It’s difficult to maintain a fighting spirit under the crushing weight of our depressing news cycle.
Sure, getting angry feels cathartic for a hot minute — but after awhile, getting angry every single day starts to take its toll. That’s apparently been the case for actor Ron Perlman (of Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy fame), who recently took to Twitter to share his recent feelings of disillusionment with his followers.
On Saturday, Perlman admitted via a series of tweets to feeling politically exhausted and jaded.
During his diatribe, Perlman described his shock and disappointment at the fact that Nazism seems to somehow be eking back into the mainstream, and how modern racists are having a field day, thanks to the current administration.
Perlman expressed disappointment in elected officials, who have stood idly by while the basic security of many citizens’ livelihoods has been threatened.
In a statement which is both highly relatable and very telling about Perlman’s level of privilege, the actor says that he “didn’t know how much hatred truly existed in the nation.”
Perlman ended by implying that he’ll be taking a break from social media (and perhaps news) and quoting Joni Mitchell’s “Case of You.”
It’s disheartening to hear these words, if only because they reflect so much of the news fatigue we all experience on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s tempting to take a break, curl up into a ball, and just shut out the world for a while.
While being vocal in the fight against bigotry and corruption is an important and worthwhile task, it’s also important to remember: we’re all human. And, from time to time, we all need to take a breather and focus on the things in our life that we actually love and enjoy.
After all, the current administration has already taken away enough rights as it is. Don’t give them the satisfaction of having taken away your happiness, too.