Equality

I had to dust off the ol' blog this morning to get some feelings off my chest. I usually stay out of the political discussions because it seems everyone's mind is made up regardless of what information is presented and all it does is get heated. Don't get me wrong, I have no delusions that my little opinion changes anyone's mind. That's not the reason for writing. I'm also not looking to start a discussion, garner "likes" or anything of the sort. Again, I know your mind is made up even as you read this.  My hope is that  getting it out in the open will help me feel better. I've kept my opinion to myself for so long to prevent causing disruptions in my friendships and relationships. But even as strongly as I feel, my lack of expression has made me feel guilty for not standing up for what I feel is right. If I lose respect in some friends' eyes because of it, so be it. Here goes...

Same sex relationships. Yay or nay?

There are some strong factors at work in this debate, including strong religious beliefs. I respect your belief system. But, from people who are otherwise so loving and caring I hear such hateful, ugly words towards others. I hear that the government should not allow same sex marriages, that it will lead our nation to ruin, etc etc. Honestly, I'm disappointed. The arguments I'm hearing echo many of the same arguments heard decades ago when deciding what sort of rights women should have or what sort of rights African Americans should have. Bringing it down to basics, we're talking about a group of Americans not being recognized the same as other Americans. I've heard many arguments for why same sex couples should be allowed to have a civil union as long as it isn't called "marriage". Sounds too much like "equal but separate" to me. That mentality has never made any separated group feel like they are equal and it never turns out well. Why should your family have different laws than other families just because you believe something different than them?

As for voting, I still see parallels to black rights and women's rights. In my mind, if the majority of a population votes for a law that denies a group of people the same rights as they have, that doesn't justify the law as proper.

So what do you do if the government is here protecting people's rights instead of agreeing with your beliefs? How will the children survive this world? You live and let live. It's as simple as that. You teach your children what you believe and when they grow up, they exercise their free agency and make decisions about what they believe. Sometimes it coincides with what you believe and other times it doesn't. That's been the cycle of parenting since the dawn of time. Regardless, you should always respect all of God's children and shouldn't use the government as a tool to help reinforce your specific religion. You don't want them changing your religion so why should your religion change the government's treatment of its citizens? The law isn't saying all religions must perform same sex marriages. I would disagree with that sentiment as well. But disallowing them for the entire population even though the entire population doesn't agree is wrong.

I guess what it boils down to is I believe that we have our rights as human beings living in America to be treated with equality and respect. Within that realm, we also have a right to practice our religions and choose not to participate in all things allowed by law. The operative word being "choose". Once choice is taken out of the equation it goes against not only the ideals Americans are known for but also the idea of free agency many religions believe in.

So let us all love each other. Let us live in peace and equality. Let us respect each other's beliefs. Let us remember that our diversity gives us a depth of perspective and choice that many countries do not have the privilege to enjoy.  I, for one, will be counted amongst those who believe everyone is entitled to the same happiness I enjoy with my marriage.

If these guys can get along, so can we!