Recently, on Twitter, I posted something – and I’m paraphrasing – about “All right is two words. Alright isn’t proper English.” Or words to that effect. Lots of people agreed, lots disagreed, and some of my followers retweeted the tweet, and people who didn’t follow me commented as well. One comment stated that “Alright is perfectly acceptable.” And I responded with something like, “Try using it in an academic paper.” It was meant as a bit of a light-hearted response. I mean, who really wants to fall out over the whole all right/alright argument? In her reply (she looked like a “her”, but I don’t think she included her pronouns in her profile), she accused me of being a racist, sexist, elitist misogynist. All because I said that “alright” is not proper English.

This is the world we live in now. Though people get offended at everything, I think they actually enjoy being offended. And what the hell are people getting offended about? Well, white women are offended when someone calls them a “Karen”. Black people get offended when white people call a white woman a “Karen”, because apparently it’s a black insult and for white people to use it is cultural appropriation. If you’re a straight, white writer and you include a black and a gay character in your latest novel, you’re misappropriating a culture you don’t understand, and in the process, you’re making black people and gay people even more disenfranchised. As Joe Biden would say, “It’s not a joke. I’m not joking.” People even haughtily respond with an ad hominem insult on Twitter over something you’ve said, before blocking you. Which means you can’t see the ad hominem insult on Twitter. Which makes it a redundant comment.

You’re not allowed to disagree with anyone slightly left of centre, because if you do, you’ll be reported and blocked, perhaps doxxed, and subjected to a pile-on from more radical leftists who demonstrate their intelligence by coming up with new and original ways to call you a fascist or a racist. Or a sexist elitist, as I found out. What happened to having a grown-up debate, perhaps even a heated discussion, and then parting with a smile? Why does everybody have to be so offended?

I mean, I try my best, I really do, to be respectful, even to those whose views are radically different to my own. You want to be called a lady, even though you’re 6ft 8, you have the world’s longest beard, you’re bald, with shoulders as broad as a barn, and a penis that hangs down to your knees? Well, fair enough, I’ll call you her and she. But please don’t call me a cis male, or cisgender. Soon as I say that, the shit hits the fan. “You don’t want to be called a cis? You racist, elitist, sexist misogynist! I’m going to call you cis even though you don’t want to be called cis, just so you know how bad gay people and black people felt when people were calling them horrible names!” And as Biden says, again, “Not a joke. It really happened.”

What I’m trying to say is, don’t get offended. Not everyone shares your viewpoint, and nothing you say is going to alter that. I’m not going to become a Marxist, I don’t believe in critical race theory, and I’m not cis. I don’t think we should be mutilating the genitals of children, nor sterilizing them with puberty blockers, and you know, nothing you say is going to change my opinion on that. Why should it? Why is one person’s opinion wrong and someone else’s opinion right? An opinion is an opinion. If you stopped getting offended by opinions, you’d maybe smile more, you wouldn’t get so angry, you wouldn’t have adrenaline rushing through your veins, you’d be healthier. I’m not even saying you have to agree with someone else’s opinion. Don’t agree with it. You don’t have to. But don’t get angry. Don’t insult them. Just step away if you can’t discuss your differing views like adults. And remember, there are people out there who just want to offend you and troll you, and it’s not worth it, feeding the troll.

Be happy.