so anxious
I was so pissed off earlier, and I'm struggling to process everything.
I thought obsessively about this one thing for 3 hours before I started to settle down, and that obsessive "I NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS" feeling subsided.
And I played games, chilled, watched TV. But it's just there in the back of my mind.
I took a lot of actions earlier, sending emails & leaving a voicemail. I was polite and used professional language, though was long winded.
My brain is saying that I "was whiny". I don't know if that's an intrusive thought or what. A lot of what's going on in my head about it is ... Telling myself I need to settle down ... and arguing with myself about it ... sorta.
At first, I definitely did need to settle down. I was unreasonably pissed off, like it was unhealthy, and the obsessing was unhealthy too. I didn't need to dismiss my concerns, just calm my body and mind.
I did settle down, and now I feel like ... like I was being crazy. Like I'm doing too much. Like I'm doing something wrong. I've felt that way for awhile. I feel that way almost every time I'm mad about something.
But I'm not mean when I'm mad, not usually, and not today. I'm definitely being annoying, including being annoying to the staff. Every time I'm there I politely state my disagreement with their plastic bag policy.
I realize this is probably annoying and/or frustrating. But I do not need to be likeable, and ending this pollution is more important than my likeability. Further, their frustration, while not desired, is an acceptable cost if it stops this pollution. It's so much pointless pollution.
And I'm really pissed about being lied to about it. They say it's state law ... but it's not. I think maybe I need to calm down about that part.
Advocating against the policy is one thing, I think that's totally fine, but why do I need to get supercharged about them lying to me? I guess, kinda, I feel like I'm the bad guy for caring about this, for bothering people about it, for complaining about it, for trying to use the government to force them to give me the choice.
But they're forcing me to create waste that isn't required by law. I'm not protesting the sealed, traceable jars. I'm just protesting being forced to use disposable carrying bags.
But I just can't shake this feeling that I'm fucking up somehow. I think I'm struggling to accept that my behavior is unlike-able, regardless how polite I am. I'm making the same complaint every time I visit an establishment, in hopes that staff will raise concerns to management and get the policy overturned.
What I'm doing is annoying, it is probably frustrating, and I'm sure it feels bad when I tell them they're wrong about the state law thing.
So my actions are causing some people to be uncomfortable (probably). But I think what I'm doing is justified and very reasonable and appropriate. And I think it's good for me to seriously challenge that view. But then I should have conviction, and stand firmly and confidently beside my choice to be annoying. (unless I change my mind)
Arguments in my head
And in my view, they are:
- Violating my right (and other people's rights) to self-determination by forcing me to take a bag.
- Polluting the air, water, and ground with plastic and CO2. (we're including production and transportation)
- Causing litter. (A staff member has told me that they find bags littered in their parking lot)
- I also wonder if they're violating any consumer rights laws by telling me lies about why they have the policy.
Some of the challenges I see to my views are:
- It's a private business and you don't have to purchase from them.
- Being required to take a plastic bag does not infringe upon any legally protected rights.
- They can be recycled with grocery bags.
- Blame the customers who litter the bags.
Rebuttals:
1a) They are a business that sells legal products to the public. They are a public accommodation, so they have certain duties that private citizens do not. One of those duties is disability accommodation. I do not have to provide any disability accommodations in my house to comply with the law, but businesses do. In a similar vein, I believe they should not have the right to force me to take a bag. I have no idea what the legal basis for this would be, and I imagine it is novel.
1b) There are a limited number of cannabis dispensaries in my area due to laws about where they can be placed, and how many there can be in a region. I do not have the freedom to shop at any establishment the market can create, because the market does not allow for sufficient competition.
I have no idea what the legal basis would be for my right to decline taking a bag. Since taking a bag creates pollution, I wonder if there's any environmental rights. Since it is branded, I wonder if there is any freedom of expression (I really doubt it). What about toxins that I'm personally exposed to? Can I argue that the plastic is a toxin TO ME, and that gives me some rights? I'd have to be able to prove it's a toxin though, right? And then if they gave me a paper bag that was provably non-toxic, this argument wouldn't apply, right?
Easy. Production, transportation, and recycling all create pollution and use limited earth resources.
Sure, put some blame on them, but I'm quite sure there would be fewer littered bags if people were not forced to take them.
Challenges to my rebuttals:
1a) It is well established that private social media companies can regulate speech on their platform.