Some contemplation, what differentiates me...

I was trying to do a sanity check the other day and reduced into simplest terms, the "us" vs "them" concept, i.e. those who's values are similar to mine versus those who's values are anathema to me. I questioned, "am I any different?" and more specifically, "why am I different to fight for my beliefs, when they are simply fighting for theirs." This is the answer.

The difference is simple. I am happy for other people to believe what they want and live how they want. And while I pity the children brought up with such damaging beliefs, and lament their unfortunate circumstance, I can respect that parents are the guardians of their offspring, for better or worse, excepting what laws exist to prevent the most cruel and abusive of actions. So - raising kids into one destructive belief structure or another, while unfortunate does not qualify technically as abuse, and thanks to the diversity of our society, each young new citizen is able to shed the shackles of their parents upon maturity and to make their own decisions and form their own beliefs. But, either way - even if I find such things objectionable, I don't wish to curtail them.

I'd be overjoyed if more people became tolerant, enlightened, peaceful, compassionate, generous, respectful of the earth and protective of our environment, I'd be exstatic if hate and abuse and destructive acts based on ancient belief structures in unfounded (unprovable, undisprovable) ideas were reduced. But - I respect other people's choices too much. I don't want to curtail anyone from living life the way they want.

Much as Martian Anthropologist states, there is no one right way to live. Others can live their own life as they see fit. If someone feels abortion is the devil, then that's fine, they don't need to get an abortion, if someone feels that same sex marriage is terrible, then fine, they don't have to get married to the same sex. Even the really bad ones, like if someone thinks that brown people are not as good as pink people or if someone thinks that somone elses religion means they are going to go to hell - those are terrible and we even have laws to prevent these beliefs from affecting an individual's ability to get a job, find a place to live, etc... but if someone harbors these beliefs, provided they don't act upon them in such a way as to infringe upon the liberties of others, then that's fine.

I can't and don't wish to tell people how to live or how to think. BUT - Those who I am opposed to, my enemies for lack of a better word - they don't just wish to live their lives free to marry who they want (having to happen to want to marry mates of the opposite sex), they don't just simply want to avoid slipping on a bannana peel and landing in an abortion clinic, they don't simply want to abstain from pre-marital sex, they don't simply want to avoid socializing with muslims or jews or gays or intellectuals, they don't simply want to profess to believe in their religious arenas in ID, they don't simply want to abstain from medical treatment that is derived from stem-cell and theraputic or reproductive cloning. No - what they PROFESS AS THEIR GOALS is to FORCE EVERYONE TO BE LIKE THEM!!!! THIS IS THE FUCKING PROBLEM.

I don't take umbridge when they say things I'd be insulted by, because I don't respect them anyway. I'm happy to insult them right back. I don't care what they go about believing. But when they get in my way to live my life the way I want to then YOU HAVE GONE TO FAR AND ITS ONLY SELF DEFENSE. That's what it is pure and simple. I shout out at them, not because I want to be like them, but because I can't abide by them taking away my liberty, my ability to live my life.

Look, by the defination of many of these people, I am going to hell and will be punished for all eternity. IF THEY REALLY BELIEVED THIS, and if they also followed their various religous teachings, they'd at worst, feel PITY for me and want to PRAY for me and would leave me alone to suffer in the "anguish of not having their god in my heart" only to eventually die and go to their hell. I'm perfectly comfortable with this, because that's their beliefs, not mine.

I see no reason for them to tell my friends who they can marry, or more specifically who they can't marry. I see no reason for them to try to put laws in place that will prevent scientists from researching valuable new medical technologies. If they find the research to be "against their religion", then don't avail themselves of the cures. I'm sure we can agree that real live humans shouldn't be experimented on, but frozen embryos that are never even going to be implanted into any host? Exactly bad that is how? Seriously - it's a mass of undiferentiated undeveloped cells. It's not even as advanced as an appendix, there is no analogy for a person that you can think of to compare this to. It's toe nail clippings. But they want to stand in the way of medical research that can save lives, cure ills, end pain, restore people to full functionality. I see no reason why I can't have brown friends or mulsim friends, or jewish friends, I see no reason why I can't work with them, why they can't be my customers, my neighbors, just because these enemies of mine can't stand jewish, or muslim or athiest or intellectual people, that doesn't mean they have to be forced out of this nation. Let the predjudiced and judgemental people flock where they will, congregate in secret and avoid diversity. But don't cage the rest of us who revel in diversity.

I see no reason why they can't simply choose to not have any abortions. If the women in their flock agree that abortion is so terrible, then I'm sure these women will not have abortions. Why do they have to get between the legs of other women who want abortions?

And don't get me started on those end of the world nuts - you know, the ones that don't care about the environment and are all into starting wars to help accelerate the upcoming armageddon. Those nuts, for nuts they are, they are just the worst. Again, not for their beliefs, but because they are trying to destroy the rest of the world.

Look here, I am ALL FOR SUICIDE. I support euthenasia, and am all for assisted suicide. If someone does not want to be alive, then I can respect that. Let them go. So - for all the evil evil people who hate themselves so much and have such a warped view of reality that they feel the end is near and they want to hurry it along.... WHY CANT THEY JUST KILL THEMSELVES? Or, if they really believe that suicide is a "sin", then why can't they all KILL EACH OTHER?! Either way - does anyone but me think it's fucking selfish and arrogant to want to bring about the end of the entire world just because they can't hack reality?

Yep, them guys really get under my skin. I try not to curse so much in my writing, but this is the crux, the ultimate truth of why I am so frustrated and angry. I don't care about them.... They can do whatever they want. Just leave me alone. Leave the athiests along, the taoists, the buddists, the hindus, the confuscists, the shintoists, the wiccans, the druids, all the rest of the people who don't believe the same thing. WE LIVE ON THIS EARTH TOO.

I for one VALUE MY EXISTANCE. My life is the most important thing in the world to me. I cherish each moment as precious and wonderful. I LOVE THIS PLANET. I love the mountains and the oceans and the rivers and the forests, and the flowers and the animals. I LOVE OTHER PEOPLE, the different sizes, shapes, colors, and sounds they all make. I love the different ways people live, and I love meeting new people in my travels and learning about their lives, sharing their food, walking their roads. LIFE IS WONDERFUL and MAGICAL (not that I believe in magic or anything else that is unprovable or disproved), but figuratively speaking, it's a wonderous, awsome thing to exist, to be alive to be able to experiance all the vast beauty and spendor of this universe. Just because there are a bunch of sour pusses out there who hate and fear that which is different and who are too intollerant to just ignore that which they can't abide, I don't want to have my enjoyment of this universe cut short. And I will do everything in my power to fight for my existance and to fight for my ability to live MY LIFE MY WAY!