This is going to offend a bunch of people possibly, and I`m prepared for that, but this is something that has to be said, because we live in the 21<sup>st</sup> century and although it`s been spoken on amongst a lot of people, I need to give my 2 cents (or more) on this.

We live in a sensitive era. People can`t go a day without having to say something to someone about the things that they say because people have so much thin skin, you would swear that they`re transparent. Honestly, what happened to the days when you could just say what you wanted because you felt like saying it? I get it – words hurt people’s feelings, but most of the time, people aren’t even trying to be disrespectful. We live in a society that makes it okay to teach the history of the N-word (and I do mean nigger) in school, a word that’s said amongst a MULTITUDE of ethnicities around the world and people are blasé about it? That makes no sense.  I get it; it’s a historical word that has evil meanings behind it, but I think that as generations grow up more and kids learn more about it, it becomes nothing more than just a regular word. It’s bad, I get it, but with hip hop/rap/movies and every other media outlet that uses the word freely, really – what do you expect? Stop this.

We live in the social networking era where freedom of speech is even freer than what it used to be. Celebrities, notable figures, athletes, and everyday people can really express what they feel and receive instant love or backlash for the things they say. They’re being themselves, and often times, they have to feel the need to hold in their tongues before they say something because of the people who are “watching” what they’re saying at all times. Exactly, who brought you into this world? Who’s brain do you control? Who’s thoughts are you thinking? No one but your damned self (okay, with the first one, maybe you needed some help, but that’s besides the point). You have control of the things that you say and the things that you feel, and yes, at times, you’ll get someone who will say “You know, I didn’t like that,” and that’s life. Period. Not everyone will like what you have to say, because NOT EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS NICE! People need to understand that the reason why we’re able to say what we want when we want is because we’re allowed to express ourselves without the fear of being condemned from the general public. Too many people are scared of being judged, so what do they do? They hide. They don’t want people to find out what they’re saying because they think they’ll be punished for it. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are things that you MAY not want to say so direct, because that can lead to some punishment (I.E bashing your place of work), but honestly if you need to express yourself, and writing in a journal or a little note on your phone doesn’t work, then make it public. At the end of the day, you have to live by your words, and that’s how the world turns.

To the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community, let me say this. I’m not a homophobic, I’m not against your lifestyle, and I’m in any way a hater of your group of people, but it’s entirely annoying when you go around screaming that you want your equal rights and your respect, and having people stop using terms like “gay, queer, faggot, etc” whenever people use it out of context when it’s not even directed towards you. The term “That’s gay” a majority of the time, doesn’t even have anything to with you being a homosexual, people are just using the term to express their dislike of a current situation. Now, okay, I get it, people can use better words, but whatever, that’s not going to change. The LGBT community has rights and get treated better than many ethnicities. Being who you are isn’t a disease, if it is what you are, then it’s what you are; I’m not knocking your lifestyle, because everyone has to live. What I’m saying is that you need to understand that despite what you see in the media or what you hear about kids in school being picked on by bullies, that’s nothing new. Last time I checked, LGBT people weren’t being pulled over by the cops in the broad daylight for taking a jog, or profiled when going to get a job because of their name or location. There are flaws in every ethnicity, faith, race, and the list goes on and on, but I’m just making it an example, and I’m simply stating this – IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU! Calm down, and keep your life moving. The world isn’t just going to surrender at your mercy and give you what you want. That’s not how it works.

People have become sensitive. You can’t say anything without someone getting easily offended and starting to cry because of some words that aren’t even meant to be harmful. Are you 5 years old? Do you need a soother to stop your crying? It’s not that serious. Racism, Sexism, Hate, Discrimination, and Prejudice – all of these will continue to happen in the world. If The Simpsons have taught me anything in life:

Here’s a fresh new way that’s trouble-free,
just don’t look! Just don’t look!

Ignore it. What good is crying going to do if you’re insulted? Someone calls me a nigger? Okay, cool that’s how you feel. Someone calls a Muslim person a terrorist? Harsh, but okay cool, that’s how you feel. Words can only hurt you if you let them hurt you. Being insulted, dissed, kicked down, and looked down upon for a majority of my life has really strengthened me to really understand that words mean nothing unless I let them affect me. If I laugh at your disses towards me, and I’m even able to diss myself just to make you look stupid (See – Eminem’s last freestyle battle in 8 Mile), then how can I lose? I can’t. Period. Use that as your motivation, and develop thick skin. You’ll die in this cold world with some thin skin, because you’ll have nothing to keep you warm at night. Hold that thought.

That’s My Word & It STiXX