As Americans, as humans of the world, we are in some serious trouble. Society seems to be trapped in a constant hamster wheel of corruption and rot.
The sad part is that improvement can be easy, so easy.
They often say change is hard, I disagree; only accepting change is hard. The answer?
Stop being stubborn and angry and let change come.
There are so many options that could elevate so many lives in this country, in this world, just by being more nuanced with the law.
Let's discuss a few...
RedditorFriendLost9587wanted to hear about all the things society may need us to act upon, by asking:
"You’re allowed to make one thing illegal to improve society. What is it?"
First and foremost... restaurants need to stop throwing away food. Tons and tons of food is wasted everyday like it's nothing, while families go hungry. Shameful.
Data...
The Next Generation Data GIF by Star TrekGiphy"Companies buying/selling/collecting your personal data online." ~ tiny_riana
Bad Money
"Money in politics! Don’t let corporate interests and money control politicians." ~ Copykatninja
"I feel like lobbying by itself is fine as long as there is absolutely no money involved. If it's just honest citizens coming together and presenting a case to their elected representative, that's perfectly acceptable. Unfortunately I don't know how common that actually is in practice." ~ LawlessNeutral
Hidden
"Hiding things in legal bills, for instance if you want to update a law don't make a 100 page bill hiding a whole bunch of things in it. Instead just get straight to the point and avoid the thing of 'i agree with this half but not any of this' just make it a one issue bill." ~ jershdahersh
I'm not buying it!
"Mobile apps that false advertise the game." ~ Dragon-factor
"I always wondered how some get away with it. Advertise a game using footage of Triple A title, but the actual game is some puzzle game." ~ SaneNSanity
"My theory is that they do it because they know nobody has any clue how to do anything about it. Who would you even report it to? At best It's false advertising so maybe go that kind of route but nobody is gonna sit and research the company to figure out who to punish. The kind of people sat playing free puzzle games on Android are not normally equipped to take down companies." ~ chocpillow
truth matters
Facts GIF by Judge JerryGiphy"Bring back the law that required news programs to be factual."
"Edit: For those asking or telling me that that’s never been a thing. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCC_fairness_doctrine" ~ Have_A_Jelly_Baby
Yes let us PLEASE believe in facts again! Where did we go so far off course there? Oh wait, don't answer that. [Insert eye roll]
Class Structures
season 1 king GIF by The White PrincessGiphy"I just wish they would enforce the laws we have onto all classes in society, not just the poor and the middle class." ~ guitar--gamer
Playing the board...
"Gerrymandering." ~ beryka
"The issue is that defining Gerrymandering is very difficult - if you have to draw election region boundaries then you have to chose them somehow and given that some boundaries will give different outcomes to the election you need a way to decide which to use."
"I agree that choosing election regions with the objective of a particular election outcome (i.e. a particular party having a majority/a particular policy being enacted) is wrong. What should the objective of drawing election regions be?" ~ AbsurdistAbsolutist
Beauty on the Inside
"Child Beauty Pageants." ~ FarWoods
"I literally wrote my school essay about this it’s so messed up I found out they actually preform illegal plastic surgery on these kids." ~ animeweebgrill
"Child beauty pageants are an American tradition… just not a proud one." ~ LickMySmitty
Bad Profits
"For profit prisons." ~ No_Adhesiveness2387
"Not just for profit prisons, but also prison labor. It’s basically a loophole to keep slavery legal. If locking people up wasn’t a multi billion dollar industry, the US wouldn’t have the worlds largest prison population." ~ InsideCold
Only for NyQuil
"Pharmaceutical advertisements (US issue)." ~ DrBeepers
"I think NZ has this as well. And honestly I don’t care if NyQuil wants to keep telling me to buy it, but I am very opposed to prescription drug ads. The only good facet of them is that they may let uninformed people know there is actually something out there to treat them - but the idea of people going to their physician, who’s supposed to be working in their best interest, and saying 'prescribe me this I saw a cool ad for it' is so gross to me." ~ fatgesus
Pick Up!
