Amy's Election Entry
Hi.
Obviously, I'm thrilled about President-Elect Barack Obama. I cried thinking how easy the win was; I cried thinking how great it will be to see Bush go; and I cried thinking of how adorable the First Family will be (especially with the promised new First Puppy). Most importantly, I cried thinking how far America has come and how I'm proud to be an American. Then, I laughed and realized the Lee Greenwood song finally makes a bit more sense.
Now, about Prop 8.
I voted against it. I have a gay uncle and many, many gay friends. If this election happened around 3 months ago, I would be ranting along with all the other liberals and posting the seemingly omnipresent YouTube clip of Keith Olbermann's editorial. But I'm not. I'm dating a guy who voted in favor of Prop 8. For the first time in my closed-minded liberal life, I'm trying to understand the other side, which is made up of more decent people than you'd think.
My favorite way to look at this issue is the way my friend Steph put it: some people see this as a religious issue - we see it as a civil rights issue. I equate Prop 8 with the ban on interracial marriages. Other people simply equate it with their respective religious upbringings. We just see the world in different ways. And, honestly, who are we to decide whether or not homosexuality is wrong? If there happens to be a creator "up there," perhaps the creator was serious when he/she said homosexuality was a sin. Maybe I'm wrong. However, I choose not to believe in my affiliated religion. (This decision came to me around the same time I realized how much I enjoy bacon.) I choose to believe that humans should be able to do whatever we want, as long as it doesn't bring harm to anyone else or anything else, within reason. Gay marriage is one of those things that I believe harms no one. I plan to raise any children I have to know that homosexuals are people too, and they deserve every single human right that heterosexuals have, including marriage. That's me. The guy I'm currently dating knows my views on this subject, and he's ok with it. He does support civil unions, hospital visitation rights, etc. - just not marriage. For him, it's the final breaking point. For me, it's the final accomplishment.
Not that you guys are out to attack me or my boyfriend. I'm just trying to explain where I'm coming from and why I'm not necessarily as angry about this as the rest of you are (or as angry as I would have been 3 months ago).
I will also put this out there: Don't blame the Mormons. They might have started Prop 8, but if only Mormons voted for it, there's absolutely no way it would have passed.
Obviously, I'm thrilled about President-Elect Barack Obama. I cried thinking how easy the win was; I cried thinking how great it will be to see Bush go; and I cried thinking of how adorable the First Family will be (especially with the promised new First Puppy). Most importantly, I cried thinking how far America has come and how I'm proud to be an American. Then, I laughed and realized the Lee Greenwood song finally makes a bit more sense.
Now, about Prop 8.
I voted against it. I have a gay uncle and many, many gay friends. If this election happened around 3 months ago, I would be ranting along with all the other liberals and posting the seemingly omnipresent YouTube clip of Keith Olbermann's editorial. But I'm not. I'm dating a guy who voted in favor of Prop 8. For the first time in my closed-minded liberal life, I'm trying to understand the other side, which is made up of more decent people than you'd think.
My favorite way to look at this issue is the way my friend Steph put it: some people see this as a religious issue - we see it as a civil rights issue. I equate Prop 8 with the ban on interracial marriages. Other people simply equate it with their respective religious upbringings. We just see the world in different ways. And, honestly, who are we to decide whether or not homosexuality is wrong? If there happens to be a creator "up there," perhaps the creator was serious when he/she said homosexuality was a sin. Maybe I'm wrong. However, I choose not to believe in my affiliated religion. (This decision came to me around the same time I realized how much I enjoy bacon.) I choose to believe that humans should be able to do whatever we want, as long as it doesn't bring harm to anyone else or anything else, within reason. Gay marriage is one of those things that I believe harms no one. I plan to raise any children I have to know that homosexuals are people too, and they deserve every single human right that heterosexuals have, including marriage. That's me. The guy I'm currently dating knows my views on this subject, and he's ok with it. He does support civil unions, hospital visitation rights, etc. - just not marriage. For him, it's the final breaking point. For me, it's the final accomplishment.
Not that you guys are out to attack me or my boyfriend. I'm just trying to explain where I'm coming from and why I'm not necessarily as angry about this as the rest of you are (or as angry as I would have been 3 months ago).
I will also put this out there: Don't blame the Mormons. They might have started Prop 8, but if only Mormons voted for it, there's absolutely no way it would have passed.