Privilege

This week I have heard a lot about privilege. There have been national figures claiming those who are LGBT  should not be allowed to adopt or marry. They cite adoption as a privilege for married couples. They continue the thought by stating marriage is a privilege extended to a man and a woman. Beyond this they also claim marriage is intended for procreation and thus eliminates couples that can not do so.

WOW! Was the first thought in my mind when hearing this. I don't think it says it all but it does relay my disbelief.

In all my life I never thought I would hear the words of exclusion, theocracy, and revision put forth so boldly here in the United States. Have we not learned the lessons of civil rights, oppression, and strife? I can respect a persons passion and beliefs. I can respect that we are all different. That however does not entitle you to extend rights for only those you deem worthy.

When you revise the rights of people to marry and have families you set in motion a path that allows someone or some group to act as judge in such matters. You then hold all people to such standards. It is no longer "We the people." It becomes "We, some of the people, in our moral judgement." That is a very dangerous path to walk down. History is littered with such events.

When a small or select group dictate morality and laws it almost always becomes a theocracy. As well intentioned as they may be you always have extremists. You always have people who will twist such power to gain more. You always have people who abuse such power to hate or hurt others. Have we not progressed beyond thug leadership? Only when all the people are protected and represented in a society can it be a just society.

Exclusion...it is a nasty word to me. Even in good societies we all know it. Are we last to be picked for a team, not allowed into a group, or even ignored for being different. When we carry the games of childish behavior to national politics what does that say about us? When we have become adamant in our surety to become judge and jury on other peoples lives do we truly represent what we believe? When we sanction isolation, belief, and servitude does that not make us masters of others destiny?

So what is privilege? In society privilege it is the extending of benefits to people to enhance us as a whole. An example of this is tax breaks for families. It fosters the concept of marriage and raising children. The future of any society is benefit by this.

What is not privilege? The concept that family has one definition is not privilege. It selects those who are favored over others. It is not privilege to not enable all the opportunity.

So who judges what is love? A couple of gay men who have lived together for 20 years faithfully not in love? If this couple wants to adopt children to share their love and blessings is it not a family? Even if we drop the gay aspect and make it a man and a woman are they not deserving of such as well?

So what is family? Is it simply a man and a woman who are married with children? Can family be a single person with a child? Can family be a grandparent raising a child? Can two people regardless of sex be a family. Family is unique but the traditional definition is love between two or more people. They can be parent and child, husband and wife, they can even be husband and husband. Family is our creation not governments.

In my own state this misconception has ravaged people as a whole. Government is dictating morality and judging who is a family and who deserves protections. Recently they began the process to amend our state Constitution with this:

"Marriage. Provides that only marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Indiana. Provides that a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized."

They wrapped themselves in the banner of family and family values. They claimed they are protecting marriage and the family.  But in reality they they have only begun the long march toward oppression and dictate. As I mentioned above it becomes judgement and power mongering. If you read the second sentence of their act it goes beyond man and woman. It now disolves all legal bonds and protections for anyone not in marriage, regardless of being LGBT.

It always begins in surety of morality, judgement of others, and restrictions on those who do not conform. Must we as Humans continue the cycle of hate and violence against those unlike us?

My topic has been privilege. So I shall end this rebuttal with a simple statement. It is not your privilege to dictate my life, my beliefs, or my rights. Government in this nation is for the people, by the people. We are all the people and should all be protected.



Love is Never Wrong