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Ashamed to be Human

IMPORTANT

I am away from the 24-29 of July so if you enter and I don't comment, that is why. Thank you.




I for one am ashamed to be human.

As I read and watch the news I become more and more dismayed with life and with humanity, or the distinct lack of it. It makes me sick to think that people can do what they do to other people and to the world we live in.

Yesterday, for example, I read about two French students studying in London who were tied up and tortured in their flat, stabbed over 200 times each and set on fire.

Another boy, my age, was tied to a tree, made to drink petrol and also set on fire. It is almost too disgusting for words.

There are just no punishments fitting for such hideous crimes, especially as I don’t believe in capital punishment. It is just unforgivable .

And those two incidents are far from extraordinary. Another week, another death it seems. And they’re just the ones that reach the news.


On a bigger scale we have the atrocities in Zimbabwe and many other countries, some so accepted that they barely even make the news anymore.

I am in full support of the war in Iraq, and by that I mean I think it is right that we went there, just on the wrong grounds and the wrong reasons and even then we still have to support the troops, rather than undermining them. I just think we should be consistent with deposing dictators, though I won’t even ask why we don’t try and depose Robert Mugabe.


And I guess, biggest of all, the world. And how we are all just, excuse me, fucking it up big time. If we, as a species don’t get our act together then I think we deserve everything that’s coming to us.


Go to any newspaper, any news show, any news website and these are the stories you will find.




Anyway, enough of me telling you why I am ashamed, and I feel I have barely scratched the surface in doing so, now it’s your job to tell me why you are ashamed to be human. It can be anything...though this is a serious contest, so please no funny business. If you can use ironic humour or whathaveyou to get your point across please do, but otherwise I don’t really want to know.

Points will increase only when you give me reason to warrant it.

Rules:
- Relevance is essential
- Metaphor, simile, imagery and other poetic devices, although not essential, will serve you well
- If pushed, I prefer rhyme
- No smut. I can’t see how you could fit it in anyway
- I shouldn’t have to put this, but you never know. Use your common sense
- One entry per person
- Prewrites must fit perfectly

Disclaimer:

The judging is based on my personal opinion and you must accept that before you enter. I’m not asking for anything in your author’s note, but by entering I presume that you agree to this and that if you are unhappy with the way it has been judged you will come to me politely, or not at all. I will try to comment every entry. This is an almost certainty. Almost.



If on the other hand you wish to persuade me to be proud to be human, then join this contest instead

Contest is Over

  • Contest was judged on August 31, 2008
  • Rewards: Gold: 300, Silver: 100, Bronze: 50, Honorable mention: 7 people
  • Final notes:
    Right. Thank you all for your sterling entries and congratulations to the winners. BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO LISTEN UP.

    I will be holding two Collection Point contests for other people to collect their well deserved trophies. I will set them up and let each of you know personally that they are open, sending you the link. Then all you have to do is enter the correct prewrite and I shall award you your trophy. OK? Got that? If not PLEASE say and I will help you because I've done this a few times and some people never enter which means they can't get the trophy they deserve.

    Anyway, if that all makes sense then the order you see here (of Gold, Silver and Bronze) at least isn't 1, 2, 3. It is 1 (congratulations to the outright winner - Humanity At It's Finest), 4 and 7.

    The order of G, S + B goes like this.

    Humanity At It's Finest (G)
    Where Death Would Be Kind (G)
    Gilt (G)

    Man Is To Man What Spider Is To Spider (S)
    Redwood (S)
    Tomb Of The Ultimately Unknown (S)

    Road Not Taken (
    War Of Terror (
    When Will We Learn? (

    Ashamed (HM)
    Empty Promises (HM)
    Compassion? (HM)
    My View (HM)
    A Rant (HM)
    In A Battle No One Wins (HM)
    Proud Of The Ability To Feel Shame (HM)
    Personas (HM)
    Pretty In Pictures (HM)
    Nothing Left To Inherit (HM)
    The Extra Pharmacopeia (HM)
    His Woman (HM)
    I'm Only Human (HM)
    Ashamed To Be A Man...Well Woman... (HM)
    Empires And Streets Of Rage (HM)
    If You Are My Right Hand Man (HM)
    Filth (HM)
    Human-kind (HM)
    Dark Mayhem (HM)
    Clipped Wings (HM)
    True Madness (HM)

    The Honourable Mentions are in no particular order. I would love to give out more, but I feel as I am low on points that 30 trophies will have to do.

    PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS.

    Be waiting for links to the Collection Points.

    Thank you all again.

    Blimey, that is all.

