Okay, I have a really high tolerance for offensive behavior. I really do. I'm fairly offensive myself so I suppose it comes naturally.

But... Here's the deal. Offensive level on the world seems to be going up. I'm not okay with that. I DO believe there is a certain level of decency and personally responsibility that has to be maintained in order for the world to not completely, you know, fall apart into sex drugs and rock and roll. Okay, rap is more foul than rock now but you get my point.

I was watching Last Comic Standing tonight and I generally like the show. Sometimes I think they go too far but a lot of people find that funny. What ya gonna do? So I'm sitting here watching this and Lavell Crawford comes on. I'm kinda happy to see what he's doing because I've thought he's been fairly so far...

Then he starts.

Let's just say my living room was dead silent.

I can take racist jokes, but I can't take the blatant lack of respect for human beings.

Racist jokes can be really funny, let's face it, we've ALL laughed at them. Anyone who says different is not only probably a closet racist, but is probably an arrogant "I'm not a racist, I know a person of color" jerk. But these, were flat out not funny. They were mean, they were crude, they were blatantly showing that this man didn't like a whole lot of people and held a lot of prejudice.

This is coming from someone that likes Carlos Mencia folks.

This episode just fired me up. It got me on a mental tirade. I read way too many offensive and flat out cruel things today.

Such as this article about Jenna Bush being pregnant. (Don't even ask how I ran across such gossip trash. It was not on purpose.) First, no one's business, SHE'S not president, SHE may not even agree with her father on things. My god, she may even think for herself! The shame of it! But what also offended me is the question, "Is Jenna Bush pregnant or just really fat?" A, willing to bet she's just more comfortable in non-skin tight clothing. I know I am. B, when the HELL did that become fat? Am I REALLY blind, or is that girl... average? Jeez, if SHE'S fat I'm a whale.

And to add in another point on this subject, what's with the commenters? Just because you don't have a face or a name you have enough balls to say shit like that about a person? Wow, who's calling who trash?

Listen, I really don't care if you like the Bush family, I don't. But saying shit like that about people is just wrong. Just like as much as I may hate certain celebrities/politicians (kinda the same thing now) I don't go around plastering my hate for them everywhere. I say my opinions to friends and family and that's it. I won't go slandering people.

See, folks, that's called decency. I know some of you anon pricks out there don't know what that is, but don't worry. It requires more thought than you're capable of.

Then, oh yes, there's a then. Then I read a story about Nicole Richie. Oooh yay what now...

Oh she MIGHT be engaged. Wow. She's PREGNANT and she MIGHT be engaged. Huh. Cool...?

See, I just don't get this. Here's a woman that obviously has some issues (read: waif thin) and the comments on this are vicious.

Did I miss something???

A pregnant woman is getting married, trying to get some stability in her life, and that's... BAD???

Oh wow. I'm really glad my grandpa didn't live long enough to see the world like this. He'd have gone postal.

The moral thing to do, I would think, when you're pregnant, daddy-to-be is around, you're in love, would, call me crazy, be to get married and give the baby a mother AND father.

Call me old fashioned.

If you thought I was done, you're wrong.

Then yesterday when sitting in the office getting ready to meet up with our realtor, Jim, an employee of my parents, is on the computer.

And I hear it.

Obama Girl.

My heckles go up.

Really, I could care less about Obama. Really. I think he's shot himself in the foot so many times he's not going to get the nomination, but that's my opinion. I could be dead wrong and that's fine.

But Obama Girl... Now, I hate Obama Girl.

I know a lot of you will disagree with me on this but I'd like you to open your mind for a minute and really think about what this kind of political commercialization is doing to our elections, our politicians, our entire political structure.

Without hesitation I would call Obama Girl an insult and demeaning to our political structure. No less to women.

I can't tell you just how much I love being portrayed as weak kneed and thoughtless swooning voter. I mean, it's just so warm and fuzzy. Like a rabid wolf.

But the point of Obama Girl is to tap into pop culture. Okay, so Obama didn't have anything to do with it, but the people that did it, they shouldn't have. Flat out shouldn't have.

Our elections are the thing that defines our country, the power of the people. The beauty in that is awe inspiring to me. Our elections should not be made a mockery of. Now Obama isn't a political candidate, he's a pop icon. I find that offensive.

We shouldn't, none of us, be voting for someone because he "looks nice" or (as Will so often points out) because "I can drink a beer with him." Nor should it be based on charm and pop savvy. Our elections should be based on brains, the power of a person's nature, experience in leading roles, the ability to be articulate and graceful when meeting foreign leaders. Obviously that's asking a lot but someone that meets at least experience and brains would be refreshing. Been a while since we had someone that really met those. (Warning now, I don't want any Clinton/Bush hater comments. That's not what this blog is for. Go find a forum someplace else to do that.)

No need to tell you how I felt when I heard about Guiliani Girl...

I just see this complete lack of decency lately that's making me slightly nuts. I know that an ideal society isn't possible. But is common sense, common decency, is that really so much to ask for?

I grew up being one of the most hated people in America. I grew up being called a bitch, a slut, a theif, a liar, and some things I wouldn't even write in here, all before the age of eight. I was propositioned for sex before I was ten, I had men grab and try their damnedest to molest me. Women too. I knew women who were raped. I knew junkies. I knew drunks. I knew dealers. I knew pregnant teenagers. I knew run aways. I knew people of all races and creeds. I knew soccer moms. I knew grade A students. I knew professors. I knew teachers. I knew homeless. I knew fathers. I knew widows, I knew widowers. I knew church ladies, and goths. I knew the upside and downside of every kind of life out there.

I saw people shot. I saw people stabbed. I saw my dad jump in the middle of teenage boys with guns and knives trying to kill each other. I saw him punch a drunk because he was trying to steal out of our joints. (Joints = games) I saw a boy crying from a man molesting him behind the joint I was working, and I knew the man that did it. I saw him get arrested. And I saw there was nothing I could have done to stop it. I went to VBS (vacation Bible school) in more than five cities. I saw a woman laying on the ground in a pool of her own vomit with a black eye. I've hidden from police because I was working in my parents OWN joint and they wanted an excuse to arrest as many carnies as they could. I've called 911 more times than I would count. And had no one respond. I knew how to shoot a gun when I was seven because my parents were scared someone would break into the house and hurt me.

My life was not pure.

I was blessed for that. I got to see every form of life out there. I got to see the world without blinders on.

It was a gift.

And despite all that, my childhood was wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I understand things that people live their whole lives without knowing. If I went through a list of all the places and beautiful things I experienced because of how I grew up, I doubt most of the people I know could match a handful of those things.

So when I say that I see a lack of decency, I think it's time people take a real close look at what they're willing to accept now. Maybe "well it's just" isn't something we need any more.

I've been a big fan of "if you don't like it, turn it off" but... I'm starting to think, I was hopelessly wrong.