"I'm Not A Bigot, But..."

Wednesday, November 08, 2006 | 0 Comments

Today I am deeply ashamed of my fellow Wisconsinites.

They have voted to amend our state constitution to ensure that certain people would not have the same rights as others. They voted to restrict marriage and civil unions to be between one man and one woman; but more specifically to snatch equality away from gays.

And I hear these homophobes try to explain their position in a way that simulates reason, but it always comes out as sounding just like, "I'm not a bigot, but..."

Case in point: I had to endure the most infuriating conversation between my boss and a coworker today. They approached each other with hesitation about voting. They started with saying how surprised they were that the amendment passed. That segued into how each of them voted. My boss said that she voted yes. "I don't have a problem with people being gay, but-"

But she thinks it's unnatural, it would bother her if a gay couple were able to adopt a child before a normal couple and there is an overwhelming amount of studies out there that show that the best environment for a child is one with a male and female role model, it's sinful, and it is against my religion and this is a Christian country, so there.

Right. You don't have a problem with people being gay at all. What is really going on with statements like that is: "I know that these beliefs that I have make me seem like a bigot. I really don't want people to think that I am a bigot, but I also don't want to give up my bigotty beliefs. So, I will just preempt all my bigotty talk with 'I really don't have a problem with it' so everyone will know I'm really not a bigot, even though I am."

There is even so much more wrong with her statements I really don't know where to begin.

1. "It's unnatural."
Since she is so big on studies, you'd think that she would know that there are studies that show that being gay is very natural for gay people. Just because it is natural for her to NOT be gay, doesn't make it unnatural for ANYONE to be gay. Just like it may not be natural for her to have black hair doesn't mean that NO ONE can be naturally black-haired. It's in the genes that we get.

2. "The best environment for a child is one with a male and a female role model."
Actually, the best environment for a child is in a loving, caring, understanding environment. I grew up in a household with a male and female role model. Would I say that it was the best environment? HELL NO! There are thousands of gay couples in the U.S. and around the world right now raising happy, healthy children. The sex ratio of the parents really has nothing to do with a child's happiness other than it might make the bigotty people quit picking on them if they were being raised by a male and female.
AND there are THOUSANDS of children that never get adopted and spend their entire childhoods in orphanages or foster homes. Does she think that is better than having a gay couple adopt them? But she really doesn't have a problem with it.

3. "it's sinful, and it is against my religion and this is a Christian country, so there."
It may be a sin in her religion, but religion really doesn't have a place in the governing of this country. It was decided from the beginning that religion would be separate from state. Reason, not ideology, would run our government (don't laugh; I hear you snickering). Our Constitution also provides for the protection of EVERYONE'S rights, even if that means that they have to be protected from the majority (so in our country, the majority vote is not supposed to count if it is stripping rights from people). And by the very fact that religion and government were designed to be separate, this is NOT a Christian country! The majority of the people may be Christians, but that does not make the Bible our Constitution. ALL religions are supposed to be protected here.

It really saddens and frustrates me that people who claim to be caring, loving Christians "don't have a problem with" stripping human rights away from certain groups of people. It is acts such as these that have turned me away from Christianity.

Oh, and speaking of the loving, caring Christians here in Wisconsin, we also voted "yes" to adding the death penalty.

Wisconsin, you suck!

11 comments:

Derek Knight said...

same exact thing happened here in Colorado.

AG said...

It goes to show how tards run in all religions and geographic areas. Sometimes it makes Democracy scary.

OldRoses said...

And that's exactly why I gave up on organized religion. As practiced today, Christianity equals bigotry. According to my reading of the bible, Jesus taught just the opposite. He was FOR the poor, the downtrodden, the outcast. I think he would be very disappointed in his legacy today. Thanks for listening. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Shannon said...

This topic gets me so angry I can't actually read your post!!!! ARGH, America! ARGH!

Sylvana said...

Derek I was really hoping that this wasn't a trend. :(

AG, phobotards, all of them PHOBOTARDS!!

OldRoses, we seem to have gotten the same thing from reading the Bible; So why have SO MANY other people gotten it so wrong?

Shannon, thanks for the postcard! I have got to visit Japan! I need to get away to clear my head of all this insanity!

DrMax said...

Can't tell you how disappointed I was for the home state when I saw this in the paper. C'mon Wisconsin, you can elect Russ Fiengold but not reject this? No one is going to FORCE you to go to a gay wedding y'know. Syl, please continue the fight to remind folks of our Progressive tradition back there.

Wendy A said...

Why do Americans feel the need to control everyones private lives. Religion is so deeply intertwined in the American culture that it can't seperate it's self. America is the most religious industrialized nation in the world! You don't see the bigotry so much in Canada or Australia. Ugggg. So glad I moved.

sands of time said...

