Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Morality

I promise, I’ll stop with the election stuff in a day or two. I think we all should rest for a few months. There will be plenty of time to plan for 2006 and 2008.

The exit polls last night revealed something about the electorate. Americans who voted for Bush chose him because they view the President as a “moral” man. I’ve “gotten over” the loss. I accept that a slim majority of the American people wants George W. Bush to be their president for the next four years. I did not accept the 2000 results, but I have come to grips with the fact that Bush is now a legitimate president.

I have had people tell me that morality in America is at an all-time low. A lot of these people reference popular culture as being the downfall of this country. I’m not sure I see things the same way. I don’t consider myself to be a religious person. Sometimes I come off overly harsh on those who practice religion. I probably should make an effort to be more conciliatory to those of deep faith. It’s not that I don’t believe in God. I simply feel that religion, more than immorality, is damaging to Americas. If Jesus were still alive, I don’t think he’d support much of what the right wing describes as moral. Would Jesus have been for this war in Iraq? Would he be for initiatives that cut funding for family planning?

Abortion is one of those issues that I’ve learned to keep away from. I have grudgingly accepted that the other side is passionate in their beliefs. My objection to religious folk does not stem from the abortion issue as much. While I am pro-choice, there are others who legitimately believe that abortion is the equivalent of taking a human life. I prefer to consider ways to limit the necessity for abortion. And I trust that many pro-life individuals feel the same way. The far-right religious element opposes abortion but also feel that contraceptives are not the answer. They want people simply not to have sex. True pro-life believers understand the need for contraception and helping young people in this country better deal with unplanned pregnancies.

I am sickened at how the gay marriage issue was utilized by Republicans this election cycle. Look at all the gay marriage initiatives that were on the ballot. Notice two of them were in Michigan and Ohio. Is this just a coincidence? Of course not. This issue was brought forth specifically to increase turnout among Evangelical Christian voters.

And here lies by most fervent disagreement with the religious community. I am not a homosexual, despite the assertions of my Dad. I believe that some people were born different. I can’t fathom the fact that someone would, on his or her own volition, choose to be homosexual. Life is easier being a heterosexual, and many try to hide their feelings and live the “normal” lifestyle. All that the gay community wants is to have equal rights under the law. The gay pride festivals held in Key West and San Francisco do not represent most gay people. They don’t want to disgust others with their sexual orientation. The vast majority of homosexuals lead a life not altogether different than that of straight Americans. The gall that homosexual couples want to have:

1) Rights for visitation were their partner to get sick
2) The ability to raise children in a loving environment
3) The right for shared benefits
4) The opportunity to legally celebrate their relationship

I’ll admit, I should be less harsh on people who choose to attend religious services. There are a lot of religious folks who are not part of this radical right wing agenda. It’s conservative of me to stereotype all believers.

I just realized that I forgot the stem-cell debate. That’s another doozy of an issue. Suffice to say, I’m for it and I cannot fathom why some would want to stifle it. Well, that’s for another day.

And to close, shame on those who say John Kerry has no morals. If they would bother to look, John Kerry was an altar boy and is a devout Catholic. I won’t even say that George W. Bush has no morals. That is not for me to decide. But when I voted two Mondays ago, I felt confident that John Kerry and I shared a similar set of morals and values. I did not feel that Bush espoused my values. It’s a personal decision that everyone has to judge on their own.

-Taylor

1 Comments:

Blogger E. Antonio Cioffoletti said...

Good post. Yes I agree that morality is an issue that Republicans are hypocritical of.

All of those sluts who are bitches stands as evidence to that.

November 5, 2004 at 7:21 PM  

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