Monday, May 23, 2011

Newsy

I try not to talk about politics/religion/other heavy issues. I figure there are people vastly more qualified to do such things than I am, so I stay out of it. But I have thoughts and this is my forum, so I'm airing them.


1. The rapture. Really people? How dumb are we? I can't decide if it was more annoying that people actually think this was gonna happen or that everyone and their brother had to make a comment on it. And it seemed blatantly obvious that whoever this preacher was that predicted it, when it doesn't happen, has a great sermon on Sunday that says either "live every day like your last" or "always serve god in the fullest because you never know". I spent enough time in Catholic school I can figure that one out. I really wish all us smart folks would just collectively ignore this bullshit and not ever mention it and then it would just go away. Instead we ALL feed into it and becomes this THING that none of us can stop. Do not give the crazy people's arguments credence! (This is also why I try not to even joke about these things, it just perpetuates the whole cycle. This is also why I don't bother watching the news. It makes me dumber.)

2. Gay marriage/being gay in America. This one seems constantly in the news. This one is doubly frustrating for anyone who has bothered to take constitutional law and knows that Loving v. Virginia and Lawrence v. Texas seems to be applicable to gay marriage. EQUAL protection for all. Not equal protection for straight people. A right to privacy in the home and a fundamental right to define your family as you want. Hell, pull out your Brown v. Board and separate is not equal, thus invalidating "civil unions" as opposed to marriage. I don't worry too much about people opposed to it because I have faith that this will change over time with the right judges and passing of laws. We simply can't, logically, deny it. I don't have much faith in humanity at all, but I have faith in this.

But more than that: this issue has been all over lately as the NBA has been supporting it, an NBA exec and former D1 college player both came out and a couple idiot players used a pejorative for gay on opposing players (including last night). The most sentient comments were made by Charles Barkley. Really? Who would have predicted that? Not me.

Here's my thing: I can't wait for it to be a non-issue. When do we just not GAF? I know, I grew up in hippie, peace loving San Francisco and accept every freak for exactly who they are. I'm ahead of the curve here, but I just feel like it shouldn't even matter. "Oh, you're gay? Can you still ball? Okay then."

I want a day and a world where who someone likes to get their freak on with is a non-event. Think about it: It's really such a minor part of who you encompass as a person. Sure, it can impact the places you hang out, the company you keep, and the focus of your energies. But other than that? Good lawd it's almost irrelevant. You are a complex, multi-faceted creature that probably has likes and dislikes incidental to who you like to share a bed with. As someone with their own complicated dating history, who has had far more conversations about what that means than she would care to because it just seems not important to who I am as a person, I take this one personally.

I don't care when/how/why the first famous athlete comes out. I actually sort of think they shouldn't. It has NOTHING to do with them playing a game. If they want to because they want to live an open life, sure. But to do it to break barriers and change the game? I think that's a false argument and unlikely to happen. Just look to the reaction on Grant Hill's twitter. Why blaze that trail? They should only come out when we've reached a time and place in society where everyone just shrugs their shoulders and moves on. Yeah, I realize I'm a bit optimistic in thinking that would be anytime soon and for deferring what could be a really important step in our evolution if such a person does come out, I still just completely understand the hesitation/not wanting to be the first.

As for the insults leveled by Kobe and now Noah, I am all for more creative insults, as I've stated. Any variation on the theme of being gay as an insult is just plain wrong. Imagine if someone used a racial epithet caught by cameras. We'd vilify that person. Why is it okay to pick on someone's sexuality? It's not. At all. Ever. Not only should Noah be fined, him and Kobe need to sit in a meeting with the LGBT community and be shamed for what they did. I don't care about the "heat of the moment sports are haarrdd" argument. Shove it. These two should be beyond conciliatory. And we should be beyond mad. And not that basketball is the only sport guilty of such behavior, god knows what's said on the line in football or when they chirp in hockey, but thanks for giving me another reason to not watch it, asshats.

1 comment:

  1. Finally catching up, and THANK YOU for this post!! Agree on all points!!

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