Many years ago, most people had a great sense of humor. It was easy to tell a joke or make a harmless quip. Today, this isn't possible. Sensitivity has skyrocketed to the point where we have to carefully choose our words out of fear of offending someone, which can be extremely difficult. Do you know how ridiculous this is?
Today, one simple remark can make someone burst into flames. It doesn't even need to be a joke; a person could say something out of complete innocence, and a bunch of people can turn it into a nationwide controversy. There will be protests, riots, and social media rants as long as my research paper on alcoholism. Times have definitely changed. Sure, being sensitive is totally fine, but taking everything you see and hear out of context is not. Guys, the world is not nice. It's not full of lollipops and rainbows. It's cruel, it's a mess, and it's unfair. Get over it. This is reality.
Most of us (well, actually all of us) prefer to be in our comfort zones, where we feel safe. We want to escape the real world a majority of the time, because it just sucks. I understand that and I'm guilty of doing the exact same thing. However, we can't make our comfort zones real. We have to return to reality. We can't stomp our feet and cry when we have to go back. We want to block out anything that doesn't line up with our perfect scenarios. Unfortunately, this is how society is now. The people have whined and cried, and now we can't say the words "black," "immigrant," or "gay." No one can have their own opinions and beliefs because they're afraid of offending someone.
In one of my favorite movies, "Mrs. Doubtfire," there's one line in particular that wouldn't even make the final cut these days. When Robin William's character, Daniel, is trying to put on his Mrs. Doubtfire garb, he loses his mask by accident. He's still donning his wig, so all he needs is to hide his face. Before he can be seen by his houseguest, he desperately tries to find a solution. He considers hiding his face with a towel, but quickly drops the idea, murmuring to himself, "I'm not a Muslim." It's a funny line, but most would find it offensive, even if they don't follow Islam. This kind of comedy wasn't a problem back then, but now it is.
Occasionally, I'll post something on Facebook that would probably make some people raise an eyebrow, but I really don't care anymore. More than once, my mom has come at me, saying something like, "Why would you post that?! What if [insert name here] sees that?!" So, I would delete it. When I look back on it now, I've realized that I shouldn't have worried about what others would think. If they disagree with my beliefs, the unfriend button is one click away. If they want to argue, we can have a healthy discussion like the adults we are.
Are you a Christian? Great, so am I. Oh, you're an atheist? That's okay, I won't shove my beliefs down your throat. You're a democrat? Cool, I'm a republican. You voted for Hillary? Nice, I voted for Trump. You support illegal immigration? I don't, but I'll be happy to listen to your reasoning and you can listen to mine. You're going to a protest? Have fun, I have other plans. You're gay? There's nothing wrong with that as long as you're happy.
There's a difference between joking around and seriously offending someone. Being funny is a good thing, but taking it way too far is never okay. Like I said before, being sensitive is okay, but it's a different story if people have to watch their words around you. If you really think about it, both sides of this topic need to improve. The first can't be mean, and the other can't be too sensitive. It's as simple as that. It's too bad most of the human race can't get this drilled into their heads.
