Anger I

I was raised angry. I grew up in a household of persistent fighting. I grew up in a household of punk: constant, raw, screaming vinyl (see below: "Know Your Rights" lyrics by the Clash). I grew up with parents who hated the Iraq war and bush and knew there were no weapons of mass destruction. I was a teen when the housing market crashed, but we were already poor.

My parents distrusted the police and politicians. At the age of 8 I was outraged and confused when my mom went outside to give a police officer directing traffic a water bottle on a hot day. How could she think he deserved that? He's our enemy.

My parents taught me anger and their wicked and bitter quarrels hardened that anger. That anger was, at times, directed at me and I learned to direct that anger at myself too. I was blunt and outspoken. At the age of 13 I was a nihilist and that since of meaninglessness carried me through high school.

I often scared people and I liked it. I took pride in saying outrageous things. Never in front of a room but directly to that person, one on one, when no one was around to hear it. Even they weren’t sure if I really had said it.

I was constantly battling being the good girl my parents, my family, my community needed and the angry, defiant woman that I truly was. After all, I had so many reasons to hate society.

I wanted to break things and destroy private property. But, all I did was go home, do homework, and daydream until I fell asleep. I was in direct conflict with who I wanted to be, and who I had to be, to actually make the changes I wanted to see in the world.

How has your worldview shaped your anger? What role has anger played in motivating you?

“Know Your Rights"

By the Clash

This is a public service announcement

With guitar

Know your rights all three of them

Number 1

You have the right not to be killed

Murder is a CRIME!

Unless it was done by a

Policeman or aristocrat

Know your rights

And Number 2

You have the right to food money

Providing of course you

Don't mind a little

Investigation, humiliation

And if you cross your fingers

Rehabilitation

Know your rights

These are your rights

Wang

Know these rights

Number 3

You have the right to free

Speech as long as you're not

Dumb enough to actually try it.

Know your rights

These are your rights.