Most of my friends are fairly progressive in their belief systems. Most of my friends are not only "tolerant" of gays and lesbians, but, in fact, believe that gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual and transgender people are, above all else, people. People who deserve the same rights as currently held by heterosexual people.
So it has been a horrible reminder nearly each morning when I open up my newspaper & read yet another example of people being hurt, physically & emotionally, simply because of their sexual orientation. The rage and hate that is being expressed by the perpetrators is shocking because these people completely forget that they are attacking another human being. They no longer recognize the humanity in their victim, & truly, in themselves.
I am not so naive as to think that some day everyone, across the planet, will live in total peace and harmony. There will always be forces in place in our societies that create feelings of envy, fear, oppression & inequality. Just as bullying occurs within a microcosm society, such as school, in part as a result of feeling a lack of control over one's life/experiences within that society, bigotry & oppression occurs when one feels a need to blame someone else for the troubles in one's life.
And they feel justified: How dare those gays make me feel uncomfortable! How dare they want to marry, raise children, kiss in public, work next to me, teach children, fight wars, play sports - normalizing their lifestyle & spreading their gay agenda!
I don't understand their fear. I don't understand their anger. And I absolutely don't understand their raging attacks. Where did they learn to hate? How did they get to this place where attacking others is OK? Why do they think teasing, bullying & mocking people is normal, but the person they are targeting is not normal.
I want to believe that society is changing - that attitudes about sexual behavior between consenting adults is no longer a trigger for hate crimes. I want to believe that the people I care about won't be hurt by someone else just because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual or transgendered. I want to believe that the people I don't even know won't be hurt by someone else just because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual or transgendered.
Before you judge a person for their sexual orientation, please remember: they are a person. They are someone's child, sibling, cousin, parent, spouse, loved one, friend, neighbor, co-worker. They are as worthy of love & respect as you.
Stop the hate.
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Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Let my Love Open the Door!
When everything feels all over
When everybody seems unkind
I'll give you a four-leaf clover
Take all the worry out of your mind
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart
~ Pete Townsend, "Let My Love Open the Door"
As an unschooling parent I want my love to open the door to my kids' hearts & minds. I want them to feel confident that my love will always be strong, supportive & unconditional.
When we open their lives to the amazing world we live in they have the opportunity to truly grow, learn and explore. They don't hear "we're not studying that now", or "that's not the way to answer the question on the standardized test". They explore deeply, they explore widely, & they explore using whatever tools they choose that helps them to understand what they are learning about.
My love & respect for them tells them every day that I trust in their abilities & potential.
Let your love open the door...
When everybody seems unkind
I'll give you a four-leaf clover
Take all the worry out of your mind
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
Let my love open the door
To your heart
~ Pete Townsend, "Let My Love Open the Door"
As an unschooling parent I want my love to open the door to my kids' hearts & minds. I want them to feel confident that my love will always be strong, supportive & unconditional.
When we open their lives to the amazing world we live in they have the opportunity to truly grow, learn and explore. They don't hear "we're not studying that now", or "that's not the way to answer the question on the standardized test". They explore deeply, they explore widely, & they explore using whatever tools they choose that helps them to understand what they are learning about.
My love & respect for them tells them every day that I trust in their abilities & potential.
Let your love open the door...
Friday, April 23, 2010
Children are the center of our universe
'Ann Pleshette Murphy, parenting expert and "Good Morning America" contributor, questioned the unusual approach. "This to me is putting way too much power in the hands of the kids, something that we know kids can often find anxiety-producing, and it's also sending a message that they're the center of the universe, which I do not think is healthy for children," she said. '
The above lead in and quote were included during our first segment on GMA on our unschooling lifestyle. I was stunned reading this - I didn't know how to react; it seems so, so wrong. So many questions!
How much power does Ms. Murphy think we're putting in their hands, and at what point in their lives? Does she think that asking the kids to help decide on a location for a vacation at age 7, or to decide where we'll take a field trip at age 9, or what they want for dinner at age 12 is anxiety producing? How about deciding how they want to learn about a topic, or that they want to take a class, or that they want to read yet another book on Greek mythology? Or does she think we are asking them to set the entire family budget at age 5, or decide whether or not to pay the mortgage at age 10? And does she think that in a family where we spend so much of our time focusing on the kids' wants and needs that we can't spot any anxiety if our kids exhibit it? We know what the kids aren't comfortable deciding - they tell us. We don't say "you have to make a decision or else..." - it's so against the unschooling way of life. Perhaps she thinks we force them to make all of the decisions for the family? Like I said, it's a bit mind boggling.
The comment about the kids being the center of the universe was equally stunning. My kids are the center of my universe! (Well, they do share the stage with my wife.) They know it. It empowers them. It gives them confidence, allows them to take chances because they know we're here for them. They have also learned over time that all kids are (or should be) the center of their own parents' lives - so, they have come to understand that while their own family provides them with unconditional love and support, they can't expect the same from the rest of the world. Maybe Ms. Murphy would consider it shocking that the kids continue to learn and develop, and that they mature into understanding the difference between being the center of the whole universe as little children versus being the center of their parents' universe as they get older.
Our unschooling philosophy is based our understanding that people continue to learn throughout their entire lives. They learn about traditional school subjects; about interesting topics; and about living in a society. Our philosophy is also based on the parents providing guidance to their children - for example, helping them to understand that they are not the center of the entire universe. After all, our goal is to do our best for our kids, and to help them develop into successful adults. Why would we not teach them this? Why would we do something that would cause them anxiety?
The above lead in and quote were included during our first segment on GMA on our unschooling lifestyle. I was stunned reading this - I didn't know how to react; it seems so, so wrong. So many questions!
How much power does Ms. Murphy think we're putting in their hands, and at what point in their lives? Does she think that asking the kids to help decide on a location for a vacation at age 7, or to decide where we'll take a field trip at age 9, or what they want for dinner at age 12 is anxiety producing? How about deciding how they want to learn about a topic, or that they want to take a class, or that they want to read yet another book on Greek mythology? Or does she think we are asking them to set the entire family budget at age 5, or decide whether or not to pay the mortgage at age 10? And does she think that in a family where we spend so much of our time focusing on the kids' wants and needs that we can't spot any anxiety if our kids exhibit it? We know what the kids aren't comfortable deciding - they tell us. We don't say "you have to make a decision or else..." - it's so against the unschooling way of life. Perhaps she thinks we force them to make all of the decisions for the family? Like I said, it's a bit mind boggling.
The comment about the kids being the center of the universe was equally stunning. My kids are the center of my universe! (Well, they do share the stage with my wife.) They know it. It empowers them. It gives them confidence, allows them to take chances because they know we're here for them. They have also learned over time that all kids are (or should be) the center of their own parents' lives - so, they have come to understand that while their own family provides them with unconditional love and support, they can't expect the same from the rest of the world. Maybe Ms. Murphy would consider it shocking that the kids continue to learn and develop, and that they mature into understanding the difference between being the center of the whole universe as little children versus being the center of their parents' universe as they get older.
Our unschooling philosophy is based our understanding that people continue to learn throughout their entire lives. They learn about traditional school subjects; about interesting topics; and about living in a society. Our philosophy is also based on the parents providing guidance to their children - for example, helping them to understand that they are not the center of the entire universe. After all, our goal is to do our best for our kids, and to help them develop into successful adults. Why would we not teach them this? Why would we do something that would cause them anxiety?
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