOT visit only those we believe to have been personally bad and deserving of such misery.

There is no Cancer Fairy that flies along with a magic wand and, hovering over various people, judges their actions and taps them with the wand for their badness. "You stole a wallet--YOU get cancer." "You cheated on your wife--YOU get cancer." "You cooked the books at Enron--YOU get cancer." "You aided and abetted the abuse of power in the executive branch of the US government--YOU get cancer."

In other words, karma not only bites, it is shit.

I find it very unfortunate that ANY religion, be it Christian, Hindu, pagan or just some sort of atheist wishful thinking, has ever misled people into believing that we only get what we deserve in this life and that if disease happens to us, we brought it upon ourselves.

It may be a tremendous comfort to those who have not yet been stricken to believe that they have nothing to worry about, but surprise! They too can get disease, or have other bad things happen to them. And when they do, they not only feel bad, they feel GUILTY. Guilty about something they didn't even earn. And other people get to pat themselves on the back and tell themselves they're justified in feeling no sympathy or in being self-righteous.

What complete bullshit.

But that's what's happened on DU lately. People being gleeful about Tony Snow, and just not getting it that other people somewhere else are being gleeful about Elizabeth Edwards. And that both groups of people are WRONG.

They may think they are cool people to do this. But they are not people I want to be with or know.

There are indeed ways that we can end up having to suffer the consequences of our own misbehavior, but cancer is not one of them.

It's just a damn disease we would all be better off without.

Amazingly enough, some people in DU still need to be told that.

[DeepModem Mom]

1. It's a great post, Berry. Thanks again. nt

[CC]

2. There is a reason I haven't been around much

beyond it getting warm enough to work outside. Way too much hate and craziness on the DU these days. I'm glad I missed any Tony Snow threads (and sorry to hear he may be getting worse) or any other threads blaming or laughing at anyone with any illness.
I check out the KOEB when I come in around dark or the Photogroup and Gardening Group for info and need to learn to ignore GDPee even if they are attacking Keith.
I can't take the hate from so many sides these days and I am trying hard to convince wavering repukes that either Dem candidate would be better than McCain. My primary is long over and in my area of the state it is more important to get either Dem voted for along with the Dem candidate for Congress. Last thing I need is a rep. in Congress that makes Santorum look sane and Harris is crazier than Santorum ever dreamed of being. I though 2004 primaries were bad but they were a cakewalk compared to this one.


Thanks for putting why in here Berry. You did a great job with your thread. I am tempted to print it and have Terry take it to his doc for other patients.

[SeattleGirl]

3. Bless you, Berry.

That's how I feel too. My father died from cancer, and my mother had breast cancer (which was not the cause of her death), and I don't care what kind of person someone is, I wouldn't wish cancer on anyone.

People who do that turn my stomach.