    Taraa x

Contest Winners

  1. “Humanity, at its finest”
    “Humanity, at its finest”
    What a
    by AdamAdkins 76 lines, 10 comments, on Jul 1 6:24 PM 2008. In Life, Dark, Society, Angst, Contemporary, Death, Angry, War, Humanity
    Gold trophy winner
    • Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
  2. Man Is To Man As Spider Is To Spider
    Om my god!
    Are you kidding me?
    by FatBSlamDance 84 lines, 1 comment, on Aug 4 2:38 PM 2008
    Silver trophy winner
    • Commented on by judge. [remove]
  3. Road Not Taken
    In blossomed wild flower fields
    under early mornings rising sun
    by Roaddog Wolf 27 lines, 4 comments, on Aug 19 2:40 PM 2008. In Life, Nature, Thoughts
    Bronze trophy winner
    • Commented on by judge. [remove]
  4. Ashamed
    Burning the candle at both ends
    lights a beacon for bleak disappointment;
    by Gratitude 6 lines, 6 comments, on Aug 16 8:25 AM 2008. In Contemporary, Anger, Sad, Pain, Personal, Failure, Life, Other
    Honorable mention
    • Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
  5. Error: Unable to find finalist item 4486669, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
  6. Compassion?
    by Shakes-spear 34 lines, 3 comments, on Jul 6 7:28 AM 2008. In Adult, Abuse, Angst, Contest, Dark, Pain, Sad, Personal, Society, Weird, Thoughts
    Honorable mention
    • Commented on by judge. [remove]
  7. My view...
    Okay so I wouldn't exactly say ashamed,
    But no doubt, I feel we are all to blame,
    by Sketchin 29 lines, 1 comment, on Aug 4 11:32 PM 2008
    Honorable mention
    • Commented on by judge. [remove]
  8. a Rant
    MY BLOOD IS ANGRY,VIVID RED,
    IT BOILS WITHIN MY VEINS,
    by doodlebug 43 lines, 4 comments, on Aug 19 1:34 PM 2008
    Honorable mention
    • Commented on by judge. [remove]
  9. In A Battle No One Wins
    Can we simply find the beauty,
    in every walk of life.
    by Pisces rainbow 24 lines, 8 comments, on Aug 15 7:50 AM 2008. In Angst, Sad, Society, Contest
    Honorable mention
    • Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
  10. Proud of the Ability to Feel Shame...
    Humanity now gives to me
    The new ability to be
    by elmundopasa1 2 lines, 3 comments, on Aug 19 2:55 PM 2008. In Thoughts, Society, Sad
    Honorable mention
    • Commented on by judge. [remove]

Entries [34]

1 - 34 of 34

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Comments

1 - 30 of 54     1 2  next >  (show all)

  • Never Fall in Love
    July 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    What is smut?

  • Naraku No Hana
    July 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    this is such a brilliant contest. I'll have to think on this one and see if I can express myself. Humans in general are monsters, worse than animals. Animals usually kill for food when they need it on instinct but humans kill and hurt for fun, etc and it's sickening. I've definitely got to try and enter this!!!


  • adsaige
    July 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    really, i had my own show down but it was
    dealing with my race...not sure if that's
    revelevant? i completely agree with you
    and i thank you for your bold courage in
    bringing this subject to term, but as my
    speech teacher would have said: your speech
    is rather ambiguous and more informative with
    persuasion on the grounds of ethos, than
    useful.

    not bashing...
    what is our solution to this?
    other than "get out act together".
    there are sick people other there.

    i should know.

    • Death of the Author
      July 5, 2008
      Edit | Reply
      It's not "useful" as I do not claim to have the answers to the problems in the world, I think because there are none, especially none straightforward enough to put up on here. I appreciate the comment but am confused as to your meaning, please explain if you have the time.

      • adsaige
        July 5, 2008
        Edit | Reply
        i know...no one has all the answers.

        the meaning:

        you based the statements on the
        grounds of ethos, or emotions.
        pathos is reasoning, logos is
        logical nature of man. to make
        a speech or statement, as this
        is a text speech, the conviction
        is strong, but it's biased as you
        opinion. which is very good, however
        those who are content with the
        world around can always take
        your "rant" and tear it apart.

        we don't want any showdown here!



        thanks all, a little wisdom among simple
        seeds. take care. work on that a bit.

        • Death of the Author
          July 5, 2008
          Edit | Reply
          They can take it apart if they please.

          And that's the point of having a sister contest, for people proud to be human as of yet, being typed up). I don't want to feel ashamed.