Encouragement Dog Poop GIFGiphy"You are legally obligated to pick up your dog poop." ~ Shady_John
If you can't pick up your dog's poop, you shouldn't have a dog! That's outrageous! People are a mess. Let's work on implementing these ideas!
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Actually worrying about anything being "cool"!
"Being cool."
"Actually for me it was around 35, because I like banging my head into a wall."
"But others started realizing earlier than me."
"Everyone I knew started realizing that all of the things I thought were cool when we were 20 were actually really, really dumb and unimportant and weren't interested in them anymore."
"And I'm not even married or have kids, I can't imagine how stupid the sh*t I was into would seem if I had a family."
"However, video games I played when I was young still seem cool to literally everyone my age, so that didn't change even though I expected it would."
Early to bed, early to rise... or at least early to bed...
"I value my sleep a lot more at 30 than I did at 29."
"It scares me."
"I’m not in my twenties anymore but life is good."- arcanehavok743
Tired Jet Lag GIFYeah...I'll just have one glass
"Hangovers."- writer_rat
I'll pay up for convenience.
"Teenager/early 20’s: 'yo we can save money by booking the 7am return flight and not paying for accommodation - lets just stay at the club until 5am or sleep on the airport floor!'"
"30yo: I’d rather die."- Gravesens1stTouch
I'll be transparent, and I'll honor my plans!
"Bailing on plans last minute."
"If you don’t want to do something, just say so."- freakanature
Schitts Creek No GIF by CBCGiphyDude, we graduated over ten years ago!
"Bragging about your high school accomplishments."- Hysterical_Realist
Yeah... I'll get my own...
"Sleeping 8 to a hotel room to save money."- UrDraco
So this is what it's like to have a savings account...
"Spending all your money at the bar on payday."- deputytech
Paying Make It Rain GIF by TravisGiphyLife is meant to be enjoyed.
"Here's some prospective from way in your future."
"I'm 64."
"When I was in my 50's my motto was, 'Oh, well'."
"I have 2 mottoes for my 60's."
"'Anyway, doesn't matter', and 'I don't need that stress in my life'."
"It's a great place to live."
Our tastes and interests change with each passing year.
Hence why staying up till 5am drinking straight from the bottle and eating nothing but potato chips might not have the same appeal.
Though no one should look back on those moments with shame or embarrassment.
After all, a good time was had by all, and that's what your 20s were for.
Not everyone wins the parent lottery.
It's a hard road when you have parents who don't support you or are openly hostile to you.
And the nonsense and cruelty can be subtle.
Sometimes it's the subtlety that's worse.
Redditorsnoofle-sciencewanted to discuss the ways we can all tell how others we're brought up by people who maybe should've rethought breeding. They asked:
"What is a sign you grew up with shi**y parents?"
I got lucky with my parent but I feel others who got the opposite.
Center of...
Ill Do It 30 Rock GIFGiphy"You are in your 40s and still crave attention and validation from anyone at all because you were ignored all the time."
JBLBEBthree
Protection
"Even at 31, feeling like if I get close to anyone they'll find a way to take advantage of me."
NoticeWhenUAreHappy
"I’m not even sure my parents are wholly to blame there, they taught me love is kinda conditionally based on being a success and family means never being comfortable directly opening up. And that truly dealing with things is best done by ignoring or shouting about them. It was other folks who took advantage."
cewumu
I want nothing...
"The last time I got new tires, my mom made me let her pay for them for me because I didn't have a job and she doesn't want me spending money. Within an hour after, she was already using it as leverage like a, 'I did this for you, now do this for me!' kind of thing. My dad let me reimburse them without her knowing, but still. My parents have caused me to not be comfortable with accepting anything from anyone anymore. Not even a Christmas gift from a close friend."
SilverLugia1992
Do X
"Not being able to recognize affection or how to show it healthily."
