I’ve been avoiding this one largely because it just doesn’t interest me all that much, and actually, it’s not this one topic so much as these topics. The problem is that I keep getting asked about these things, usually by someone who assumes my opinion without hearing it and then wants to argue with me about it. I don’t know why people do this. Anyway, I’m just gonna do a blanket post in an effort to exorcise these demons though I’m sure it will fail.
First, I’d like to touch on this Prop. 8 mess. Should anybody read this that is not a citizen of the Golden State (not that I have an extensive readership), Prop. 8 was a ballot initiative that declared marriage to be exclusively between a man and a woman and it passed, carrying 52.24% of the vote. California politics are weird in that after an initiative is passed, we then all go to court to decide whether or not said initiative is constitutional. Seems that it might be easier to determine that before hand, but whatevs. Before I get into my opinion, let me just say this. Some months before Prop. 8 was even introduced, same sex marriage had been legalized in San Francisco and thousands of couples flocked to the courthouse there in order to be married. Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, gave a speech and said that same sex marriage is legal now and “there’s nothing you can do about it” to raucous cheers from a very friendly crowd. Bad idea, Gavin. Never tell a group of people that there’s nothing they can do about something. They will immediately set out to prove you wrong and they did, using that excerpt from his speech in pro 8 television spots. In a very real way, Newsom galvanized the Prop. 8 crowd. Gloating is never a good idea. Sit down and shut up, sir. Americans have a short memory, sometimes it’s best to allow them to forget.
Ah wells. My opinion here covers all discussions relating to gay rights or anybody else’s rights for that matter and not just marriage but military service or whatever. The United States of America is founded on several principals that for the most part boil down to freedom and equality regardless of qualifiers like being a homosexual, or black, or Jewish, or Italian, or handicapped, or fat, or any other basis one can find to discriminate on. Here in America, those things don’t apply. Two consenting adults who wish to marry, I don’t see how we can deny that. Does that mean that some guy can marry his dog, no. Is sex with children okay then as well, no, you dickhead, it’s not. Those last two statements may seem weird, but when you support same sex marriage, the weirdest shit gets thrown at you.
I don’t want to get into refuting every little argument about this which is a lot of why I didn’t want to bother with this to begin with and certainly there are implications here as well. Having the right to marry does not equate to having the right to marry in a Catholic church. They have the right to refuse as does any other religious organization. The state, and only the state, should be required to recognize the union. Otherwise, you can’t bitch about separation of church and state. If churches can be forced to perform same sex marriages then that line blurs and arguments against Prop. 8 evaporate, the argument flows both ways.
The other thing that won’t go away for me is the Ground Zero mosque. Quick and simple on this: is it in bad taste? Without question. Does the Cordoba Society (the mosque’s political and financial backers) have an alternate motive, an “agenda?” Maybe. (Tangent alert: Isn’t it strange how the word “agenda” can sound so evil? I always just thought it was a list of shit you had to get through in a meeting.) All that aside, I don’t know how we can refuse to allow it. Religious freedom is a big deal. So long as they’re not breaking the law in some other way, I don’t see how we can deny the thing. Again, let me say that it truly is bad form to pick that location.
That said, you Muslims need to grow the fuck up. Stop being offended at everything when you have no problem offending others. You want to be taken seriously and treated like everyone else, here’s an idea, stop issuing death sentences on random people who annoy you like Salman Rushdie (btw, I don’t like his writing either, but I’m not going to kill him for it) or some Dutch cartoonist, or even some church in Florida that plans to burn the Koran to mark the 9/11 anniversary. That offends you? Too fucking bad. Is it bad form to burn the Muslim holy book? Yep, really bad form, but it’s freedom of speech and expression, just like burning or standing on American flags and chanting “Death to America.” “So what are we supposed to do, just let a bunch of religious radicals burn what we believe to be the words of God?” Yep. Sucks doesn’t it. Welcome to the world. These religious radicals are going to burn a few copies of the Koran. Don’t worry, the Koran will still exist. What are your religious radicals doing?
Good God people, is that hard to recognize the humanity within each other? Is it really so hard? Must we pick sides, wear armbands, and throw rocks at each other? As a Christian, I can’t abide any of it. Who is my neighbor? Can I rule someone out of that circle and still wear a cross or fall to my knees before one? If you don’t believe, is this the world you would choose? If not, are you still promoting it?
