Skip to main content

Make noise


This is why I came out.  This is why I will not be quiet.  This is why I make all of these annoying posts that have chased away so many people in my family and so many of my friends.  I will not be silent.  I will not stand by and watch injustice happen.

So many people have turned away from me because of this.  So many have unfriended me, blocked me, or have just simply ignored me, because they don't think that what's happening is wrong, or because they think that I'm too annoying or too vocal.

I will not tolerate bullying--for myself or for any other person.  I will not tolerate bigotry.  I will call out bigotry as often as I see it happening, and I will speak against it.  I look forward to a brighter future.  I look forward to a world in which all people are treated with respect and love.

I have personally only been a very minor target for all of the horrible things that happen to people.  I have had some people call me names, one or two tell me that I'm going to hell, and a couple others that have made violent threats.  But, none of this matters to me.  Nor do I even think to use this as a reason to set myself up as a victim or a martyr for any cause.  No, there are people out there who are really suffering--people who are bullied in school every day, people who are physically abused by their parents, by people at their church, by people in their community.  There are people whose spirits are broken and whose will to live itself is extinguished by hateful comments, by fear-mongering, and by misunderstandings.

I will not tolerate the hateful things spoken every day by religious people against those they perceive as sinners.  I will not tolerate all of the bigotry and prejudice spread by organizations such as the National Organization for Marriage, the Westboro Baptist Church, Focus on the Family, and many others.

I care about my fellow human beings.  I think all people should be treated with love and with acceptance. I don't think anyone has the right to judge someone else based on their race, their sex, their sexual orientation, or any personal opinions they might hold.  I will fight for the right of every person to be treated with love and respect, to live a life of peace--free of the fear of being attacked physically, verbally, or emotionally.

Perhaps my hope is too great.  Perhaps my goals are too lofty.  Perhaps the vision I have is impossible, and will never happen.  Perhaps there never will be a day when people are mature enough to live and let live.  But, I will not rest before that day comes.  I will not be silent.  I will not cease to stand up for people who are pushed to the point of suicide.

This is why I came out as a gay man, and it is why I came out as an atheist.  If I were silent, I would only be an enabler to all of the wrongs committed against people who are different.  If I were to remain silent, my conscience would plague me forever with the guilt of every teen who commits suicide.

Anyone who does not feel compassion for bullied people, for people who are suicidal, for people who have committed suicide, for the families and friends of people who have committed suicide is, in my opinion, completely heartless.

The injustices against atheist people, the injustices against gay people, against transgendered people, against women, against those of other races, against people who speak different languages, against any single individual--for whatever reason--must be stopped.  The oppression must end.  Are we not an enlightened people?  Have we not seen enough bloodshed?  Is our thirst for blood so great?  Is our sadism so insatiable?  What will it take to finally end all of the horror?  Was Pearl Harbor not a great enough casualty?  3,000 died.  Will we continue to kill innocent people?  Were the 60,000 deaths in Nagasaki and the 90,000 in Hiroshima insufficient?  Are the hundreds of thousands killed in the Iraq War insufficient?  Do we need to kill millions before we're satisfied?  Or billions?  Will we not lose our lust for blood until the entire human race is extinct?  Will we not lose our hatred for those who are different until everyone has committed suicide?

I call for humanity.  I call for love.  I call for peace.  I call for forgiveness.  I call for understanding.  I call for building bridges.  I call for tolerance for all peoples.  I call for open-mindedness.  I call for compassion.  And I'll do it very loudly.  I'll make noise.  If that offends you, search your own heart and ask why that is.

Comments

  1. But can you tolerate their views and beliefs?

    ReplyDelete
  2. To be honest, Keith, I don't disagree with 95% of what you say... but I do find your platitudes and one-notedness to be kind of grating. Perhaps your message would be better received by those who NEED to hear it, in smaller, shorter doses? Being SO vocal about one issue ALL the time can be a tough pill to swallow for ANYONE on either side of the fence.

    But then again, I'm posting this anonymously... so what do I know?! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. If you don't dislike what I post, then why complain about it?