TwoLaysea
"Affection gives me panic attacks. I know I'm going to get in deep crap because they're going to follow up with 'since I'm so loving you need to do X' with X being something i know I don't want to do. Haven't lived at home in decades but I still don't trust when people are being genuinely kind and loving. I know the other shoe is going to drop with a whole foot in it."
digitalwyrm
Worth
Sad A Christmas Story GIF by filmeditorGiphy"You feel intimidated by everyone around you, you feel like you're never good enough for anyone, no matter how much they tell you that you don't need to try so hard, and you generally have low self-worth."
mR-gray42
Some childhoods really are a tragedy.
Sorry
Oh My God Wow GIF by The Roku ChannelGiphy"Being surprised people will apologize and want to talk out and deal with an issue instead of screaming and pretending everything is fine and never mentioning why there was a fight or argument at all."
ToastedMaple
Lies
"You remember being severely neglected yet you were told 'you are spoiled.'"
Embarrassed-Swan3568
"Lots of these hit close to home, but this one hits closest. Especially because my parents use money as a way of trying to keep me around for narcissistic supply."
"'Oh, they're such nice people, look at all they do for you!' Literally all I want in life right now is to not have to depend on them, I'd give every penny I have to not have to spend time with them and just constantly keep my mouth shut about my childhood abuse."
emueller5251
The Crave
"I once had one of my good friends tell me about how his dad never hugged him or said he loved him and this fantasy he had about his dad holding is head in his hands and telling him he loves him. I promised myself I would do everything I can to make sure my kids feel loved and are used to affection. And it's clear they crave it."
TheGlenrothes
I Remember
"When you really don’t remember any good times you spent with them."
AverageLegoGameFan
"My family was mad when I didn't attend my grandfather's funeral last year. I thought about it for a minute... then realized I could not come up with a single positive memory of him or anything nice he ever said to me in my life (I'm 44)."
"I could, however, come up with a very long list of really shi**y things he did and said. So I realized, why would I want to go? Don't want to see anyone else that will be attending anyhow so, nope. I am an adult and I don't have to so I didn't and I am glad for my choice."
Business_Loquat5658
peace out...
Bye Bye Goodbye GIF by Mickey MouseGiphy"You don't talk to them anymore or want them in your life otherwise as an adult (e.g., not inviting them to your wedding, or want them around any potential children you may have)."
Cuish
People really should have to be licensed to become parents.
Thankfully I've only ever fainted. Blackouts and hospital stays give me anxiety.
Knock Out
happy homer simpson GIFGiphy"I was walking to a birthday party. Next thing I knew, I woke up in an ambulance. I had been struck over the head and was knocked unconscious. I never found out who it was, or what they wanted (they didn't take anything from me)."
nome_king
The Van
"On a business trip in Texas. Me and two co-workers were driving to work, I was in the back passenger seat. Woke up in an ambulance. Got hit by a sprinter van at 50mph and slammed into a guard rail according to the police report. I don't remember any of it. Broke 7 ribs, collar bone, concussion, and fractured two bones in my neck. Took like 7 months to recover, but my neck and shoulder still bother me daily."
RemarkableWafer
Psycho
"When I was around 8 or 9, my parents went to have dinner at a fancy restaurant. My younger brother was at a friends house and I had a babysitter. When I finally fell asleep I woke up in an ambulance. Turns out my babysitter overdosed me with pills so I wouldn’t wake up whilst she threw a party at my house. She gave me so many I passed out and had a reaction."
Honey_*itch-
Weeks Later
"My girlfriend had a thyroid related heart attack, where she was revived and put into a medically induced coma for like 2 weeks, and took her another 2 weeks to come out of it. Then she had to go to in-patient physical therapy for a bit. Talking to her after she woke up, I couldn't help but be astounded how much it f**ked with her memory. It was like she remembered events, people, things and places, but any concept of time went out the window."
"For example, she thought she was living at her ex husband's mom's house, driving a car she had before we met, working at her current job, and knew we were dating. And of course, as those were all simultaneously impossible, she was having a lot of trouble figuring out what was right, and what wasn't."
