So if it doesn't affect me...is Discrimination ok?

I asked a friend once "Do you really believe that anyone would willingly want to be hated for who they love?, Do you think people knowingly would choose to be beat up, spit at, made fun of and constantly be ostracized because of their life style? Can you imagine living in fear of being killed because others don't agree with who you kiss or sleep with?
There were plenty of other questions I asked but he got the picture. It all started with a comment that I felt was sexually offensive to others.

I always say when you know better you do better, I learned that from the wonderful Maya Angelou. I learned it at a point in my life when I had many questions of my own and I was breaking out of a shell that no longer served its purpose.

I won't give this subject too much of my time but just enough to put this perspective out there and have at least one person stop and think and think again.

Respect... why is that so difficult to offer to those that are not just like us?

Why is certain discrimination more acceptable than others? Discrimination, regardless of the subject matter should not be tolerated.
Today you may not be the target but who's to say Tomorrow won't be your turn?

Yes we all have the right to think what we wish. Yes we all have the right to express our opinion.
But do we really have the right to prevent another human being from sharing their life with whom ever they choose?

At this point I think it is clear that I am referring to Gay rights or lack there of. I am commenting on this because of recent news reports indicating that certain states in The United States of America want to pass certain laws to make it acceptable to refuse services etc...to same sex couples. Is this really happening in 2014? What makes this any different than how African Americans have been treated and may still be treated today? What makes this different than how the Irish were treated when the first came to this country or the Italians or any other race of people that are considered different?

Why does what occurs in other peoples bedroom (because at the end of the day wether people admit it or not THAT is what it boils down to) matter to you or affect you?

Believe it or not this is where learning from our younger generation can benefit us all. They are more accepting and more knowledgable when it comes to sexuality today than past generations. It is the older folks that have the hang ups. The ones who continue to teach hatred and disrespect and non acceptance of what they feel is not "normal".
Then we have those that bring religion into the mix and all the other endless rules and regulations. But aren't we ALL children of one God? Does he not love us all?
These are questions I ask myself along with countless others.

I am not political, I am not religious.
I am a human being, I am a woman, I am a mother.
How can I have taught my daughter that we are all equal, that we all deserve respect and that we all deserve love, then turn around and say to her "oh but only" if you look, act or live a certain way?
How does that make any sense?

As parents we should be teaching acceptance and not picking and choosing only on what is acceptable to us but what is acceptable instead for humanity.
Start a discussion, be open to Life. There are far greater causes that need, that require, that demand our attention. Who our neighbor wants to sleep with, date, marry or have a family with is not one of those causes.

In a conversation the other day with several other adults this same topic came up along with a discussion of our laws. A man in the group flat out said "yeah well these rules have been around for a long time, why change them? Next thing you know someone is going to fall in love with their horse and want to marry it. Should we allow that too?" At which point I got up and walked away thinking "this man just compared humans to animals smh there sure is a lot of stupid walking around disguised as educated".

What do you think?

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