thelesbianlifestyle.com

Right now, I’m feeling a little schizophrenic. I’m completely elated that we actually ELECTED Barack Obama as our next President. No more “rigged” elections. No more Supreme Court decisions telling us who our President was going to be. WE did it. The people, the majority, US. As it SO should be.

On the down side, obviously, I am heartbroken that all those “propositions” and “initiatives” banning our rights to marry our beloveds passed. Even though I don’t live in one of those states, I ache for friends in California whose marriages are now in jeopardy because of the narrow-minded views of other people.

It’s clear that we all have to keep working, however we do it. Whether it’s by signing petitions, writing to elected officials, marching in the streets, or being an example of a loving, married couple in our neighborhoods, the fight will not stop here.

But we also need to realize that, even as we make progress toward this long-sought goal, there are always going to be people, both in “our” community and in the general population, who don’t agree with it.

And, you know what? That is okay.

IF we are going to stand up and proclaim that we live in “the greatest country in the world”, that we have free speech, etc., then we have to be willing to listen to the other voices in the crowd. To really LISTEN to them, and not dismiss them out of hand, just because we feel they are on the “wrong” side. While it’s a nice warm fuzzy to hang out and be with those who share our beliefs and opinions, it is SO important to include those who do not. Otherwise, we risk becoming what we are fighting against. Haven’t WE been dismissed out of hand too many times already?

Recently, someone posted here that they weren’t all that happy about Obama being elected, and they weren’t all that taken with the concept of gay marriage (or “marriage” in general), and they also felt that some OTHER Constitutional rights might be threatened. As you might imagine, there were a lot of responses to the post, mine among them. And, while none of the posts really got out of line, there were definitely strong feelings expressed, which is also fine.

However, I sincerely hope that this poster will continue to post here with her unique views and voice. We NEED the people who do not agree with us and “stroke” us. We NEED them so that we are made to explore and to delve into the core of our own beliefs, to really drill down and look at ourselves and understand why we believe the way we do.

So much of the trouble I have with many folks from the “religious right” or other fanatic belief systems comes from folks who are simply parroting words that they have been fed from childhood. There is no doubt in them, no questioning, no critical thought applied to any of it. Faith is and always has been a powerful force, but true faith will ALWAYS include some element of doubt as to whether the believer is REALLY right or not. The faithful one MUST be willing to take that “leap” perhaps despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Without doubt, faith turns into blind following, and it’s all too easy for blind followers to march right off a cliff.

We’ve had enough blind following over the last 8 years. Let’s open our eyes, open our ears, and open our minds. Let’s REALLY listen to each other so that we can all work together, along with our new President, to make this a better place to live for ALL of us.

Thank you!

GG