Y’all know I love ya. Please know I’m serious when I say that and when I wish you all,
Grace and Peace.
Carl
P.S. I know I cuss a lot for a Christian. Sorry if it offends you.
© Carl Mealie, 2010
First, I’d like to touch on this Prop. 8 mess. Should anybody read this that is not a citizen of the Golden State (not that I have an extensive readership), Prop. 8 was a ballot initiative that declared marriage to be exclusively between a man and a woman and it passed, carrying 52.24% of the vote. California politics are weird in that after an initiative is passed, we then all go to court to decide whether or not said initiative is constitutional. Seems that it might be easier to determine that before hand, but whatevs. Before I get into my opinion, let me just say this. Some months before Prop. 8 was even introduced, same sex marriage had been legalized in San Francisco and thousands of couples flocked to the courthouse there in order to be married. Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, gave a speech and said that same sex marriage is legal now and “there’s nothing you can do about it” to raucous cheers from a very friendly crowd. Bad idea, Gavin. Never tell a group of people that there’s nothing they can do about something. They will immediately set out to prove you wrong and they did, using that excerpt from his speech in pro 8 television spots. In a very real way, Newsom galvanized the Prop. 8 crowd. Gloating is never a good idea. Sit down and shut up, sir. Americans have a short memory, sometimes it’s best to allow them to forget.
Ah wells. My opinion here covers all discussions relating to gay rights or anybody else’s rights for that matter and not just marriage but military service or whatever. The United States of America is founded on several principals that for the most part boil down to freedom and equality regardless of qualifiers like being a homosexual, or black, or Jewish, or Italian, or handicapped, or fat, or any other basis one can find to discriminate on. Here in America, those things don’t apply. Two consenting adults who wish to marry, I don’t see how we can deny that. Does that mean that some guy can marry his dog, no. Is sex with children okay then as well, no, you dickhead, it’s not. Those last two statements may seem weird, but when you support same sex marriage, the weirdest shit gets thrown at you.
I don’t want to get into refuting every little argument about this which is a lot of why I didn’t want to bother with this to begin with and certainly there are implications here as well. Having the right to marry does not equate to having the right to marry in a Catholic church. They have the right to refuse as does any other religious organization. The state, and only the state, should be required to recognize the union. Otherwise, you can’t bitch about separation of church and state. If churches can be forced to perform same sex marriages then that line blurs and arguments against Prop. 8 evaporate, the argument flows both ways.
The other thing that won’t go away for me is the Ground Zero mosque. Quick and simple on this: is it in bad taste? Without question. Does the Cordoba Society (the mosque’s political and financial backers) have an alternate motive, an “agenda?” Maybe. (Tangent alert: Isn’t it strange how the word “agenda” can sound so evil? I always just thought it was a list of shit you had to get through in a meeting.) All that aside, I don’t know how we can refuse to allow it. Religious freedom is a big deal. So long as they’re not breaking the law in some other way, I don’t see how we can deny the thing. Again, let me say that it truly is bad form to pick that location.
That said, you Muslims need to grow the fuck up. Stop being offended at everything when you have no problem offending others. You want to be taken seriously and treated like everyone else, here’s an idea, stop issuing death sentences on random people who annoy you like Salman Rushdie (btw, I don’t like his writing either, but I’m not going to kill him for it) or some Dutch cartoonist, or even some church in Florida that plans to burn the Koran to mark the 9/11 anniversary. That offends you? Too fucking bad. Is it bad form to burn the Muslim holy book? Yep, really bad form, but it’s freedom of speech and expression, just like burning or standing on American flags and chanting “Death to America.” “So what are we supposed to do, just let a bunch of religious radicals burn what we believe to be the words of God?” Yep. Sucks doesn’t it. Welcome to the world. These religious radicals are going to burn a few copies of the Koran. Don’t worry, the Koran will still exist. What are your religious radicals doing?
Good God people, is that hard to recognize the humanity within each other? Is it really so hard? Must we pick sides, wear armbands, and throw rocks at each other? As a Christian, I can’t abide any of it. Who is my neighbor? Can I rule someone out of that circle and still wear a cross or fall to my knees before one? If you don’t believe, is this the world you would choose? If not, are you still promoting it?
Y’all know I love ya. Please know I’m serious when I say that and when I wish you all,
Grace and Peace.
Carl
P.S. I know I cuss a lot for a Christian. Sorry if it offends you.
© Carl Mealie, 2010
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