Awareness

I've spent the past month being bludgeoned by Breast Cancer Awareness.  Pink flippin ribbons all over the damned landscape.  How many of those cured once case of cancer?  I ask because I'm genuinely curious.  How does any awareness of anything cure any disease, stop any injustice or change the world in any discernible way whatsoever?

I ask the eternal why because I'm sick of all of the ribbons and bracelets and months and the rest of the bullshit that idiots wrap around themselves so they can tell themselves they are really doing something.  It's like the PTA for grown ups.  Doubt me?  Let me list just a few of the things of which I am aware:

• Cancer
• Skin Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Uterine Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Diabetes
• Child Abuse
• Spousal Abuse (yes, it happens on both sides, I am aware)
• Rape
• Domestic Violence
• Murder
• War
• Pestilence
• Famine
• Stupidity

I am aware of so much more, and yet, my awareness of just those things listed above has not helped move the bar any closer to eradicate any of them.  So, I hope you'll excuse me if I don't take your ribbon or bracelet to show my solidarity of "Awareness".

You know what cures cancer?  Research into what causes the anaplastic cells to form in the first place and how to kill them without kill the host body at the same time.  How does that research get done?  With money that you can contribute directly to the source with no middle man handing you a flippin button, ribbon or bracelet in return for your "Awareness".

Do you want to know what cures domestic violence of any kind?  Taking the bully meting it out and shooting them in the head. How does any "Awareness" accomplish that end?  Because we have a bunch of bleeding hearts standing about saying more "understanding" will help the bully see the error of his ways and just stop.  Bullies don't stop, ever.  Not even after they've had their asses handed to them by the object of their bullying.  All domestic violence is caused by bullies.  Without exception.  Orson Scott Card had it right, you stop them forever, because they won't ever stop.  Use any means to achieve that end.  No amount of "Awareness" of bullying achieves the end  of ending bullying.  Only a bullet to the brain pan will do that.  True.

Rape is an act of dominance, bullying and overpowering.  It has absolutely nothing to do with sex at all, other than sex being the weapon used to beat the other person.  It's an act sullying something, making it as unclean as the sick idiot who commits the act.  Alone or in groups it's all the same.  For most guys it's the only way they can manage to get it up.  For women, it's a sick attempt to gain power in a way that is usually foreign to us.  The act is such a violation for the victim that it never, ever leaves the consciousness, it's always there, no matter how well they think they've gotten over it.  For the violator, it's always a source of pleasure they take out of their mental box often to stroke it, pet it and get off on it all over again.  They don't get off on the sex, they get off on how powerful they felt at the moment.  Once again, the only thing that will end it is the permanent solution of death.

How does my awareness of the ultimate violation of rape make it stop?  Not one iota.  It will not stop one rapist.  No amount of money thrown at domestic violence or rape will ever stop it.  Not for one minute, not for one day.  None.  No bracelet will stop a rapist in his tracks.  No ribbon will stay the fist in the face of a convenient victim.  Nothing stops it, curbs it or even holds back the tide a bit.  Awareness sure as hell does nothing.

No amount of awareness will cure a disease, stop violence or feed one hungry child.  I'm aware of all of these things and yet I know for a fact that my awareness has done nothing more than make me deaf to the pleas for more money to be thrown at administrators who rip off the donated funds meant for research or "prevention", another stupid concept.

You cannot prevent things like domestic violence or rape.  You really cannot prevent disease in the way the bleeding hearts mean it.  That's another story for another post, though.

So please, put away your ribbons, stickers, bracelets, pins and what have you.  Donate money directly to researchers.  Bother to find out who is doing what in the field that catches your fancy and donate money directly to their research, you can, you know.  If you feel the need to stick yourself between the fist and the face it says it loves, become a vigilante, catch them when they're drunk, because they always drink, then kick the holy living shit out of them until they stop moving.  Don't expect their victims to thank you, because most times they won't.  The kid will, the spouses won't.  It's a sick kind of dependency that I don't try to dwell on anymore.  It's so far outside my wheelhouse as to not even be in the same universe.

Same goes for rape prevention.  Just learn something of fighting and hang outside at night looking for sickos hanging outside bars or outside bedroom windows.  If that's how you want to spend your nights, more power to you.  Again, not in my wheelhouse.

But, for the love of Science, stop wearing all that ignorant "Awareness" crap.  It only makes me more aware of how stupid you are.