Dungeons and Dragons goes woke

It must be immensely satisfying to continually apologize for the sins of those who have accomplished more than we have.  My boys, who are big into the whole sci-fi/fantasy gig, informed me that Wizards of the Coast, the company that owns the D&D label, will be issuing copious apologizes for the bigotry and racism and sexism of D&D's originators.

Like so many, WotC's contributions today are likely shallow and lame additions to the breadth and depth of innovations they inherited. Perhaps it is because of a deep down realization that our generations will have little to show for our time on this world, the best we can do is beat down those who built the ladders upon which we have climbed.

I don't know.  Perhaps there is a greater conspiracy at work.  But a generation that displays its righteousness by constantly beating down and apologizing for generations long dead has some serious mental and emotional issues.  Issues that could explain the widespread suicide rates, drug abuse, mental disorders and general hopelessness we're seeing, none of which seem placated by our constant repentance for the sins of everyone else.

Action shot of my boys playing a soon to be condemned board game. America, 2020

Important Update: Our ten year old won.  Heh.  Owing to the three older brothers' stubbornness.  Refusing to cooperate and clashing over strategies, they allowed their youngest to stealthily skip through to the finish line.  I told them they have a good lesson to learn from their first game.  Next time cooperate to avoid having three young adults get their clocks cleaned by their ten year old brother.

Another Update: I'm not expert on all things D&D, but here is a site that is tracking the madness.  My boys say we're already in a dystopian fantasy and don't realize it.  The mark of a dystopian fantasy (or any of the totalitarian regimes of the last century, is that they are cults at the end of the day.  The people in them pass the ability to know they are in them.  No matter how stupid, ridiculous or wrong, then accept it because.  So declaring your righteousness by eliminated racism against fictional monster races is seen as a mark of moral superiority.  As is declaring the lack of connection between sex and babies, or the non-existence of gender, or the fact that if you're not willing to judge and segregate then you're a racist.  When we hit this level of dumb, we're already 84% there.

I'm a critic and proud of it

So our interim priest, in addition to promoting a couple upcoming events, gave a kudos to Dads.  No problem.  But have you ever heard something that just raked on your last nerve as soon as you heard it?  While giving a 'bravo for fathers' cheer, he said Dads need to be models, not critics.  Don't be a critic he said, kids need role models.

Boy!  I almost stood up right there.  We all freaking need critics.  Critics are good.  Criticism is good.  No, it's more than good.  Constructive criticism is oxygen.  Not being perfect.  Not being flawless.  Not being able to create my own universe in six days ex nihilo, I need some advise at times.  Sometimes I need a little good old criticism.  I need to know I did wrong. Am being bad.  Have failed.  And how to do better.  To paraphrase Gordon Gekko, criticism, for want of a better word, is good.  Criticism works.  When done properly, for the right reasons, and with the purpose of helping and improving in love.

I know, I shouldn't get to heated about it.  If I get that much, I should take it to him.  But he's probably not the problem, and I doubt he meant much by it.  Sadly, however, I do think we've adopted that in our modern generation.  We are an age that hates criticism because it's like saying we're not perfect.  Or we somehow need to do something different, or do something at all.  Somehow, we look at criticism as a bad, an evil, a relic of bygone days that needs flushed down the tubes of history. Whether we believe it or it's just a cheap way of saying 'I get to do what I want', I don't know

Fact is, there was a time when it was seen as a mark of adulthood to take criticism and accept it and learn from it.  To take it like a man!  And since I'm not perfect, I may not like criticism, but sometimes I might need to hear it.  Just like my boys may not just need a role model.  Sometimes, they may need to be criticized, as we all do at times.  I just hope I know when and how, when the time comes, and I never fall into the trap of thinking my kids have a right to affirming themselves so much that it negates any need for constructive criticism.

My eleven year old showed this to me. His teacher showed it in class, the message being don't sit around and wait for others. He thought it was hilarious. I told him it would have been funnier if it didn't so accurately reflect the reality of our modern society.