Don't denigrate, tolerate!

I’m not addicted to it or anything, but I check the “Rants & Raves” section of Craigslist several times a day when I’m at work. Most of the time, the rants go off on fat chicks and how they should be eradicated off the face of this earth, or come from insane bigots with fucked-up logic. A few times I’ve posted my two cents, mostly in response to people’s postings.

In any case, I continue to be disgusted at the majority of posts on here that display the ugliness of humanity. Let’s take one of the current arguments on the board: Women who call themselves “BBW” (big, beautiful woman). In a nutshell, people are just busting veins trying to justify how they think fat people are ugly, how dare they call themselves “beautiful,” how it’s their fault that they’re overweight, how they’re jealous of skinny people, how they should just shut their fat asses up and get to the gym, etc. Most of the time the “arguments” degenerate to adolescent name calling. Right now, posting disgusting pictures of super obese people is all the rage.

Now, I’m no model, that’s for sure. But I’m a human being, first and foremost. Yes, I think the term "BBW" is cheesy as hell. Yes, people should strive to be as healthy as they can be. Yes, I get disgusted when I see super obese people doing absolutely nothing to eat right, get exercise, just plain give up on themselves. However, for people who are trying to make a difference in their lives, reading shit like this is just plain disconcerting.

I’m trying to turn all this negativity into positivity, using it as a means by which I can bolster my own efforts to get in shape. It’s working sort of, since I pretty much am beginning to second-guess everything I put into my mouth. And I’ve been going to the gym on a regular basis. The last thing I need is hearing noise that makes me think it’s all an exercise in futility.

But it is also making me somewhat afraid and distrustful of people. I mean sure, people are nice to me face to face, but what are they thinking about me, really? And do I care? Really?

Let’s all take the high road and say that these people’s opinions don’t really matter. That they are superficial jerks. That they are bigots blinded by their rage. That they are hateful slime. That some "BBW" must have pissed them off in a past life or something. I, for one, know who my true friends are, and they enjoy me for the kind of person I am.

But.

To some degree, yes. I care. I mean, who doesn’t want to be liked? Plus, one of these fuckers could be responsible for deciding on whether or not I get that promotion one day. Or whether or not I get the house I want to buy. Or whether or not I receive every opportunity available to me. Discrimination is discrimination.

I guess my point is – and I hope that I’m preaching to the choir – that we should be bridges, not walls. We shouldn’t judge. We should treat others the way we'd like to be treated, despite their behavior. If you don't find fat chicks attractive, all good. Just don't make them feel like shit because of it.