I have a friend who used to own a busy gas station…cut so my post would fit.
Very unfortunate for your friend. Did he publicize his support for the initiative at his gas station or do so in some public manner? I think that such occurrences are quite rare (a business owner being for or against such and such and someone starting a website against him that’s successful in shutting him down). I live in MA myself (I was born and raised here, this would not be the state I choose to live in otherwise, I am far from liberal myself). So I feel very sorry for your friend and can understand why you would take this issue so personally.
If homosexuals were not in every court in every state in the union demanding rights for themselves that do not exist, I might be more tolerant of them. If they were not the most intolerant people in the country, just ahead of the Ku Klux Klan, I might be more tolerant of them. If they were not determined to destroy all sexual morality in our country I might be more tolerant of them. Unfortunately, they do not allow me to be tolerant of them. If the bleeding hearts who have overrun my state, and the courts and legislatures from coast to coast, would do a little thinking for a change, perhaps we could have a serious conversation. As it is not, that’s not possible.
I agree that homosexuals, or at least the active advocates are quite outspoken. But I happen to know and am friends with 3 homosexuals and none of them participate in political activism and none of them speak of anger with the current laws, whatever. They simply talk about the things that other people talk about, at least while they are around me.
And I think there is a chance that your judgement is clouded due to the terrible thing that happened to your friend when you say they are ‘the most intolerant of people in the country’. My 3 homosexual friends are very tolerant. I’ve known a couple of lesbians from work. I had one such run in with one of them, my boss had to intervene in the meeting explaining that I was simply pointing out something and it was a non issue, the woman had an extremely defensive reaction to what I said and then sort of went into attack mode when she was basing all of that on incorrect assumptions. She was abrasive and am glad she no longer works there.
I also find it unfortunate that the homosexual advocates seek to push their agenda into schools, society, etc…making books like joey has 2 mommies, etc. But I must point out that tolerance, or lack thereof, is 100% completely YOUR CHOICE. Tolerance is like an emotion, and other people can not control our emotions (unless we allow it). Other people can do things, and we get to choose how to respond.
I was friends with an elderly black man, he happened to box in the olimpics with Mahammad Ali. He then became a psychologist. Very nice man. I remember him telling me stories about how some white kids would drive by yelling racial slurs at him, or someone would make a racial comment while he was in a bank or something (we are talking back in the 50’s and 60’s). You know how he responded? He would look at the person and say "My goodness, the eloquence with which you say that word N… is facinating. It sounds like music coming out of your mouth, did you take professional speaking or singing lessons to be able to pronounce words with such eloquence?
My point is, even if someone does or says something you find highly offensive (he did not find it enjoyable for people to call him racial slurs) YOU have the power and ability to decide how to respond. Most people in his position would display anger or rage. His philosophy, why get upset? If they want to be ignorant it’s their perogative. I’m not going to let it ruin my day. And when he did this to a person in a public place, the person would up sort of shrinking up to the size of nothingness out of embarrassment because they had no way to respond to him reacting this way.
Other people don’t control my emotions or the way I respond to their behavior, no matter how offensive. If they do, it’s MY FAILURE.
If the bleeding hearts who have overrun my state, and the courts and legislatures from coast to coast, would do a little thinking for a change, perhaps we could have a serious conversation. As it is not, that’s not possible.
What your telling me here is that because you (and I) live in a very liberal state, where things are unlikely to change, YOU are UNABLE to have a CONVERSATION with me about these sorts of issues? I find that interesting.
Another way of framing this is that you allow the bleading heart liberals, the courts and legislatures (who are unthinking) DECIDE FOR YOU TO NOT ALLOW YOU TO HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION. Do you follow that?
I think that it’s a shame your stuck in that way. But I can’t unstick you if you don’t want to be unstuck. Neither can my elterly black friend who was extremely successful in retorting racist comments during a time in this country when their was a lot of predjuice. And from what he tells me (and since I have practiced doing the same sort of thing) I know it is quite liberating. But the choice is yours. Yes, you have a choice (at least potentially you do) and choose not to exercize it.
How does it benefit you to allow others to control you like this? Something to think about, if you choose to.
God Bless,
Bill