One

Of course I've chosen to give my response to the voting results from yesterday in regards to Amendment One.  For those of you not from North Carolina or even those who voted but never actually saw the bill, here is it below.

I must first Preface this by saying that I am not Prejudiced.  I am Tolerant, and to me, tolerance includes accepting that people have difference of opinions.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and has the right to speak out, which is what I'm doing here.  If you are Prejudiced, Intolerant or Bigoted then you most likely do not need to continue reading this.  Those are your Rights.  (At least for now since you most recently voted in favor of freely giving up your rights.)

Here is a statement made by NC's own Governor, Bev Perdue, encouraging citizens to vote Against.  You can view it clearly at http://www.governor.nc.gov/NewsItems/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?newsItemID=2356.  Even she interprets the bill as willingly giving up your rights and going against our Constitution.

First of all, I hate Politics.  I hate it like the Plague.  Unfortunately everything we do is made up of politics, including the Military and Church/Religion.  This bill is the only thing I've felt strongly about since I earned the privilege to vote at the age of eighteen.  Why is that?  Because I'm not Prejudiced or Bigoted and I would like my to keep my Rights.  

I can count on both hands the number of Lesbians I know, yes, that many!  Two of which joined into a union among their family and friends a few years ago.  I am so happy that they were able to share that moment of happiness, yet sad and disappointed that that's all they can do.  At least they are able to believe that their God does not condemn them, yet He wants them to live their lives happy and fulfilled.  God put every person on this Earth for a purpose.  I believe He loves all his children and if they were meant to all be the same then He would have created us as such.  Gay and Lesbians are not a recent lifestyle choice either.  They have been around long before Christ (b.c.).  Thus they've been around longer than the Bible.  The Bible was written for a group of people and their beliefs.  That doesn't mean it applies to all beliefs.  And no one set of beliefs is right or wrong, that's why they're Beliefs!

No, this amendment would not have legalized Gay Marriage.  It is already illegal.  But it would have been or could have been a stepping stone to one day, 30-50 years from now, toward it being a possibility.  Don't get me wrong, it is still a possibility.  Amendment One can and will be put to another vote.  It's just sad that Tolerance has to take so long to move throughout a Nation.  Just like it took so many years for African Americans (and as a result other races) to be accepted, and even Interracial Relationships to be be accepted (although that can be debated).  Frankly I'm surprised this bill doesn't divert us back fifty years of history and say that marriage should be "one man and one woman of the same race/ethnicity".  Where is the Tolerance?

I've grown up hearing the saying that the "Military is fighting for our freedom and our rights."  And as I know there are many among the Military who fight that in truth, there are many that I know that to be false.  Even my own blood.  There is still intolerance of Gays among the Military regardless of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" being lifted, not to mention all the allegations of rape against men and women among the Military.  As much as we'd like to believe it, there is still no safety net for Gay and Women's rights in the Military.  Even my own family member, a veteran, would rather sacrifice his rights because of his hatred for Gays and Lesbians.  I was also told that I could not join the military, as a woman, because he had seen how they are treated.  Such confidence in your own...

I've seen only a handful of my Facebook "friends" who have publicly stood For the Amendment as opposed to the plethora of those standing Against.  Two of which claimed that all others Against are "misinformed".  Those same two happen to quote scripture every second or third post on their Facebook page.  Not that I object as I do believe in God, it's just obvious where they were most likely to stand.  Just because we don't quote scripture and attend church regularly doesn't mean we aren't Christians.  And just because we are Christians doesn't mean we can't be tolerant of other groups and beliefs.

On the other hand, I've also seen several of my religious friends take the stand Against.  Thank you for your Tolerance and understanding that the Religion has nothing to do with our Bill of Rights.  Aside from removing the Pledge of Allegiance from schools, Separation of Church and State is a myth.  It's OKAY to be a religious church-going person and STILL have your own beliefs outside of what the Church tells you.  It's okay to disagree with some aspects of your faith - it doesn't mean you don't believe.

One other person For the amendment went so far as to say that the Propaganda of groups Against the Amendment, like Protect All NC Families, is just a "scare tactic".  You may have seen their commercials on the television.  As well as the same concerns addressed in Bev Perdue's comments above.  No, the bill does not actually state that "protection will be taken away from battered women and children" or anything in regards to "child custody" or "unmarried couples" (just think about your baby daddy).  But their concern for these groups are nevertheless valid.  The bill is loosely stated.  It is the fear that since these groups may not fall under the "one man and one woman" ideal of marriage, or thus no marriage at all, that they are not allowed the same rights.  Whose to stop the courts from interpreting this new bill as such?  So while you may call it a "scare tactic" it's still a valid concern.  I don't care how religious you are and that you're a diligent church-goer.  Chances are you have a friend or even a family member who slipped up, made a mistake, and fall under that category.  I have SEVERAL.  So much for having a Family if you're going to condemn them.

Facebook has been "littered" a lot these past two days with everyone's opinions about the Amendment and its passing.  The best string of comments I've seen were from a college friend's post (below).  His strong responses are outlined in red. 

Amendment to my post (like how I used the term "Amendment"?)


And for those of you using Religion and the Bible as an excuse:


Marriage is about your faith in your God and beliefs. You stand up in front of everyone and your God and call it a Marriage. The same goes for homosexuals. They may or may not believe in their own version of God, but they can stand up in front of everyone and their God and call it their own version of marriage.

"Marriage" for all other purposes is only a piece of paper, a document provided by the Government to legitimize a couple and then allowing them to have extra privileges such as healthcare and financial gains. Not to mention that not all "legal" marriages are before God, but instead in front of a Judge in a courtroom. Does that not make them legal in your eyes? Just because they didn't profess their love for one another in front of God?

The term "marriage" is in fact outdated or otherwise can be interpreted differently by all.

I've asked this question also: Were Adam and Eve legally married? Did they do so only in front of God or did they sign a document saying so? How can anyone even know? It's one thing to profess your intentions to be with one another through your faith and in front of God but another thing entirely to do so just to obtain a piece of paper from the Government.

And if it's just about a piece of paper provided by the GOVERNMENT, which is supposed to have NOTHING to do with RELIGION, then why can't it include all lifestyle choices? If it's only about your FAITH then why isn't your FAITH good enough for you to consider yourself married? If your FAITH is enough, why bother even getting that piece of paper from the Government?

Because without that piece of paper even YOU would consider your marriage ILLEGITIMATE, adn that you would be living in Sin. Apparently, the only people who have Faith in their God to not have to feel the need to "legitimize" their marriage(s) would be Polygamists. Yay for the Polygamists for actually believing in their Faith.

The term "Marriage" should be rethought by all.


End Amendment

Now, I debated with myself over whether or not to allow comments on this post.  I was initially going to but the arguments that I've seen just on Facebook alone, including from my own family, has given me second thoughts.  If you want to express your opinion then write your own blog.  So just as I expressed in my Preface that You have the right not to read this post, I have the right not to read your comments.