Addendum to "Free To Speak, Only If You're Republican"

Friday, May 26, 2006  -  reddit

I was very intent on railing fast and hard against Linda Chavez earlier today, and I made a few mistakes along the way. While I don't regret what I've said, I acknowledge that sometimes I say things that have meanings other than the ones I had originally intended.

I hate when people are treated differently than others for no logical reason. Gays are treated as different now as blacks were years ago, and to some degree are still treated differently today. I hate it because these people have done nothing to deserve being treated differently, but also because a person must recognize that if you allow someone to be discriminated against for no reason, then you may be the one to be discriminated against in the future.

I don't want to be discriminated against, and I don't want other people to be either. I've come to feel that this is a defining principle in my life, and so I wield it heavily; it's every bit as important to me as my right to speak. It's my right to live freely, as I choose, not as others choose for me.

Other people disagree, and they believe that they have real and important reasons for doing so. While I can't bring myself to understand, much less respect these reasons, I find that I can't in good conscience condemn everyone who feels that same-sex marriage is wrong in exactly the same way. Someone I love very much feels that intentional or not, I was labeling them a bigot because of their view on this issue. Frankly, I have no real idea of how to reconcile this, but I'm not overly disturbed by it. In my eyes, it only serves to prove that it's not an issue that can be summed up in a few words, and dismissed and solved just as quickly. It's the preeminent social issue of my life time, and I need to start treating it with more respect than I have.

I apologize to anyone I've offended with my words, as I seek only to speak frankly on the issue. I made the twin mistakes of writing while I was upset, and speaking without first thinking. These are two of the greatest sins a writer can ever commit, and they are bound to catch up to you eventually.

I believe that gays have as much right to marry as anyone else does, and I will fight for, and support, their right to do so for as long as I live. Not just for them, but for me as well, because there's no guarantee that tomorrow, someone wont decide that there is something about me that they don't like. Because tomorrow, it may be our turn.

Technorati tags: Bitch What?, Opinion