    What particular issue are you saying I've been monotone about? In the course of this year, I've posted about the following topics.
    Charity
    Compassion
    Romantic love
    Familial love
    Being confident about one's future without religion
    Wisdom from my elders
    Science
    The positive benefits I've gained by leaving the LDS church
    Freedom of religion
    Child molestation
    Emotional Honesty
    Women's rights
    Discerning between people and actions
    Peer pressure
    Memories
    The joys of having a significant other
    Ignorance
    Absolute truth
    Forgiveness
    Conformity

    I'm not sure how this is indicative of your claim that I'm being "one-noted". Perhaps there's one particular topic that I discuss that you seem to pick out more than any other and so you perceive that I only ever talk about that one thing.

    As much as I dread doing this, I'm going to quote a very common Mormon saying here. If there's something you don't like hearing about, as you seem to be complaining here in your comment, then it's probably because you need to hear about it. If you were comfortable with the things I'm saying and didn't "need" to hear them, then you wouldn't tell me not to post about it.

    Concerning that matter, though, I can't help who reads my blog. I can only hope, when I post about something that I feel needs to change in society, that people who "need" to hear it will read it. But, I have no control over who my readers are.

    What can I say? I'm a John Adams--extremely obnoxious and annoying, but incapable of remaining silent because I see an injustice and feel a deep obligation to right it. Not many people liked him, but I'd like to think he had an effect on helping America achieve independence.

    But, the mere suggestion that I quiet down is actually quite affronting to me. What that translates into, in my own head, is "Don't care about all those people who are committing suicide. They don't need you to raise awareness. Don't worry if young children in schools are being bullied and administrators who see it do nothing to prevent it. Stop complaining about not being able to marry the man that you love."

    And, yes, the message I have for you and for anyone else who comments anonymously anywhere on the Internet is grow a pair and attach your name. Do you think I'm going to send anthrax to you in the mail or something?

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://unicornbooty.com/blog/2011/12/08/tennessee-teen-commits-suicide-after-four-years-of-anti-gay-bullying/

    Tell this boy and his parents that I say too much about bullying.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Anyone is allowed to comment on this blog. As you can tell from reading my blog, I am very opinionated and I'm not afraid to share my opinion. You're welcome to disagree with me as mildly or vehemently as you like, but be aware that I will reply with my own opinions, very strongly. If you don't want that kind of open discussion, or you think it will hurt your feelings, then please avoid posting. I do try to be respectful, but my verbology often comes across as brusque.

Popular posts from this blog

Hitchens v god

I'm rather ashamed to admit that I just recently discovered Christopher Hitchens. And, while I normally add my own thoughts and commentary to videos when I post them here, in nearly every Hitchens video that I've encountered, I have not a single word to add. He is so articulate and does such a good job of presenting his case that I couldn't possibly add anything to it.  I would definitely be interested if any of my readers have any comments to make in regards to what Hitches says in this video. Enjoy.  

Do you really believe?

This is Richard Dawkin's talk from yesterday's Reason Rally in Washington DC.  He makes several good points, but the one that stuck out to me the most was when he told people that they should challenge someone when they say they're religious.  The example he gave is when someone says they're Catholic, ask them if they really  believe that when a priest blesses a wafer that it actually turns into the body of Christ, or that the wine actually turns into his blood.  So, this post will be dedicated to me asking any of my reader base who are religious, do you really  believe what your religions teach? For those who are Christian (any denomination thereof), Do you really believe every word of the Bible to be the word of god?  If so, read every word of the Bible and then come back and answer the question again. Do you really believe that a snake tricked Eve into eating fruit that made her suddenly unfit to live in the paradisiacal garden god had just made for her? Do y

Co-efficiently Co-related

 I'm a fairly reserved person. I don't open up easily to people. I tend to hold my hand close to my chest, hesitant to lay cards on the table. However there have been a few times in my life where I have had a heart-to-heart talk with someone and I find them to be very rewarding. I've been seeing a therapist for over a year now. One thing that I have decided over all the chats I've had with him is that the people I want to spend the most time with are the ones that I feel the closest to. I have many friends (I use the term "friends" more loosely than some, since to me the term "acquaintance" feels very odd) who are fun to interact with, but our interactions are sparse or superficial. I think it's perfectly fine to have these kinds of friendships--in fact, I think they can be very beneficial. But I have decided that for my own well-being, I will not be putting any measurable amount of emotional effort into such a friendship. I want to reserve that