I drew the piña colada, and then a bit later I realized it needed a little purple umbrella, and then a bit later I realized it needed a long pink curly straw. I think it’s correct now.
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Lasper came up the stairs and said to Val and Audri, “Would you two join me for a drink?” Val said, “Sure.” Lasper gave the order to the food synth, “Synth, three limbic fizzlers.” Audri said, “Piña colada for me.” Fetching the drinks, Lasper said, “Listen, I know you’re both sad that Gerek left, but you have to understand that people like Yakky don’t hate the Bollycks for no reason.” As Lasper handed a drink to Val, she said, “We know. We know! The Bollycks have been brutally killing people for so long that everyone’s forgotten what they were like before. But I don’t believe that any race is inherently evil. And from what Gerek said, the G.O.B. radicalized them to this.” Audri added, “And ‘othering’ people is merely a coward’s way to feel okay as the oppressor.” Raising his arms wide, Lasper said, “I agree! And Gerek gives me hope for change! I’m just saying that we should remain sensitive to the fact that people have a hard time keeping their heads straight when a ship of Bollycks has just slaughtered their entire crew.” Audri said, “Well, they should work harder at keeping their heads straight then.” Lasper said, “They’re usually more focused on keeping it attached to their body.”
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Does anyone else hear Lasper speaking with the voice of Thomas Haden Church?
At the risk of reviving a long-dead catchphrase, Lasper’s words were never more true.
It’s convenient to presuppose that evil governments and “the system” explain racism, hatred and just general bad feelings, but you find people altogether responsive to bad personal experiences and just generalized suspicion and distrust of anything new or strange. Externalizing it to organizations or some vague notion of oppression just short-circuits your own thinking and keeps you from regarding the complicated true origins of hatred, racism, and ‘owning the libs,’ among other things.
Which leaves you no better than the people you’ve determined you now must self-righteously hate because THEY hate. Welcome back to Square One. Your move?