Words To The World #1

I’m not much for withholding my opinion which, I suppose, makes it inevitable that I should slip and fall into blogging at some point. It is not so much with vanity that I think people will have interest in reading what I choose to say, but more out of dire hope that there are others out there who think and feel as I do. I guess, like almost everyone, I’m just looking for connection on a larger scale to the bigger picture. And, if there’s any chance that I can move and/or inspire others to speak out and/or act on those issues I feel strongly about, and then perhaps have contributed to making the world a better place for all of us, then I feel it is my long overdue responsibility to do so.

I'm a big advocate of personal freedoms and liberties. As such, I count myself among the millions of Americans who -- as of last night -- are excited at the prospect of an Obama presidency, and looking forward to Geo. W. Bush's final farewell.

But for those of us who revere personal freedom in California, yesterday's victory was bittersweet.

I think many of us were surprised (to say the least) when Prop. 8 passed, banning gay couples from being able to legally marry in this state.

Now, I've heard a lot of banter both ways on this. Some people say that you can't call it a marriage unless it's a man and a woman. Some of those people have expressed no other objection to it. Personally, I feel this is splitting hairs and is no reasonable basis to pass a law against it. If we're to begin passing laws based on concise usage of terminology, I have a very, very long list of offenses to offer up, and the current lame-duck president is among the worst public offenders.

But this Prop 8 goes beyond a legal defining of terminology. It is a spiteful attempt by right-wing conservative religious groups to restrict the personal freedoms of those they do not agree with.

I believe this constant attack on the private rights of individuals by the religious right was a significant contributor to last night's sweeping victory by Obama. He represents tolerance, perhaps of another kind, but tolerance of those who are different. He also stands for personal liberties.

It's an amazing contrast to this new legislation in California. Nationally, we take a huge step forward while, in this state, we take a sharp step back.

I, as well as others who are like-minded, noted with incredulity that Proposition 2 passed along with Prop 8. Prop 2 guarantees rights to farm animals. So California has just said that farm animals have more rights than humans if the humans happen to be gay. But I wonder: if Prop 2 were granting rights of pigs to marry chickens, would it have achieved success? I doubt it. That would just be absurd.

I'm beyond tired of the religious right's endless attempts to restrict the personal and private freedoms of Americans who don't happen to subscribe to whatever doctrine they are a part of. They have used THEIR personal freedom - that of religious practice - as tool to stomp out the personal freedoms of others long enough.

Here's my idea: Let's just squelch ONE personal freedom -- the freedom to practice religion openly. If we stripped them of that freedom, we'd accomplish a few things:

1. The religious right would no longer have the legal right or ability to mobilize and persecute non-religious personal freedoms.
2. We'd be letting them know EXACTLY how it feels to have someone else step in -- and on -- a personal freedom you value very highly, despite the fact that it is no business of those doing the stepping.
3. And, in a third possibility, it would have them more busy trying to defend their right to religious practice and they'd have less time to go around trying to tell everyone else how they should live.

What this country needs more than anything is to give the religious right a kidney punch right in the soul. If you're going to run around abusing a freedom, a privilege, a right -- then it is inevitable historically that sooner or later, you'll irritate enough people to wind up having that right stripped from you.

So go ahead, religious right -- keep stepping on personal freedoms. The next one we lose may just be YOURS.

-- The Emerald Quill