Friday, September 19, 2008

Gay marriage...

I'm quite perplexed by the lack of logic in our society. We are driven by knee-jerk reactions and feelings, with an aversion to thinking and understanding. What has made us so limited in our view?

This brings me to the topic at hand, Gay Marriage; Which, in a perfect world, would just be called what it is, Marriage. It would be a legally recognized union between two consenting adults. It sounds simple, doesn't it? Well, to America, it isn't.

There are a few reasons for this. I'll attack them one at a time. The main factor is Religion..

It seems that some people think Democratic Republic is synonymous with Theocracy. Any type of Theocracy is a bad thing, but we only notice it when it's a religion that differs from our own. An extreme Christian can harshly judge an Islamic Theocracy, but imagine their own to be just fine.

When wishing for laws to be made, that are in line with your religion, take a moment, and imagine if it were ANOTHER religion making the laws. Perspective can help a great deal, but I'm noticing that several of my fellow Americans are unable to step outside of themselves to gain this perspective.

Whether or not your religion deems homosexuality to be wrong, should not be an issue when it comes to laws. It may come as a shock to some, but not everyone in this diverse nation believes as they do. I will fight for the right for someone to practice their religion, just as I'd fight for the right for two adults to wed, regardless of sex.

Simple, no?

Secondly, there is this fear. Perhaps the sight of two men lovingly looking into each other's eyes, or holding hands, bothers you, and makes you want to shelter your children.

To this, I must say, in a world filled with violence, crueltry, and hatred, we have far more to shelter our children from than love. Your children cannot catch "the gay", and the LGBT community is not recruiting your offspring, and promising a free toaster.

Laws should not be made based on feelings, particularly those that deny others their rights. Feel as you will, but learn to use your mind as well. Be cognizant of the fact that, while you have the freedom to feel as you do, you sould not have the freedom to deny others a BASIC human right.

Oh, and there's this sudden aversion to the unnatural. Because, of course, some will tell you it's unnatural. Of course, these people never use anything unnatural such as plastic, medications, contacts, polyester(a sin in itself!), and HFCS.
So many excuses, and so many reasons to promote bigotry. Stop hiding behind your religion, feelings, and flawed logic, and see this for what it is. It is the chance for two consenting adults to show their love and commitment to one another, and reap the benefits everyone else is able to in a loving relationship. It will not give way to a man marrying his dog, or an adult marrying a child. If you are confused about this part, reread the "two consenting adults" bit.

Equal rights for all human beings. Support Gay Marriage :) Put the bigots in the closet.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Personal Responsibility,and You

Have we as people lost the ability to feel shame, or, perhaps, practice a bit of introspection every now and then? We whine incessantly about the unfair aspects of our lives,and never stop and think,"Hey, you know what,I'm approaching this wrong."

No, of course we can't do that. It seems far too difficult to take responsibility,and change your approach, perception, or actions. However, in actuality, it's easier to change yourself, than to change the things that you blame. Let's meet some hypothetical friends, shall we?

Meet Sally: Sally decides that her boyfriend Joe is just the most amazing man. She's one year away from graduating high school. Sure, Joe get's high with his friends,and is failing classes, but he is just sooooo "perfect". Sally ends up pregnant,and then decides to move in with Joe. She then proceeds to complain about how lazy he is,and about how he never helps with the new baby. She claims that she had bad luck. That's why she's on assistance,and living with a loser.


So, who's at fault here? I didn't see "luck" ruining Sally's life. I saw Sally ruining Sally's life. She made one poor decision after another.


Meet Gary: Gary loves attractive women. He is easily distracted by a shapely body,and big breasts. He hangs out at places where he's bound to find attractive and spoiled females. He spends little time getting to know them. He spends a great deal of money buying them things,and spoiling them with attention. The women take advantage of Gary,and he ends up hating women. He assumes that all women are like this,and spends his time being bitter,and spreading misogynistic views.

Who is to blame? Gary chose to seek vapid,shallow, spoiled females. He allows his perception of an entire gender to be shaped by the women he CHOSE to be around. Had he used his mind, he would have looked elsewhere. He would have also ended up a lot happier,and saved quite a bit of money. Yet, it's easier for him to become bitter,and blame females.



We need to be able to view the world beyond our noses. A life driven by narcissism is bound to end up an unhappy one. Your childhood can help shape who you are,but, ultimately, life's choices are up to you to make. Toss away the crutches of blame that you may use,and learn to be responsible for your actions. If you make poor choices, remember, you can always reevaluate your decisions,and work your way out of the situation.