What does matter in the end if the union is m-f or same sex.Its just to show they are in love and commited to each other.Im sure god wouldnt care.

Anonymous said...

A bigot is one obstinately or intolerantly devoted to one own opinions and prejudices
"Got Jesus?" and "Homosexuals will burn in hell" is a type of fundamentalism that rejects all alternative thinking and is a flawed way of thinking. Human rights and social justice for gays can’t enter the minds of such folk.
Now I am not suggesting all these fundamentalist Christian’s folk are bigots BUT many seem to suffer from the same flawed mode of thinking.

It's OK to be passionate and opinionated but not to be a bigot.

The death penalty is a barbaric act, that neither reduces crime or benefits the victims of crime. I understand each death initated under such a County code is likely to cost upwards of 5 million dollars from your treasury, the legal process is incredibly long and protracted with numerous appeals.
Your ‘death penalty’ is likely to bankrupt the county. best wishes

Heather said...

It's infuriating that people always fall back on the "I'm a Christian" thing when bashing someone else's beliefs! There's that little thing in the Bible - "Judge not lest ye be judged" yet they're constantly judging the people who are different then them! "It is against my religion..." That's the statement that made my blood boil...just because it's their religion doesn't mean it's everybodys!!

Anonymous said...

Just surfed into your blog...you put this issue so well, thank you for your insights. All I can say is AMEN!

Stop by and say hi sometime!

Peace, Salihah

"I'm A GLUTEN!!"

Wednesday, November 01, 2006 | 0 Comments

OK, I'm beginning to think that I really hate myself. I was over at Lyvvie's blog and read about her participation this year in NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo? What the hell?

So I Googled it and came up with this. Well, now that's just cool. A novel in a month. I have dabbled in writing before. In fact, I started a novel when I was 10 and got about a quarter of the way done, even. It was a great excuse to stay inside during recess so I wouldn't have to deal with playground politics. Just a couple years ago I found it and thought that it would be pure drivel (since I was writing it when I was 10!) but it was actually pretty good. So maybe I have a talent.

This would not be the first time that I have had a go at "scratch fiction". I took a creative writing course during my first go-round in college (you know, the one where I partied a lot) and would quite often have to pull a story out of my ass at the last possible minute (you know, cause I partied a lot). And they weren't that bad. Really!

So, I signed up for NaNoWriMo.
What does that mean?
That means that I will have to some how pull about 6 pages of writing per day out of my ass again. 1670 words a day.
Sounds like a lot, huh?
Well, this post so far is almost over 250 words, and it took me about 15 minutes to write. I think that I can handle a mere 1670!

It took me longer than that to think up a User Name while I was registering for the project. SSB started to laugh, "That's so ironic! Getting writer's block at 'User Name'!!"

I signed him up, too.

(BTW - the title of this post comes from one of my favorite TV shows which is no longer on the air, "Rocko's Modern Life". Heffer yells this out as he laments about not being able to keep his hands off foods - even other people's food. He's not very bright and mispronounces "glutten" for additional humor!)

11 comments:

evilsciencechick said...

a few weeks ago, I was clicking through the channels, and nickelodeon was showing rocko's modern life!!!!

I was very exited.


bath day is a very dangerous day.


good luck with the writing!

Sylvana said...

ESC, I am still crossing my fingers for DVDs. They have EVERYTHING ELSE on DVD!!!

OldRoses said...

I've always wanted to take a creative writing course. What's it like? Is it hard?

The Doc said...

I have failed NaNoWriMo three years in a row, and I'm going to fail again this year (especially with my practicum). But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try!

Sylvana said...

OldRoses, my professor was kind of bitter. I don't think I really learned anything - it was just forced writing for a grade. But writing is

The Doc, I'm sure I won't make it either. But I think it will be a good experience.

Shamus O'Drunkahan said...

I'm sure the speed novel stuff won't be worse than the crap on Oprah's book list.

Because her list is pure crap.

Derek Knight said...

I think if I weren't so damn busy, I might have tried this. Best of luck!

Sylvana said...

Shamus, I was hoping that I could sell my crap. I could really use the money.

Derek, I am not expecting to meet the 50,000 word mark; but I want to see what I can come up with.

sands of time said...

Well good luck with your novel.I know i'd never find the time to write one

http://pinklady.typepad.com/

DrMax said...

Hey Syl, still alive. I signed up for this to. Did one day and havn't gotten back to it since. I may have to canel my book tour.

Sylvana said...

Pink, I am having trouble finding time myself, but if this will help motivate me at all to get something written, I will call it a success.

DrMax, hey fellow NANOWRIMO! I've written three days and got over 2500 words so far. At this pace I should have something ready for Reader's Digest by the end of November.

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