People Give Me a Headache

My job sometimes gives me a headache. Not because I don't love it; I do. I like helping people realize they are better writers than they think they are, and I LOVE hearing that I helped them get a better grade than they thought they would. However, there are some days... Some of "those" days... when the people who come in make me want to bang my head against the wall.
Today I read papers that:
*advocated global warming;
*used as part of its argument the "fact" that viruses are not infectious in warmer temperatures (the woman did not know what "malaria" was);
*** this is from the CDC website entry on malaria: "Warmer ambient temperatures shorten the duration of the extrinsic cycle, thus increasing the chances of transmission. Conversely, below a minimum ambient temperature (15°C or 59°F for Plasmodium vivax, 20°C or 68°F for P. falciparum), the extrinsic cycle cannot be completed and malaria cannot be transmitted. This explains in part why malaria transmission is greater in warmer areas of the globe (tropical and semitropical areas and lower altitudes)"
*argued that gays and lesbians who have sex before marriage are part of the reason why marriage values have gone down in recent years (ignoring the fact that gays and lesbians, as of now, can't get married- so sex before marriage is a kind of obscure idea);
*called pre-marital sexual relations "living in sin;"
*described the process of dress-making without once using the word "thread" because the woman writing the paper does now own a dictionary;
*described the different kinds of pores on a sea sponge;
*and my favorite of all, claimed women will benefit from marriage counseling because they are households and have no jobs or education -- no, that is not a typo; women are "households" and apparently all women in 2008 in California are without education and job skills.
*Oh, I forgot another great one -- the fact that a man who pays child support has more responsibility than a live-in father who actually raises the child.

The willful ignorance some people hold on to is just incredible. I mean, statements like "viruses aren't infectious in higher temperatures" without even bothering to wonder if this is true at all is disgusting. The only evidence she had for this was that she gets sicker in winter than in the summer. So really, the only "viruses" she was talking about were the flu or colds, ignoring viruses that affect millions of people who suffer from stale water that is worse and worse as temperatures rise. The virus comment was then followed by "higher temperatures will help people save money because they won't spend money on heat in the summer" - what about A/C you say? Covered -- she doesn't have air conditioning, so it won't affect HER. Marcello made a good point -- as long as things don't affect people DIRECTLY, they don't give a fuck.

Again, the willfulness to ignore other people's needs or concerns is so frustrating. I have to say, that this job has definitely opened my eyes to how many people lead their lives - either with their head in the sand, or with their eyes looking only in the mirror of their own immediate lives instead of sneaking a peak at the world around them.

This is one reason I really look forward to the move up north. I want to be around people who care at least a little bit about what happens in the world, and who think about the words they use, and their significance and impact. I understand that for many people, life is hard, much harder than it is for me, with the many advantages I have. I know that people work hard and long hours, have children to raise, homework to complete since they are also in college, and who knows what craziness is going on in their private life. But in this day and age, and especially living in California, there is no excuse for closed mindedness! (Is that closed minded of me to say that?!?!)

Oh this is giving me another headache. I think I prefer Henry James to essays lauding global warming!


OH OH I FORGOT THE BEST ONE!!!!
(Paper): "Children of divorce experience fatal and non-fatal injuries."
(Me): "I don't understand. What do you mean by this? This doesn't make sense."
(She): blank stare
(Me): "What injuries do children receive as a result of their parents' divorce?"
(She): "They have emotional pain."
(Me): "But 'fatal' means they die!"
(She): "Oh. I didn't know that. I mean that they have a hard time emotionally."
(Me): (and to myself): "Where's a wall? Must bang head against it. NOW!"