Disclaimer

This blog is a stream of conciousness from my head to the keyboard to the screen. There will be talk of random subjects. If you have delicate eyes, proceed with caution. I like to talk about controversial subjects and sex a lot. So, take heed my friends. This is not a blog for debate, but for love and sharing. If your views do not match my own, love to you, but don't bring the rest of us down. That's all I'm saying.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Intolerance

I speak out a lot about intolerance. I have been at protests to show support for people who are being treated unfairly. I often speak to my children about having an open heart and an open mind to all people and ideas. I believe in this stance and philosophy. But, alas, I don't follow it.

I am an intolerant person.

There are so many things that drive me crazy that I will not tolerate. I went to a protest to support the GLSA (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Alliance) at a local High School when the Westboro Baptist Church decided it would come protest the tolerance and acceptance toward gay youth at that school. I was there to spread the love for the youth and administration at that school, but I had no tolerance for the stance of Westboro church. I don't tolerate people that will not spread the love.

I fully support a person's right to choose to wear clothing that they find to be spiritually/religiously correct. When I see young girls and women wearing a hijab (headscarf worn by Islamic women), I have no issue with it. However, when I see groups of women with exceptionally long hair wearing exceptionally long skirts, it bugs me. I just start thinking that the younger girls can not run and play in the same way as other girls there age. It bugs me, I have a hard time tolerating that religiously based choice.

I watch John Stewart and think he is hilarious and so right, or should I say correct as he is pretty far left. I get what he is saying. I believe it. I think that more people should think like us. On the other hand, the people in my family who are very politically conservative (and that is most of them), I can hardly listen to their thoughts. I try to be open, but I just think they are wrong. I do not tolerate their position and I wish they would at least start budging to the middle.

People who know me well know that multiculturalism is a passion of mine. I love to learn about other cultures, their sensibilities, ways of doing things, points of view, etc. I can see things from lots of different prospectives and I like to see things from various points of view. When other people can not do this, or think it is p.c. thugery to do this, or refuse to do this, I get annoyed. I do not tolerate the fact that they choose to see things from their prospective.

The list has gone on and on as I have thought about this. While I preach acceptance, I do not always practice that and I am having a hard time with that. I can't decide if my accepting these other points of view fits into my world prospective. Even if they don't, does that mean I can ignore them. Doesn't that mean that I am doing the same thing that I get mad at others about. Am I as bad as the people from Westboro Baptist church.

No, I'm not that bad. I do not go to funerals of fallen soldiers and tell them their loved one has died because the U.S. is not pursecuting gay people. I do not tell other people they are going to hell bacause they do not follow the same religious thoughts that I do. I do not tell people that the country is going to hell because of decisions "their president" has made (he's the president of all of us folks), and I do not exclude the view points and stories of marginalized people because I feel it takes power away from me.

So, I guess I am going to be ok with my kind of intolerance. I will still spread love and show support vs. speaking out against and spreading hate. I will be open to other religions and viewpoints and pray that other who are not currently doing this will have their hearts opened. I will also try to be more sympathetic when people get riled up by things that affect them. Often things that affect us are based on decisions that are out of our control. I mean, that's what angst against any politician is about at the core.

I may not tolerate or accept the ways of some people, but I can always acknowledge their humanity and their right to be who they are and the possibility that the world view that any of us have can change.

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