After watching a powerful documentary, perusing CNN.com’s latest news about the GOP National Convention, and seeing such events through my own eyes, there are a few things about freedom of speech that I just don’t understand. While I revel in this constitutional right, there are effects that are so disturbing I would gladly shut my face (or stop my typing) in order to do away with the unholy spawn of the freedom of speech.
In a word: protests. While I laud the days of MLK and others who stood up to injustices, most modern day protests are merely a spectacle of a. The proactive attitude of these extremists is nauseatingly misguided. Now, I’m not speaking about all protestors, but the peaceful, positive ones aren’t the pictures you see on CNN.com or the nightly news. We are bombarded with the idiots whose only skill is plastering hate on pickets. This abhorrent side effect of freedom has merely opened up a platform for those individuals equal parts stupid and loud!
Yeah, I might not agree with some of Grand Old Party’s political agenda, but you know how I respond, I don’t vote for them. The fact that our law enforcement that should be… uh… I don’t know, solving and preventing crimes, is called out to fight off the bleeding heart liberals who are protesting the Right’s right to convene. What is this proving or accomplishing? Likewise, anti-gay protestors who line up to spout hate at Pride Parades and other large gay friendly functions, what in the world are you doing? Do you not have anything better to do with your time than spread hate one slur at a time? There is absolutely nothing constructive about your efforts. The only thing you’re proving to me is the fact that the eugenics movement deserves a second look.
Here’s a Grand Old idea, why not channel all that misguided energy into an actual evil. There is nothing apparently evil or endangering of the public about a few homos walking down a blocked off street or a bunch of old white guys converging on St. Paul. Why not invest your time and efforts into cancer research, world aide, and/or any other legitimate organization aimed at making this world a better place to live? Why not save your pennies on paint, pickets, and poster board and donate to UNICEF or Susan G. Komen? I understand that you protestors are so full of hate that you need some sort of conduit for that emotion, so pick a more constructive emotion and stand up for something you believe in, not against something else that doesn’t concern you.
There is nothing sadder in this world than misguided, scared individuals who channel their hate in the masses. Well, maybe drowning puppies, but there would have to be a lot of them…
*Tune into CBS, NBC, or ABC September 5th for the simultaneous live airing of Stand Up To Cancer special!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
an empowering education
So, one story has been blowing up the media waves recently. No, I’m not talking about torrential ravaging of America’s coastline (which people probably should be focusing on more). I’m talking about GOP VP Sarah Palin’s pregnant teen daughter! While I laud the painful public admission and the more recent choice her daughter made to keep and raise the child, I am still utterly confused at some of the conservative somewhat conflicting POVs on Pro-Life and abstinence-based sexual education?
No, I’m not saying that when everyone walks into the doors their freshman year of high school throw handfuls of condoms at them, but shouldn’t sexual education give teenagers the knowledge and facts regarding this (for some reason) taboo topic? Certain groups argue that such education would give our young adults the green light in the bedroom, but think of the alternative education they are receiving…
Our popular culture is on its way to becoming a soft core porno. Sex is everywhere. It is a tool geared towards the consumer, a ratings grabber for the audience, and explicit in its saturation in our entertainment. So, while you might be teaching your children to not have sex whatsoever, the world and their peers are going Nike and saying ‘just do it.’
While every mother and father would hope and pray that their children can exercise self-control until marriage, what of the majority of those children who can’t? Do you really want them going into the bedroom with a second rate education or sub standard tools at their disposal? Universities don’t hand out diplomas to idiots who didn’t pass a single class, and the DMV doesn’t give out licenses to less than adequate drivers. But, humans aren’t given a license to have sex. Most parents avoid the awkward conversation and simply say don’t do it. So, for most teenagers, it’s a very monkey see, monkey do schooling. Hey, Carrie from Sex and the City is doing it, why not me? Ross and Rachel did it. That skinny chick and Dr. McDreamy do it. Why not me? These are their instructors in all things sexual. It’s an archaic tradition to not educate out of fear. Women and slaves were banned from proper education for fear of the social consequences. That seemed to have worked out. I can’t be certain of the consequences, but I am pretty certain that leaving teens in the dark on sex will lead to dire decisions in the dark.
Sex is a life-threatening behavior. I’m not even just talking about the fact that nowadays STDs are more common than a winter cold. I’m talking about the fact that getting knocked up ends your life as you knew it! The McCain camp and their Evangelical supporters are preaching in one voice that a child, Palin’s included, is a miracle and a blessing. While they are correct in saying this, the reality is that this is probably the most time consuming, expensive, and life altering miracle you’ll ever have! Why not shed more light on the hardships and sacrifice that go along with having children?
I guess my final point is, most young women who are in such a situation aren’t the daughters of the ‘could-be’ most powerful woman in the nation. Sorry, Oprah! They are daughters of the average American who may or may not be equipped (financially or emotionally) to bring on such a burdensome blessing. So, save your breath on abstinence (most kids aren’t listening) and preach on the life changing consequences of actions and preparation on how to keep things under wraps… pun intended!
No, I’m not saying that when everyone walks into the doors their freshman year of high school throw handfuls of condoms at them, but shouldn’t sexual education give teenagers the knowledge and facts regarding this (for some reason) taboo topic? Certain groups argue that such education would give our young adults the green light in the bedroom, but think of the alternative education they are receiving…
Our popular culture is on its way to becoming a soft core porno. Sex is everywhere. It is a tool geared towards the consumer, a ratings grabber for the audience, and explicit in its saturation in our entertainment. So, while you might be teaching your children to not have sex whatsoever, the world and their peers are going Nike and saying ‘just do it.’
While every mother and father would hope and pray that their children can exercise self-control until marriage, what of the majority of those children who can’t? Do you really want them going into the bedroom with a second rate education or sub standard tools at their disposal? Universities don’t hand out diplomas to idiots who didn’t pass a single class, and the DMV doesn’t give out licenses to less than adequate drivers. But, humans aren’t given a license to have sex. Most parents avoid the awkward conversation and simply say don’t do it. So, for most teenagers, it’s a very monkey see, monkey do schooling. Hey, Carrie from Sex and the City is doing it, why not me? Ross and Rachel did it. That skinny chick and Dr. McDreamy do it. Why not me? These are their instructors in all things sexual. It’s an archaic tradition to not educate out of fear. Women and slaves were banned from proper education for fear of the social consequences. That seemed to have worked out. I can’t be certain of the consequences, but I am pretty certain that leaving teens in the dark on sex will lead to dire decisions in the dark.
Sex is a life-threatening behavior. I’m not even just talking about the fact that nowadays STDs are more common than a winter cold. I’m talking about the fact that getting knocked up ends your life as you knew it! The McCain camp and their Evangelical supporters are preaching in one voice that a child, Palin’s included, is a miracle and a blessing. While they are correct in saying this, the reality is that this is probably the most time consuming, expensive, and life altering miracle you’ll ever have! Why not shed more light on the hardships and sacrifice that go along with having children?
I guess my final point is, most young women who are in such a situation aren’t the daughters of the ‘could-be’ most powerful woman in the nation. Sorry, Oprah! They are daughters of the average American who may or may not be equipped (financially or emotionally) to bring on such a burdensome blessing. So, save your breath on abstinence (most kids aren’t listening) and preach on the life changing consequences of actions and preparation on how to keep things under wraps… pun intended!
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