Some common sense principles and a radical idea


1. A person should be able to do anything they want to their own body: dress how they want, get whatever piercings or tattoos they want, get any surgery they want, take any medication they want, etc..  A person should also be able to not do anything their own body that they don't want to do.

2. People should should be able to fuck whomever they want, so long as everyone involved is a consenting adult.  Also, obviously, a person should also be able not to fuck anyone they don't want to fuck.

3. No one should be discriminated against, as workers, for any behavior that falls under common sense principles 1 and 2.

4. People should be legally allowed to say whatever they want.  Included in this is: people should be legally allowed to call each other whatever they want, including mean, nasty, rude names.  No one should be discriminated against for exercising their free speech, either - especially outside of work, but even at work, so long as it doesn't interfere with work.

5. The polite thing, however, of course, is call people what they want to be called.

6. Politeness is important.  As the arch-conservative, Edmund Burke, said, manners are more important than laws.

7. Generally speaking, if you are rude to other people, or other communities, there's a good chance that they're going to be rude back to you.  They might even call you mean, nasty, rude names.  That doesn't make them right, or you wrong, but it is nonetheless the case that there's a good chance they will.  And guess what?  They are legally allowed to call you those names, just as you are legally allowed to call them names.  Neither you, nor they, should be discriminated against for calling anyone a name.  Of course, just because someone calls you something, doesn't mean that you really are that thing.

8. Sometimes people aren't polite.  Sometimes people forget their manners.  Sometimes they are rude.  This is for a lot of different reasons.  For one thing, humans are emotional beings, not robots that can simply reprogram their own behavior.  Sometimes people simply forget what you want to be called, how you want to be treated and addressed.  It can take a while for people to get used to.  Brains have difficulty changing - especially old brains.   

9. Sometimes people get frustrated.  Quite often, if they took a moment to examine their own emotions, they would realize that they are mostly frustrated with themselves.

10. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing.  Including self-forgiveness.

11. Politeness is superficial. 

12. All of the above are statements about what is polite, what is (or should be) legal, and what (should be) allowed.  None of them are about what really is, deep down.



Radical idea: People do not have essences.  

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