I Remember Adults Telling Me, As A Kid, To Listen To Doctors And Get My Flu Vaccine And Any Shots I Could

i remember adults telling me, as a kid, to listen to doctors and get my flu vaccine and any shots i could because they remembered Before.

then they started fighting Covid precautions.

i remember adults telling me, as a kid, that the ozone was disappearing and the earth was dying and we needed to recycle and save the planet.

now my parents think climate change is a myth.

i remember adults telling me, as a kid, that racism was a plague, that we had to love and accept everyone, that we should never judge before walking a mile in their shoes.

then they told me that protesting for my Black siblings was wrong.

i remember adults telling me, as a kid, that we needed to give to the poor. working at soup kitchens. making quilts. collecting food and money and supplies. building houses. because it was the christian and just plain right thing to do.

now they look at me, on food stamps with their grandchildren, and lament the "welfare state".

i remember adults telling me, as a kid, that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and that any rich man, especially an immoral one, should never run our country.

you can guess who they voted for.

i remember adults telling me, as a kid, so very much.

when did they forget?

More Posts from Pluckedchicken and Others

pluckedchicken

1 month ago

i actually get so much satisfaction out of mending and repairing my stuff. like yeah it's a chore but also it's almost a religious ritual: bending my head gritting my teeth squinting my eyes at the thing i'm fixing all the while chanting fuck you capitalism fuck you consumerism fuck you i ain't buying jack shit

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pluckedchicken

9 months ago

reblog to fucking bite the person you reblog from

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pluckedchicken

6 months ago

Reblog if your url is a representation of who you are

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pluckedchicken

8 months ago

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pluckedchicken

2 months ago

TW: Pedophilia

Teenagers are rarely taught the reason why they can't consent to sex with adults.

And that's because teaching them that would completely unravel our coercion-based society.

It can be difficult to explain in detail the exact reason and all the specifics in a way that they will understand. But the simplest way to phrase it is that in some cases, even when someone agrees to something and even when they appear enthusiastic about it, there's too much of a power imbalance that it's no different than forcing them. Also, having power and being abusive doesn't require a conscious expectation to be obeyed.

Imagine a world in which every teenager understood that and was easily able to call out anyone who tried to convince them otherwise.

They'd know that there's no such thing as an employee consenting to working for a poverty wage, working in unsafe conditions, working long hours, or working without taking breaks. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to paying a bank overdraft fee. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to student loan debt. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to medical bills. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to generating profit for banks or landlords in order to have a place to live and being evicted or foreclosed when you lose your source of income. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to a police search. They'd know that there's no such thing as a child who's okay with their parents spanking them. They'd know that being dependent on someone does not mean that you can never criticize them. They'd know that if it's considered abusive to simply play along when someone obeys, then it has to be much more abusive to actively expect to be obeyed, which many adults do to them.

And people who benefit from a society based on coercion masquerading as freedom wouldn't like that.

So instead, teenagers are taught something dismissive. They're taught that what they want doesn't matter. They're taught that they're too young to know what love is. They're taught "it's the law". They're taught things that are insulting to their intelligence, which they'll naturally rebel against.

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pluckedchicken

2 months ago

mutuals, it's chickenposting hours

Videos of Fireworks

I have a video of fireworks on my phone. The image and audio quality aren't great, and the camera shakes at some points, but it still made me happy in a melancholy sort of way.

I remember taking that video. I was laying back on the wet grass, leaning on my longboard with the hot chocolate I made an extra trip home to make for the fireworks. I managed to find a nice little spot just off the path with an opening in the trees, perfectly framing the fireworks. I was probably sitting in goose poop the entire time without knowing it.

I usually don't take pictures or videos of the things I do; I'd rather be present in the moment and not worrying about how it will look later, if I even look at it again later. But this time I thought it important that I take a video. I didn't want to forget them. I don't know why. It's not like these fireworks were any different or grander than any other fireworks I'd seen throughout my life. Maybe it's good that I recorded them this time. I don't remember the fireworks themselves that well after all. Instead, I remember the air still heavy from rain, worrying about mosquitos I never saw, leaning back against my longboard on a slightly summer evening, wearing my favorite plaid to stave off a chill, with a perfect mug of hot chocolate. I remember watching the sky continue to darken on my ride home. I don't remember the colours, but I remember the feeling of peace and freedom as I rode down the middle of an empty road on a beautiful night.

Huh, maybe it is good that I took that video.