Monday, October 27, 2008

Imagine if you will.....

I am overwhelmed at the moment with schoolwork and trying to find a job but read an e-mail recently that has me thinking even harder about the upcoming election. Obama has been my pick since the beginning and I am so happy to see how far he has come but I am still afraid. Afraid this election will come too close and have it stolen from us. Again. Afraid of what a McCain/Palin administration will do to us as a society and how much more it will take away. Steps that have taken our conservative society decades to make will be undone in a flash. So if you are still undecided or unsure, here are some things to think about.

Imagine if you will.....

...what it would feel like to have your child ripped from your arms by the government because you did not give birth to this child and the government does not recognize your rights to raise this child if something happens to your same-sex partner. Or what it would feel like to be turned away because you are not considered family and not allowed to see your partner in the hospital.

...how it would feel to have people come into your house and determine what you can keep or what you will have to give up of your belongings. This is because the government does not recognize same-sex relationships the way they do a marriage between a man and woman so if your same-sex partner dies without a will, their family has the right to come in and take things believed to be their belongings.

...being raped and then finding out you are pregant or told your baby will be born with severe birth defects or told your own life is at stake due to a high-risk pregnancy and then being able to do nothing about ending the pregnancy.

...hearing someone campaigning for the highest office in our country say that though they don't believe you have rights, they will tolerate you. What confidence would you have in their being your leader?

...entering the military to fight for your country but having to hide who you are and making the ultimate sacrifice only to have your partner denied any benefits after your death including receiving the flag your casket was draped in?

Whether you are affected by these issues or not, how can you stand in judgement of someone whose life does? What makes you the decider of how others live their lives? Even if you don't agree with these issues it is not your right to take them away from someone else.

Over 400 years ago the English settlers came here to escape religious persecution. They understood that it was unfair to be forced to practice a religion they did not believe in and made sure to write the Constitution to ensure the separation of religion and state. Yet here we sit all these decades later still waiting for that to be true. I don't advocate taking away your right to freedom of religion and I should be given the same right to live my life as I chose and not how your religion says I should.

All it takes is for a voice to speak up at the right time. Now is the right time. Please, please, please get out and vote on November 4th and consider which candidate wants to bring us together regardless of our skin color, religion or sexual preference. Also there is a HUGE fight going on in California that needs help. Now is the time for uniting. Kinda like our name, huh?

4 comments:

Heather said...

And THIS is why I think you are such an amazing person and ally. Thank you for being you. For raising your children to love instead of hate. For believing that my relationship with April is real and of value. THANK YOU.

Anonymous said...

helllllllllll yeah

Anonymous said...

This is a great post. You're very different from my blog, but in an awesome and reflective way...mine are usually short, and a bit perverse.

Thank you for being an advocate, and for understanding what it's like to be on the other side. You rock.

Reticent Writer said...

Heather - You are most welcome but it should not have to be said. It should not even be an issue up for debate. It is basic human rights and plain discrimination. What disgusts me is the way religion is thrown into this decision. If someone believes in God, shouldn't they also believe in fair treatment for everyone?

Amanda - Hell YEAH!! LOL!

Jul - Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I have been known to be long-winded hence the long posts ; ) I hate that their are sides on this debate as it is one of the only acknowledged forms of discrimination. When the race got heated, the other side had to resort to calling Obama a Muslim because it wasn't PC to say the "n" word. Yet it is ok to go to the polls and vote to deny other human beings the right to equal treatment under the law. Sickening.