I think religious hypocrisy is especially irritating because these are the people who are FIRST to tell you that you’re doing wrong. A catholic priest teaches against homosexuality, then when the service has suspended, proceeds to diddle the deacons behind closed doors? Okay Susan, sure. Go to that service and let that man teach you about right and wrong, but heed this advice. Keep a close eye on little Timmy, all I’m saying. People these days can’t keep it in their pants to save a life. Now, I’m not claiming to be free of hypocrisy. Just the other day I said to my little sister, “Bean, don’t eat that chocolate ice cream in the freezer. It’s supposed to be for Momma since she’s not feeling well”. I’d wager it was five minutes that had gone by before I was into that ice cream, but guess what? Who cares about frozen treats in the grand scheme of things. At least I’m not claiming to be a holy extension of god with the power to lead an entire congregation.

In the fourth Harry Potter, The Goblet of Fire, Harry witnesses the rebirth of the chief antagonist, Lord Voldemort. All throughout the year strange happenings had been occurring, such as Harry’s name being entered into the Goblet to compete, despite being three years too young in accordance with the Ministry of Magic’s own standards. Towards the end, Wormtail is able to provide the essential ingredients for The Dark Lord’s resurrection (bone taken from his father, the flesh of a faithful servant and the blood of his enemy). Luck appears to favor Harry, for he’s able to successfully return to Hogwarts and alert the ONE person Voldemort didn’t want alerted of his return, Albus Dumbledore. Within the hour Dumbledore is able to reform the Order of the Phoenix and plan the organization’s next movements, which includes informing Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, what had transpired. He annoyingly refuses to believe such news, electing Harry a liar and Dumbledore a cracked old fool for believing him, and spends the majority of the next book making Harry out to be a running joke in the Daily Prophet. In reality, Fudge doesn’t want spread fear and disrupt the peace he has worked so hard to create these last thirteen years, but by doing so, by assuming willing blindness, has endangered his whole country further and made it more difficult for them to be prepared for what eventually will come.

As it pertains to the dangers social media usage creates, I’ll start by declaring that said usage is dehumanizing in many more ways than one. How some people could sleep soundly after writing some of the things I’ve read online is a mystery I’m proud to say I will never understand. Whether they be attention seekers, effective inciters of anger and violence, or an intricate combination of other things, the fact remains that without being in close proximity to their target, people feel at liberty to attack others in a revolting and cowardly fashion. They wouldn’t dare say the things they do to the person’s face so why they feel better doing it behind a keyboard is utterly beyond me. I would kindly remind all who enjoy freely perusing the internet that “nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent”, a quote I believe Elanor Roosevelt is responsible, and who we have to thank for.

It’s funny, I was thinking about this the other day. My sister turned to me in the car while driving to the neighborhood Walmart, she said “Have you ever actually left a negative comment on somebody’s post, regardless of whether or not you ACTUALLY liked it, have you ever taken the time out of your day and left something mean”. I didn’t have to think for very long, the answer was no. First of all I don’t really use social media anyway, but on top of that, why on Earth would I want to drag someone down? Particularly if they aren’t people that I care about. Now if I see my own family acting a fool online, that’s different. So I suppose the answer to the prompt is negative comments in general. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more toxic, time-wasting and denigrating place than a YouTube comment section. My advice, Don’t even bother scrolling down.

My God I never thought it would come to this. I sit here never feeling more like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, but like she says “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself”, alas, here I am.