I have been walked on, kicked aside, and talked down to for as long as I can remember. I was taught to not say anything if you don't have anything nice to say, yet I was also taught to defend myself.
I have never had to defend myself physically (thank goodness) but verbally- I have this clench in my gut to blurt out the first ignorant and hateful thing that pops in.
Some people push me to the point where I can feel the blood rushing to my face, and I'm doing less listening, and more focusing on not blacking out.
If I do have something good, and rational to say... it's usually an hour after it happened. Sometimes a day or two. I'm not great at thinking of quick responses on the spot, but when i do have one, it's a good one that would have put them in their place.
I try to be a kind person. Some people know what buttons to push to get under my skin. When I say something, and stick up for myself, i'm suddenly a jerk.
Even when I feel as though they don't deserve the respect I give them...
I may get annoyed by certain people, and want to break their nose on a daily basis... But if it came down to it, If they were in a situation that they needed help... I would still help. Even though I dislike them strongly.
Why? Because i'm human. And as this kind person I try to be, I try to see things from the other party's eyes, and walk in their shoes. Sometimes I understand, others I don't. But they are human too, and their life, though it may seem unvalued, or undeserved, still is priceless.
I value life of everyone. Enemies, allies, friends, family, strangers, born or unborn, gay or straight, every race under the sun-
I value your life.
Value the lives of those who you feel don't deserve it, and the lives of those who do.
