Johnny Said, “Flame On!”
Oh holy crap, how I am annoyed by both political parties.
On the one hand, conservatives are for the rights of the unborn, which is good. On the other, they are against gay marriage, which is bad. Liberals are against the rights of the unborn, which is bad, but for the rights of gays (maybe), which is good. What’s a conscientious person to do?
How come these incongruent beliefs naturally group like Cheerios in a bowl of milk? Is there some natural attraction, some political Vanderwaals force or something? How come there’s nobody out there that’s pro-animal rights, anti-death penalty, anti-euthanasia, pro-life, pro-gay marriage, and pro-equal rights. Or just to be internally consistent, pro-euthanasia, pro-death penalty, pro-abortion, anti-animal rights, anti-gay marriage, and a member of the KKK. I’m a big believer in internal consistency. How come both wings of our political system are so off balance? I’m a tree hugger personally, but I’m also a baby hugger, a lover of dogs and animals, appreciative of the meat that I eat, anti-death penalty, and see that those among us that are most disabled, weak, or oppressed are those that deserve the full measure of our protection.
What is going on in this country, where what the majority decides, or the whimsy of popular opinion, can trump the constitution that guarantees equal rights to all. In California, Gov. Schwarzenegger advocates for the rights of the voters who voted to uphold that marriage is between a man and a woman. What?! Their rights? How in the hell do their rights have anything to do with the liberty of Americans to marry whom they choose? How can anyone rationalize a certain right applying to one group of Americans but not another? Pick a right, any right, I dare you. I dare you find something that is not strictly biological or geographical (like men can’t bear children or you can’t swim in the ocean because you live in North Dakota) where you are not allowed some right by law afforded to some other Americans.
We might say to gays, "If you want to get married, no one is stopping you." And as an aside, with a snicker, "Just let them marry someone of the opposite sex. Men marry women. Women marry men. Simple." You have all the rights I have, as long as you agree with me.
And in an earlier time we remember all too well, "Well, since you were born a little black boy, you can’t go to school with little white Johnny."
"Why?"
"’Cause that’s jus’ the way it is, boy. It’s God’s law."
We as a nation grew up and it became apparent to us that such attitudes were wrong-headed. We had blinders and hadn’t seen the truth. We see it now though. Whew! Glad we’ve realized it. Weren’t we fools back then? So ignorant, so bigoted. Gosh, we’re so superior now. We get it!
Do you actually have a GOOD reason for not wanting to let gays marry? Come on, I’m open-minded. I’d like to hear this Truth that gay marriage will lead to the death of society and the institution of marriage. I’ll listen, and I’m open to any explanation on how gay marriage will affect you in your marriage, or your kids marriage, or your grandkids, or or or. My only caveat is that you can’t use the Bible as proof. The Bible will only work if its laws are binding in U.S court, and the last time I checked the U.S. was not a theocracy, and not everyone was a Christian.
Mayor Daly of Chicago, put it like this, "Don’t kid yourselves, divorce has done more harm to marriage than anything else." I’d agree with that and tack on, TV, popular culture, consumerism, false expectations, and co-habitation as the true dry rot of the institution of marriage. What is that bible quote about noting the splinter in the eye of another but failing to see the log in your own.
So what can gay marriage do for marriage? I see these long lines of people in San Francisco, standing in the rain, the cold, looking to bind their lives to one another and witness before the state, profess their devotion, and go one better than just shacking up. They are taking a leap of faith, making a commitment in love. I don’t see them as subverting marriage. I don’t see them making a political statement, trying to tear down OUR beloved institution of marriage, like some ancient barbarians at the city wall just waiting to loot and sack. No, watching all the couples in San Francisco getting married does not turn my stomach. It fills me with great hope. Here are people, who through all the shit that we little monkeys throw at them, given the opportunity, their first step is toward devotion and commitment to each other. They are taking a leap. What could be more noble than that?
I’d say we have much to learn from their example.
Rant mode on… or ala Johnny Storm, "Flame on!"
Well, while we’re contradicting ourselves, let’s talk about animal rights groups. "Trees have rights. Dogs cannot be owned (only cared for) etc. in California" While at the same time saying that human beings in fetal form have NO rights and are useless, disregarding the fact that as soon as they pass the arbitrary barrier of the birth canal, wham, magically they have lots of cool rights, unless of course they end up being gay. Damn, sucks to be you. Glad I’m not an abortion or worse… gay. Tsk tsk, equal rights don’t apply to you.
All the contradictions only serve to confirm one fact: Humans will do what they want to do in any given circumstance because we believe we have the right to do what we want, that MY rights trump all of your rights, when I deem it so.
- When we needed land, we decided that the native inhabitants were only savages and killed them, moved them.
- When we needed manual labor for agricultural work, we went and got slaves because we had conveniently deemed them non-human, and then later we compromised and said they were 3/5th of a human. Hey, give us a little credit, huh? Such nobility.
- When we (humanity) decided that our woes were Jew-induced, we decided they were not human and killed them.
- When we decided we were offended by those different than ourselves, we decided to call them immoral and abominations.
- When we decided that a human life was causing us inconvenience, we decided it was tissue.
- When we needed votes, we appealed to the basest instincts, the lowest prejudices, the most primitive emotions.
This, my friends, is why religion and government should never ever mix. This is what we get, governments that persecute and oppress those that are deemed outside of the moral fabric of some arbitrary belief system based on an ancient book. Jesus didn’t say ala Dr. Phil, "Buy my book." He said listen to my message. And his message takes the form of two rules:
- Love each other.
- see rule 1.
Ah, but the list of contradictions goes on and on. Instead of elevating our lives, our aspirations, we debase them, pawning our tiny little hearts for a bit of instant gratification at someone else’s expense.
Don’t kid yourselves. Both we and our parties are big bags of contradictory hot air. It’s time for us to stand up for what’s right, human dignity.