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A Not So Hypothetical Conversation
Mar. 17th, 2013 06:51 pmA Sunday, somewhere in time....
"Hey. How are ya?"
"Please. Don't get me started."
"What's wrong?"
"Did you see THEM out there today?"
"There's a lot of 'thems' in the world, hon. Which ones have you so bothered?"
"Oh, come on. You can't miss it. It's all over the television. My Facebook page is full of their.... stuff! And they even tie up downtown with a whole big parade to show off how 'special' they are!"
"So? They're a little over-the-top, but come on. It's just one day a year, when people come together and celebrate a unique, fun lifestyle."
"But why do they have to be so blatant about it? You don't see ME parading down the street in some crazy costume showing off how 'unique' I am, do ya?"
"Maybe it's because people like you, and me, have never needed to fight for anything in order to be noticed, or respected, or even just treated as an equal. They've endured a lot of injustice over the years. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that employers could put signs in the windows telling them that they couldn't even apply for a job. Now the discrimination is less subtle, but don't kid yourself. It's still practiced at least at some levels."
"Nobody's giving ME any special consideration for jobs. And another thing- they keep wanting to mix up laws and religious beliefs. Why should I be expected to change my status quo just because it's what they are pressuring politicians to do?"
"It's okay for groups to organize and make their opinions known. For me, the test is whether they're trying to take rights away from people, or whether they're trying to just include themselves within rights people already have."
"I still don't like it. It's just not right. Why, they've even corrupted the rainbow- one of the nicest symbols in all of the Bible- as a symbol of their 'movement.'"
"What's wrong with that? We could all get some joy out of finding a pot of gold at the end of one."
"Pot of gold?"
"Yeah. It's the Irish you're complaining about, right? Isn't it all the St. Patrick's Day stuff that's got you bothered?"
"Um,.... um......
"Hey. How are ya?"
"Please. Don't get me started."
"What's wrong?"
"Did you see THEM out there today?"
"There's a lot of 'thems' in the world, hon. Which ones have you so bothered?"
"Oh, come on. You can't miss it. It's all over the television. My Facebook page is full of their.... stuff! And they even tie up downtown with a whole big parade to show off how 'special' they are!"
"So? They're a little over-the-top, but come on. It's just one day a year, when people come together and celebrate a unique, fun lifestyle."
"But why do they have to be so blatant about it? You don't see ME parading down the street in some crazy costume showing off how 'unique' I am, do ya?"
"Maybe it's because people like you, and me, have never needed to fight for anything in order to be noticed, or respected, or even just treated as an equal. They've endured a lot of injustice over the years. I mean, it wasn't that long ago that employers could put signs in the windows telling them that they couldn't even apply for a job. Now the discrimination is less subtle, but don't kid yourself. It's still practiced at least at some levels."
"Nobody's giving ME any special consideration for jobs. And another thing- they keep wanting to mix up laws and religious beliefs. Why should I be expected to change my status quo just because it's what they are pressuring politicians to do?"
"It's okay for groups to organize and make their opinions known. For me, the test is whether they're trying to take rights away from people, or whether they're trying to just include themselves within rights people already have."
"I still don't like it. It's just not right. Why, they've even corrupted the rainbow- one of the nicest symbols in all of the Bible- as a symbol of their 'movement.'"
"What's wrong with that? We could all get some joy out of finding a pot of gold at the end of one."
"Pot of gold?"
"Yeah. It's the Irish you're complaining about, right? Isn't it all the St. Patrick's Day stuff that's got you bothered?"
"Um,.... um......