Why so much hate?

As I've said before, my summer days lately don't really include much. I don't even have work to look forward to this weekend! Watching Shark Week and researching for my Extended Essay and reading are basically how my days go. But, only 12 more days and it's back to the homework grind...

However, today, when I got online, I was greeted with this exciting piece of news.

That's right. We're just one small step closer to granting the GLBT community in America equal rights. I know, I know, it still has to go through the Supreme Court, and gay marriage is still not exactly allowed in California yet. But I think what's really essential about this is that it means some people are finally realizing that banning gay marriage is a fundamental violation of the rights of the American people.

Now, I'm a completely straight teenage girl, so you may think that this piece of news is not as exciting for me as it is for the GLBT community. And, okay, I probably don't have the exact same level of excitement or for the exact same reasons, but I'm still dang ecstatic. Why?

Because everyone deserves to have the same rights. That's what our country is built upon. It seems that politicians continue to forget that more and more, but it's true. Homosexual people are exactly the same as you and I, just with a different wiring in their brain as far as romantic and sexual attraction. It's the same with people with disabilities, Hispanics, African Americans, women, immigrants, etc. We're all PEOPLE. We may look different or think in different ways, but that's really not what matters when it comes down to it. That's not what someone should be judged on. That's like saying that a student who's good at history somehow has lesser rights than a student who's good at math. Sure, the two clearly have different mindsets and maybe different values, but they're both just people at the surface.

I know the argument is that gay marriage somehow harms the fundamental institution of marriage, and that it harms kids who are part of these families. Number one, if we have a real issue calling it marriage, call it a "union."* Number two, I know two kids who have two mothers, and they are completely normal, astonishingly bright for their ages, and, if anything, probably have a happier and more stable home than other kids their age born to a mother and father. Just saying.

The reason I feel so strongly about this issue is because we should never believe that it's okay to strip someone of their fundamental rights as people. As long as no one and nothing is being harmed, everyone has the right to act and think and love as they see fit. Hold onto their own values, and have other people respect them, while not forcing their values on the rest of society.** You may believe that a house must be kept absolutely clean, while your neighbor likes a little clutter. Well, you're not going to force a law on them saying that they can't keep their house a little messy, are you?*** Our reactions to the issue of gay marriage should be the same. You may not approve of the idea yourself, but hopefully you can just accept that it is part of someone else's value system and not try to change them.

Why so much hate? We're all human. We all make mistakes, we love, we cry, we walk through the same world.

Everyone has the right to choose. No one else should choose for them.

Liberty and Justice FOR ALL. Let's work to make that statement true.****

Okay, on a completely different note, this evening during Shark Week they had the shows about breaching great white sharks. And oh my geez, that footage is amazing. I know, I probably should be thinking something about the poor seal, but it's an essential part of the ocean ecosystem, and it has to happen. Mostly, while watching the show, I was thinking about how amazingly beautiful sharks are when they jump out of the water to attack a seal. See picture below.

Also, Craig Ferguson said it best in the introduction to his special, "Shark Bites: Adventure in Shark Week"--Shark Week is my favorite holiday.

Cheers!

Daily Shark Week picture:

Simply BREATHTAKING.

Daily Shark Week Fact: Some sharks, including the great white shark, will drown if they stop moving because they don't have the required muscles to pump water through their mouth and gills.

Days left of summer: 12

Inspirational quote/photo of the day: "Nobody is better than anyone else, and if you work really hard, you might get lucky and get what you want." ~Martina McBride

*I know this probably won't change the minds of most people who oppose gay marriage. I'd rather we accept that it's marriage, that may be just a little too radical, you know?

**Which is the issue with many of the people who oppose gay marriage--they're trying to force their values on a group of people who already have a value system, rather than just accepting their differences.

***Actually, on second thought, I'm sure some crazy people do. That's kind of what creepy Homeowner's Associations are, if you think about it...

****Incidentally, I still don't say the pledge at school because I firmly believe that it's not true yet. I love and respect my country, but I can't lie about liberties it doesn't grant people.