The Monster Journal

The time has come for factualness, to illuminate the misconceptions, to paint some bright colors onto the black and white pages of history with reference to the fallacious rumors being spread concerning monsters. Contrary to what some malcontents have supposed. Monsters are not the evil black-hearted minions of some deviant and unnatural realm. To falsely brand them as villainous creatures who thrive on fear and lust and all order of maleficence is patently absurd, a deed for which their accusers may now be held libel.
Why, even the names given to these wonders of creation conjure up all manner of fiendish savagery. Basilisk, Chimera, Gargoyle, the mere mention of such names will turn even the bravest of men and women into cowering spineless jellyfish.
To all who have thrust their legs clear of a beds under-side fearing the cold grasp of what lies beneath, I offer soberness. To those who conceal frightened heads under the safety of drawn covers, I offer verity. To those whose goal is to ardently malign the character of these exemplary creatures, I challenge you.

Monsters embody all the same unique qualities of any other earth bound life form, experiencing similar joys and sorrows, with a few…understandable eccentricities. They are calm and sensible, magnificent creatures with passions, and dreams. They eat, and they drink, and even make merry with friends (some to excess it is true). It may come as a shock for you to hear that it is not the raw flesh of humans they crave, that is simply foolishness, even speaking those words causes my stomach to turn. In reality it is the color green that causes their toothy palettes to salivate. Green beans, green crayons, green spinach, green melons, green paint, collard greens, and on occasion, they will even dine on the rooves of old churches. The green copper is a delicacy and this delightful meal is saved for only the most distinctive of special occasions. The diet of monsters is as much a pleasurable experience to them as it is for anyone else, and to ridicule the unique tastes of a monster’s favorite meals should be no more acceptable than it is to condemn a vegetarian for choosing to abstain from a thick juicy piece of flesh from the body of a domesticated cow.
Monsters live among you, this is a fact, as do ants and deer and fish, but do you ask of the fish why do you make the water your home? Or of the deer, why do you roam freely in the wilderness? I should say not. You do not question such things. So why then do you find it so unsettling that a monster and his family should make their beds beneath yours? You of all people should understand the comfort of a well-ordered bedroom, this place where you find solitude and escape from your worldly cares. Why would such majestic creatures as these not also be afforded the same luxury? Consider for a moment the discomfort you cause by carelessly turning on bright fluorescent lights and dangling your tired sweaty feet near their doorway; often times without the common courtesy of socks, while innocent monster families relax in the quiet of their own homes. Perhaps the next time you sense cold fingers grasping at your ankles you will scrutinize your own behavior before passing judgment.
The list of sins ascribed to these most noble of beings is long and sordid. Some have made it their goal to push them aside and tag them as inhuman and wicked. They are portrayed in movies and theatre as fanciful beasts who lust for blood and exist only to wreak havoc and cause pain, while monsters graciously bear these burdensome labels without complaint.
In reality most monsters hold down steady jobs and contribute a great deal to society providing much needed products and services in health care and in children’s educational programming. Public Broadcasting System (PBS) alone has built an empire and made millions on the backs of gifted monsters for decades and though you have granted a select few, privileged and distinguished places in society they are the exception. What of the monsters who walk with you in the dark counting your steps and protecting you as you stumble around with your inferior night vision? Do you give no thought to how difficult it is for them to do their job or how many years of school they have endured to learn how to keep accurate count and yet remain out of site? It is a thankless talent that is much more strenuous than you might imagine.
It is not, nor has it ever been, my intention to position monsters as faultless beings, who peer down snobbish cobbled noses at the rest of society. For all that good that we aspire to, we are not a species without spot or blemish. Though we strive for the common good and hold fast to virtue there is a very small, nearly negligible, minority that have blackened the eye of our otherwise good reputation. Those characters have not gone unpunished. You may well know that gremlins have earned themselves a rather infamous reputation as mischievous creatures, destroying the mechanical equipment of pilots during World War II, this, I am sad to admit is very true. The act was deemed heinous and regarded as an act worthy swift and harsh discipline. Had it not been for American author and movie producer Steven Spielberg. These disgraceful creatures might have gone away quietly.

I would ask that you consider embarrassments that might hit closer to home, Jeffrey Dommer, John Wayne Gacey and Tom Cruise for starters. Compared to the likes of these the act of pulling a few wires on a moving plane is mild, even childlike behavior. Among all of us are there are less desireables. There are those who have carved their name’s like graffiti on the park bench of our culture without regard to the consequences of their actions on the entirety of their race. All I ask is that you judge monsters with the same measurements that you use upon others. Sort what is fact from fiction, and act accordingly.

Today is a new and glorious day! It is the day we say, no more! No more labels, no more misaligned facts. No more to the injustice. We will fight for our rightful place in this world. We will stand tall in the face of prejudice.  Our children will no longer walk in a world that views them as objects of fear. Today is the day we say we are monsters and we are proud of such a rich and colorful history.