Let me try to explain something. Fair warning: I may fuck it up.
So I take a brick. An ordinary brick. First question, though rhetorical right now: do you actually know what a brick is, including how it was made, what it's composed of, the history of how brickmaking became a thing, and so on? Don't worry about your answer yet; just observe your reaction to the question and read on.
Now, I name this brick Jesse and tell you that Jesse can hold things down. Few more questions are born: What effect does calling the brick Jesse have on you? What do you know about the name Jesse? Why might I have chosen that name? And what does it mean to "hold things down?" In fact, what does "can" mean, as I used it to describe Jesse? Again, just observe your responses and keep reading.
For the next five years or so, I talk about Jesse. What a great job he did holding down paper last week! Nobody keeps a door from closing like Jesse! Tarps in a storm? We got this! #jesselife And so on.
Along the way, Jesse gains other qualities. He has gender now. He has a following on social media. People talk to Jesse, sometimes they ask for advice. People give Jesse money and want to have a brick like Jesse for themselves. So I mail 'em a brick and charge them, like, I dunno ... five thousand dollars. I'm just pulling that out of the air. The number isn't important beyond seeming like a lot for a brick. Incidentally, do you know what a brick retails for plus shipping? Again, don't fret. Refrain from looking if you don't know. Just observe, breathe, and read.
I next claim Jesse has rights. The same as me and you. #bricksarepeopletoo This creates a schism among Jesse's followers. On the right, let's say, folks who think Jesse is just a brick, albeit an exceptionally charismatic one, and on the left, people who believe Jesse deserves equal rights.
Let's take a pause here. More later.
