I couldn’t help but notice that November is the month for encouraging bloggers to write more. BlogHer is running NaBloPoMo; and, elsewhere, there are bloggers who have decided to write about one thing a day that they are grateful for.
And I thought, why not me too? I will try to post every day, even if it’s just a photo or a single observation.
Today I am grateful that I had the freedom to marry whomever I wanted when there are so many others who can’t because of their sexual orientation. It makes no sense to me that there are those who would impede another human being’s right to love.
If you feel as strongly about this as I do, then check out the HRC’s Millions for Marriage campaign.
I cherish my freedom and try my best to ‘live and let live’. Here’s a wonderful quotation from John Stuart Mill that I first read on the New York City subway:
“The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to obtain it. Each is the proper guardian of his own health, whether bodily, or mental or spiritual. Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest.”
Regardless of one’s sexual orientation, I think that’s a great motto to live by!
Do you have one you’d like to share?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I couldn’t agree more. Over at Marie’s Café, we were just having this discussion. What it comes down to for me is the notion of how woefully ashamed and embarrassed we will be next century, looking back on how long we allowed this discrimination to go on.
I’m afraid that the mantra I have been trying to live by doesn’t really address personal freedoms, but: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ― Mark Twain
Jasmine, I’ve often thought that too! Great mantra. A far more elegant version of It is better to regret something you did than something you didn’t do, as sung by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Good ole Mark Twain!
You and Jasmine both have great points here. I am thankful that there is still intelligent life in the universe and it shows on here. My views may seem simplistic and cut/dry, but I do agree. More people need to be taught to mind their own business–because if they did, we would not have people being treated as second class citizens in this country. There are always groups of people pushing the government to inflict their agendas on the rest of the American public, and quite frankly, I think that they should all simply put a sock in it and mind their own business.
It shouldn’t bother them who marries who, who sleeps with who, etc…Do they not have issues of their own to attend to? I’m sure many of them do…However, they take more delight in being busy bodies and pushing their sense of “right” and “wrong” onto others. More often than not, the issues they are raising heck about do not affect THEM directly in any way, shape or form. Until any of those issues impede upon what I have for breakfast in the morning, I really don’t care who does what. It is not my business.
I truly believe that one day, the government will pass an amendment that will take care of the issue at hand, but it is the hearts of the people that need to be addressed. I do not see how they can spew hatred toward anyone as they do and claim to be children of a merciful and loving god (re: Westboro Baptist Church). That has always baffled me. Please don’t take me the wrong way people…I am not “anti-religion”…Believe what you will–but I am “anti-hypocrite”. Those groups that go out preaching hate are nothing BUT hypocrites.
I also believe that they are the ones trying to force their agendas upon the public 99% of the time–and many are (unfortunately) in positions of authority. They should be “fixing” their own problems before trying to address anything they deem wrong with anyone else. I already took the opportunity in my blog this week to slam a sitting judge. I wonder how many people he sent to jail for doing LESS than what HE did–but that’s a whole different story…I won’t go there, but it is people like him that are trying to force agendas on others–and I have a HUGE problem with that…Some people should never be in any such position of power and he is one of them.
I am thankful–again, that there is still intelligent life in the Universe and many of you that I encountered over the years prove it–including Lauren. There are times a lot of you that I have encountered have actually been a voice of reason in this crazy world we all have to deal with…Have a great week everyone!
.
I love that quote! You know my feelings on this. Everyone needs to mind their own business and stop telling others how to live their lives, what to believe in or what have you. I just hope for more people like us in the world and less of that racist crazies.