But is it only happening in The Hunger Games?

This past Wednesday night I finally was able to see Catching Fire. I have read all the books in the Hunger Games trilogy, collectively being one of my all time favorite books (and Catching Fire even most specifically) so I was excited to watch. I had asked someone if they wanted to join and they were a little hesitant to respond because the whole concept of the movies is just kind of terrible...kids killing kids. Understandable, but that is kinda what the whole series is about....how terrible it and this society is. The thing that scares me though, is how far off are we as a society from what we see in the Hunger Games?

As I was watching the movie, parts of it made me mad. Not the movie itself, but the government, the people in charge, the media. I was angry that there was a (made up I know) world where these things happen. But the thing is, if you look at our society, there are a scary amount of comparisons.

You have this world where it is controlled by the capitol and the media, and they choose the things that the rest of the world can see. The media turns killings into a game for entertainment at the expense of everyone who isn't part of the elite. Maybe our media isn't exactly broadcasting killing for entertainment, but maybe it sometime is. We put everything and everyone we see on television on a pedestal. People starve themselves to look the way they see people portrayed in the media. The media thrives off of exploiting celebrities lives because people want to watch. Kids pick what is cool by what they see on a screen, and if another kid doesn't embody that, they get picked on. People commit suicide because they don't think they measure up. The media feeds us so many lies and shows us so much crap and a false representation of the world, sometimes it scares me to think we are turning into the capitol.

At the capitol they have people that are power hungry, that will do anything to get ahead/stay on top and prove their power. The government doesn't care about the people at all. They abuse them. They don't look out for their best interests. It's all about social class and inequality. They don't care that people in the districts are living in poverty while they drink drinks to make them less full so they can eat more. Please tell me our elected officials don't also try to cater to the wealthy and the ones that can give them power. Please tell me our government doesn't treat certain social classes and walks of life unequally. Certainly our government doesn't stoop so low as to hobnobbing with the wealthy to make deals to make themselves look better and keep them in control.

Listen, i'm not trying to say we live in Panem, but the idea for the books had to be drawn from somewhere, and i'm thinking it looks like an exaggerated version of the world we live in. Unfortunately we DO have people starving and living in poverty. There ARE kids being shipped off to go fight against their will. There ARE people being abused by their government. And maybe it isn't all happening in America, but it is happening. This world can be a scary place, I just hope that the media doesn't turn themselves into the Capitol, although it keeps looking more and more like that with every anorexic girl shown and every call of duty bought. We are becoming numb to death and to reality and to the things that actually matter in this life. You have people trampling over each other to get 60% off a television and it is turning quite literally into the hunger games. Here's to hoping Panem stays solely a fictional place in a book series i love.

I'm sorry, but can you please not say that?

"I see the destruction those lifestyles lead to, and my heart breaks for them."

This isn't the first time I have heard or read that sentiment about someone being gay. I'm sorry, but since when did having a whole and full life and being gay become mutually exclusive? Some people of religious faith say these things all the time when this subject comes up.....'you wouldn't be living life to the fullest and living the life God would want you to lead.' This is absurd to me. This is something that has been said to me, and I would like to take a minute to kindly educate you that people who say this should probably STFU (what's the nicest way to say that?)

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I would say the type of lifestyles that lead to what I would believe to be destruction would be one of a drug addict, someone who can't forgive or let go of the past, people struggling from other addictions and anger management problems. It could just be me (which maybe it is) but I don't see why people still feel the need to put energy into arguing or try to change people from the gay "destructive lifestyle" when there are people that are going through actual life threatening/altering situations.

Is my lifestyle and who I am attracted to really that much of a destruction? Is the fact that I treat people equally and give love and compassion as much as I can that much of a detriment to society and myself? Does it hinder your own livelihood that I work hard at my job, try to further my career and grow my friendships? Does it make the other religious folk feel uncomfortable or frightened if I am someone who seeks to follow after the Lord, basks in all His love, shares it as much as I can and be gay?

Please don't let your heart break for me, and if it does I will pick it up and mend it back together with the love that Jesus has for both of us. If your heart breaks, let it break for the orphans, the homeless, the addicts, the unloved, the depressed, not the one's who just so happen to not be attracted to the gender that you deem appropriate.

You know what, I am going to live my life to the fullest. I am going to travel. I am going to be successful in my career. I am going to be happy. I am going to have great friends. I am going to serve the less fortunate. I am going to show love. I am going to receive love. And I don't ever for a second want anyone to think that I can't have a lifestyle worth being proud of. I know that some people may think that I am less of because I don't dream to walk down the aisle to Mr...whoever, but your opinion should no longer shape the way I or other people view themselves.

And as a not so side note, it is completely normal that everyone is always congratulating these unmarried 19 year olds getting pregnant but 2 girlfriends that have been dating for years get married and don't get the same amount of congratulations? These are actual things that I am currently seeing on my Facebook timeline. The same people that 'like' the posts that abhor homosexuality are also seen 'liking' the picture of a barely grown kid's pregnant stomach...all while they either have a kid that does drugs, smokes weed, or has premarital sex or does it themself. I'm not about pointing fingers and you can do whatever with your own life that you want, but when people make outrageous double standards, as you might can tell, it just gets under my skin.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts of the week. I know we might not agree, but hopefully it stretched your minds a little bit if not.