Digital_Utopia
Hero Gramps
Winning Old Man GIF by Great Big StoryGiphy"I had a severe asthma attack to the point my entire throat closed up. I turned blue and was lying on the kitchen floor. Woke up in my grandads car with a straw in my throat and him banging on my back. Woke up again in the hospital. I was about seven."
Kaonashi_chlo
I would be a wreck in all of these situations. This is too much.
Erased
Alcohol Memory GIF by funkGiphy"Hit by a van . Woke up about a month later. My last memory before waking up is my 4th period art class in high school. So it completely erased the last half of the day before and the entire morning of the accident itself."
Half_Smashed_Face
A Bad Series
"My dad was driving me to school and suddenly I was in my bed! I get up, open my door, and ask my family what just happened! They all simultaneously scream for me to go back to the bed. Apparently I had already asked them what happened six separate times. I had a series of grand mal seizures during the car ride."
"Went from chatty to seizing all of a sudden. My dad called our pediatrician and I was eventually diagnosed with a form of epilepsy. My dad was told to take me home and put me to bed. It was the most disorienting thing I've ever experienced. It took six months to feel normal again. I had a constant sense of newness with familiar things that was very weird."
Nht2
To Sleep
"I was in elementary school. I stayed home because I had a light fever one day. I took a nap and woke up 3 days later in the hospital with no feeling in my legs. I had contracted viral meningitis, which had cut off the nerves to my lower body. I was bedridden for 3 weeks and spent several more weeks in physical therapy relearning how to walk. The horrors I endured during my stay were traumatic enough, but I still feel lucky. In high school, a fellow classmate had contracted bacterial meningitis, he died two days later."
Tathanor
The Jungle Gym
"I don't know if absolutely plastered counts as being fine one minute, but yeah. I remember being sh**faced sitting on a jungle gym in a park and then waking up the next morning in the hospital with an IV and catheter. Apparently I was found in a coma and had multiple organs shutting down. If I hadn't received medical help I would've died. Am now 3 years sober."
sandenema
The Rupture
angry chris farley GIFGiphy"I was at work having a normal day. I went to the toilet and could not get off the floor because I was doubled over in pain."
"I somehow managed to stagger out to where my colleagues were and they called me an ambulance. Got to hospital and had all my clothes and belongings shoved in a bag and was rushed into emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy."
snoozlybar
Well I guess some miracles actually do happen. That is all too crazy.
Everyone has an opinion...
"Reddit."- tall2022420
Oof, that's bad...
"It's not a big community, but there are items in the dilapidated bowels of the Chernobyl nuclear plant that are less toxic than the Super Smash Brothers Melee fan base."- CorgisDie
When the creators tell you to back off, take a hint!
"'Rick and Morty'."
"Even the show's creators have had to clash with them and their toxicity."- JeremyZenith·
Rick And Morty Facepalm GIFGiphyI like it, in small doeses...
"Kpop fans."
"I love really enjoy Kpop and am a fan myself, but damn. I sometimes just can't."- Ok-Enthusiasm-6975
Love the animation, the fans, not so much...
"Some anime community’s."- thomas_da_tra1n
Queen Gg GIF by League of LegendsIt's just a TV show... tone it down a bit...
"I expected to find this but haven't yet."
"The Supernatural Fandom."
"Other than the whole populous of it are cringe and over the top, getting tattoos of a show detail etc."
"They've literally bullied the show to continue the show past the natural ending, season 5, and for literally half a decade made them try to poop out content that topped the last season, with no where to really go to at that point."
"The consistent push on 'shipping' characters together that make the actors visably uncomfortable."
"The fan base is full of edgy people who gatekeep everything.'- develyn507
All of them!!!
"Are there any non toxic fan bases anymore?"
"The whole idea of people getting together and arguing with anyone that disagrees with them just breeds discontent."- KingGuy420
Stop It Neil Patrick Harris GIFGiphyAt least they get them excited about reading...
"YA writers."
"No specific authors, but the community of them."- D-Rez
There's nothing wrong with being passionate about something we love.
But when that passion starts to become competitive, even unsafe, can you even still call it a fanbase "community"?