Acceptance, Understanding, and Douchecanoes...

Hey! How's it going peoples?  Going great?  Excellent!  So something came up on April 5th of this year that kinda hit home a little for me.  I was scrolling through my Facebook feed and came across this:

"I live in one of the more progressive cities in the world. It's 2014. I should be able to hold hands with my boyfriend without fear. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Tonight, on the way home from my birthday dinner, several people were unhappy with the obvious joy I had. I am lucky in that we avoided a trip to the hospital; however, his swollen cheek and my black eye and thoroughly busted lip showcase that intolerance is still alive and well. PLEASE- be kind and compassionate, even if people are different from you. Teach your children to embrace the same attitude of love and acceptance regardless of race, creed, sex, or sexual orientation. Be kind to every person you see, because to quote Gandalf, "I find it is the small deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay." If you are reading this post, regardless of our relationship, please know that I love you, and I wish you every happiness. On the bright side, I'm not too mad. It's like my face is fixed in an involuntary sexy wink, and purple IS a pretty color."

My friend is a sweet, kind, and an amazing person.  Feeling down?  He's there to lift you up.  Need someone to talk to?  He's there.  We don't really get to chat a whole lot anymore (he's going to college in England), but when I read about this my heart just sank.  I have to ask, what the bloody hell is wrong with people!??!  I mean really?!?!  Why is violence an answer for something you simply may not personally like or agree with?  I mean imagine a scenario like this:

*Man is sitting at a table in a restaurant nomming on the most delicious taco... no not that kind of taco you pervs, ok axe the taco... ummm... ok so he's sitting in a restaurant eating the most delicious, delectable and mouth watering steak, no wait there we go again... ok so he's eating a really amazing piece of fried chicken ok??!?*

Now while he's eating this delicious fried chicken, some twatwaffle comes up and punches him right in the freaking face and starts beating the snot out of him yelling at him because he's an evil meat eating chicken murderer.  Sounds completely ridiculous doesn't it?  Same principle really.  Here you have a guy who loves chicken, and some vegan nut job goes and pops him in the face because he thinks that eating meat is wrong and against his personal morals.

That scenario I put up there really isn't that much different from people inciting violence because someone is gay, black, white, orange, purple (actually, if someone is purple they're probably deprived of oxygen and you should dial the emergency peoples) is of a different religion, etc.  Here's the deal, someone being different than you is ok!  Shoot can you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same?  And even at that, just because someone is different does not mean they're a terrible person.  People take shit too personally and feel that their own beliefs and ideals or morals are superior and more important than everyone else's.  Sure, your own morals and beliefs are more important to you, but *newsflash* you also share this planet with over 7 billion other people who may or may not agree with you.  You have the right to your own beliefs and feelings, but not at the expense of invading upon someone else's rights and freedoms.

So here's a question.  Since this whole thought was started because of my gay friend being attacked by some ignorant ass people with their heads firmly implanted in their posteriors (and if you know of a really good proctologist that could help these people get their heads out of their asses, please let me know), we'll stick with this as being the example.  To anyone who believes that being gay is wrong, immoral, that they'll go to Hell or whatever you believe, I ask you this:  How exactly does someone else being gay effect you personally?  And don't give me that "well if you let gays get married it ruins the sanctity of marriage" shit... straight people screwed that up a long time ago. I mean sure, I don't want to see two guys or two chicks getting it on out in public, but I don't want to see a man and woman getting it on in public either... take that crap to your room.  Not too long ago people had the same hatred for a black and a white person getting married or being together.  Not really a big deal now is it?  So what is the problem with two men holding hands in public?  Please give me one really good reason as to how two people that love each other and are in a consenting relationship effects your life personally?  Still waiting... oh right it doesn't effect you personally at all. 

So how about this: Stop being so freaking hateful.  Stop trying to make everyone bend to your personal will or beliefs.  You want someone to respect your beliefs and opinions?  Learn to have some fucking respect for other people's beliefs and opinions too.  The world doesn't revolve around you.  You think being gay is wrong? You hate black people or Mexicans or whatever?  Fine.  You have the freedom to feel how you want, but when you cross the line and cause someone else harm because you're a closed minded douchecanoe... totally not cool at all.  I'm so sick of people thinking the world revolves around them and them alone.  It's like those Christian people (not all of you sheesh) who think there's some hidden crusade against Christianity because their employers pay toward insurance that covers birth control and they think birth control is evil.  Hey here's a newsflash, you don't have to take the birth control.  EVERYONE's insurance under the ObamaCare crap has to cover the same stuff.  Sure you have a right to not believe in birth control (which, newsflash, TONS of women take for reasons other than to keep from getting pregnant, and no one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to take it) but your right to not believe in birth control does not triumph my right to believe in it.  Your beliefs are no more or less important than my own, same principle.  Stop trying to make the rest of us bow down to you.  If you believe being gay is wrong, that's fine, but don't spew forth your hatred and violence to where it harms someone else because you're a closed minded ass.

And you know, when it comes to tolerance, accepting, understanding... we could honestly all really learn something from our children.  We are not born to hate.  Hatred and intolerance is something that is learned.  If you put a bunch of young kids (I'm thinking 3+ years old) into a room together, all from mixed backgrounds... black, white, Hispanic, Asian, and shoot you could even have gay adults watching over them.  Guess what?  All those kids will play together, have fun, and form friendships. They don't care what color someone's skin is or whether or not you're gay.  If you're a good person, you're a good person and they like you for that reason.  And they gay people watching over your children are not going to molest them, your kids are not going to "catch the gay".  I'm willing to bet if you mixed the people watching over the children, some gay, some straight, and they were all equally nice to the kids, the children's opinion on the adults would not change between the straight or gay people. Stop teaching and spreading hatred.  Love one another, respect one another, be there for one another.