          • adsaige
            July 5, 2008
            Edit | Reply
            neither do i, but all
            you can ever do is set
            yourself apart as an
            individual. think of
            all the slavery, war...
            this country was built
            upon war, it's only
            suffice to say, it may
            be destroyed by war.
            whether human created or
            "bibical".

            • Death of the Author
              July 5, 2008
              Edit | Reply
              I enjoy talking to you. I enjoy talking to anyone who uses words I don't know without being patronising.

              Individuality...it boggles my mind trying to think about it.





              "biblical". Ha. I like =)

              • adsaige
                July 5, 2008
                Edit | Reply
                as do i. i enjoy talking to
                people who open their minds
                and think before speaking.
                i also enjoy those who
                listen to themselves speaking
                and not sound ignorant. you
                don't sound ignorant.

                some though will think this
                piece is a bit extrageous,
                which pieces are, but if they
                are as intellectual as they
                seem they can look past just
                the words, really.

                how old are you if you don't mind
                me asking?

                • Death of the Author
                  July 5, 2008
                  Edit | Reply
                  Have you heard of Tim Minchin?

                  Only because what you said reminded me of one of his songs. "If you open your mind too much, your brain will fall out".

                  I tend not to think, and regret it greatly.

                  I am 17, and yourself?

                  Ooo...Doctor Who. I shall be back to talk to you later hopefully =)


                  • adsaige
                    July 5, 2008
                    Edit | Reply
                    sure, we'll talk later...
                    and i'm 16, though i
                    tend to think i'm older.


                • Never Fall in Love
                  July 5, 2008
                  Edit | Reply
                  Interesting convo, I must say..
                  He's 5 years old though






                  *cough*
                  haha, he's 17

          • FatBSlamDance
            August 9, 2008
            Edit | Reply
            you really should though, consider some of the things you could do to better our situation in the world. It seems hopeless a lot of the time because there is so much happening in the world that you probably can not affect. It isn't hopeless though and there are a lot of things within your sphere of influence that you could be doing to change things, you just have to take the time to define what those things are and then go for it. Maybe a contest about what those things are? that would be cool.


  • DesolatELifE
    July 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    I am too tired to read thw whole bit about what the contest is about, but know that you're not alone in your shame. Humans are disgusting.
    'He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man'. True

  • fireflyinthenight
    August 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply

    Ashamed to be a Human

    This is my first write in, hopefully I put it in the right place.

    Mankind has done terrible things and continues to do so although we consider ourselves civilized. I am not ashamed to be human because I do not do what they do. I believe as one goes through life and wins that game of living decently, then one must not sacrifice that way of thinking because that way is correct. We do not want to turn into something evil or do evil. We have that choice.

    I gave up reading the newspaper because of all the horror it contains. In my town a man stabbed one woman 200 times, when her sister entered the home he too attacked her and stabbed her to death, the third person to enter the home was her daughter which this man then raped, but this victim was able to dial 911 and get help right when the murderer was putting his pants back on and there stood the police. There is no remorse among the evil. They have no remorse because that is what they intended to do.

    Sometimes we do see persons who commit a horrendous crime out of anger and hostility, and when they come out of their evil trance they feel remorse and willingly want the death penalty for their dastardly deeds.

    There are some wonderful human beings out there, but there also lurks the horrid of horrible people. Some people don't believe there is a wicked demonic source behind all this, and Satan is on the loose, but I truly believe he is, because the crimes are no longer just killing they are brutal savagery.

    I put life simply, all good things come from God, all evil and even are everyday negative thoughts come from Satan, the father of the lie. A lie is always negative, never positive. We all think negatively at times, but by getting the mastery over those thoughts we can make ourselves feel better. Have you noticed the more you dwell on something, the worse it is, but if one can focus their thinking on positive things life suddenly becomes wonderful again. Sometimes I say to myself, look at the beautiful trees and lakes they do not do anything harmful. All the harm is done by man to each other. This all comes from what they put in their brain. As one continues to put in all kinds of evil junk into the brain, the opportunity is just waiting for the evil one to help them get courage to act on their thoughts.

    Life needs discipline. I try everyday to improve and work on myself, always putting in good things so I can reap good things. Thanks for reading, this is my first article. This appears to be a good site to vent out feelings.


  • BeautifulXxDisaster silver member
    August 17, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    I will not persuade you to think anything... we are individuals and I approve what you say about humanity... I despise being half human for humanity has lost its proper meaning.
    That world that we all painted is now a massacre of pain and dissaray....
    I wish you luck on this contest for I have no write that will comfort or companion you in your thoughts. Best of luck!

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