The next items are probably the two hottest topics trending on most of the social media outlets for several weeks now. These are the items where I think people are the most sensitive. I must choose my words carefully to properly express where I stand without sounding accusatory or that my stance is supreme. I’m not trying to offend anyone but I do ask you to read the following in their entirety because I try to be rational and logical.
Abortion
I couldn’t decide which of the last two items to address first because both are equally hot topics right now so I just picked one. I am going to start by simply stating that I am pro-life, regardless of the situation. If you don’t want to get pregnant, then don’t have sex. I don’t think an unborn child should be condemned because of the sins of the parents. My church teaches that life begins at conception. This includes pregnancy’s resulting from rape. Now rape is a despicable, reprehensible crime but I don’t think the unborn child should be the one that pays the ultimate price for the crime. I will vote for politicians that wish to limit and/or regulate abortions. You never know what kind of person the child could have become. They could have been the next Albert Einstein or found the cure for cancer.
If, however, a woman chooses to have an abortion, that is her decision and I won’t pass judgement. I am not the one whose judgement she should be concerned about. I don’t think an abortion should be conducted as if it were a hair cut; it should be a decision based on careful and thorough consideration. I think the woman should be counseled, not necessarily to convince her to change her mind, but to prepare her mentally and emotionally for what is about to happen. I have heard this is similar to what happens in Germany. The decision to abort is difficult enough on the person having it done. Calling her a whore or a murderer is a bit harsh and will only make it more emotionally difficult.
Gay Rights
Let me start by saying that personally, homosexuality isn’t my thing, but, that being said, I don’t pass judgement on those that choose to live that way. I think everyone has the right to live their life whichever way makes them happy. We all deserve happiness. The biggest issue I have with the gay rights issue is that I feel like the gay community is being exploited. The core purpose behind the gay rights movement is that they just want to be treated like everyone else. Then why must politicians use that as a means to get votes? If the gay community wants to be treated like everyone else then why must we single them out? It seems counter-intuitive to me.
The proverbial (and perhaps flamboyant?) elephant in the room when it comes to gay rights is the controversial debate over same-sex marriage. Again, homosexuality isn’t my bag, but finding the right person that perfectly compliments you is a rare and awesome thing and if that happens between two people of the same gender then, conceptually, I think that’s great. I completely understand finding the one person that you know you want to spend the rest of your life with.
So this is where this gets tricky and I ask for your indulgence because I’m not trying to offend anyone, I’m just trying to be honest.
Personally I subscribe to the philosophy that the sacrament of marriage can only exist between a man and a woman. Now before anyone gets upset I will say that if a gay couple wants to be legally joined, I don’t have a problem with that at all. I don’t have a problem with domestic partnerships, civil unions, or whatever else people want to call it. I think what this debate really comes down to is the religious implications of same-sex marriage and, as I mentioned earlier, I believe in the separation of church and state because everyone is not of the same religion and not all religions practice the same beliefs.
There will not be a solution to this debate that will appease everyone. I think there will have to be concessions on both sides of this debate and it will be the ultimate test of character. I think both sides are going to have to practice some acceptance. I don’t like the word tolerance because I think it has a bad connotation. I think those of us that are on the religion side of the debate need to accept the fact that a gay couple has the right to be legally united. Love shouldn’t be detained or stymied. However, those on the other side of the debate need to accept the fact that if you want to call the union a marriage, there are going to be people out there that don’t agree with that label and will not acknowledge it as a “true marriage”. I’m sorry if that offends anyone, I’m just trying to be truthful.
As far as controversies such as Chik-fil-a goes, let me put it this way. My favorite actor is Tom Hanks. I don’t agree with his politics. In fact his politics are pretty much the polar opposite of mine, but I still see his movies because it is his right to believe what he wants and donate money where he wants. So, to that end, I will continue to eat at Chik-fil-a because I like their sandwiches and I love their milkshakes. I don’t care what the CEO believes and I don’t care where the money goes. It’s their right to do what they want with their money.
Conclusion
So there you have it. I have done the one thing I said I would never do on this blog site. This is the first time I have written about controversial political topics and this will be the last time. I think its important that we fight for what we believe in but the fact that we have to fight for it means there are people that believe the opposite. For hundreds of years people have been fighting and paying the ultimate price for the freedom to live how we choose and to fight for what we believe. There are certain fights, however, that become stagnant and if we don’t learn to accept our differences then the fight becomes violent.
I will admit one final thing (since clearly I have said quite a bit). I will not vote for Barrack Obama this November. President Obama and I do not share enough of the same beliefs for me to feel comfortable with him as my commander-in-chief. My vote will go to the candidate whom I feel best fits what I believe and whom I believe will be more suited for the position of president.
So now here is the important question. I have told you where I stand on some of the hottest issues that face the people of this country. The issues that have thousands belittling, bashing and slandering each other. My question to you is, do you still accept me for who I am?
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