Do you honestly think I wish to set gays back so that they might be mistreated like the old days? Do you think I am trying to make their lives harder? Or is it like I initially said and that I found it strange how overblown the gay pride agenda is these days?
The old days? Gay marriage has only been legal for seven years, and they're already hinting about trying to get rid of that; let's not act like it was ancient history. The only agenda that's being pushed is to be treated as heterosexuals. Enjoying the same rights and liberties.
I think I’ve noticed more “gay stuff” in mainstream culture, not sure what the appropriate amount is, but I’d say it certainly seems television and marketing has targeted this as a demographic. Not sure it bothers me, other than in a few shows I’ve watched my thought was that it seemed forced. At the same time, I think we have definitely seen more hostility against them. Maybe this hostility is in response to the real world and corporate marketing being increased? People who don’t like seeing “progress” get angry at progress, same was basically true in every past civil rights question where equality was denied to certain out groups. Its possible for both conditions to be true. Maybe it is “overblown” or overhyped and there too much marketing. Maybe there is ALSO an increase in hostility from those who oppose it. It is rational to assume there is correlation. Here’s the thing. When the market is basically trying to sell you something, that’s capitalism. Free choice and individual liberty. If you don’t like something, you can always turn it off or walk past it. When you try and use the government to stop something, it is the opposite of a free market. It’s actually tyranny, since in this case we are taking about limiting people’s choices/freedom/equality.
First off, I DON'T mean any of this as an insult but since you asked me to weigh in honestly, I will. Honestly. Second: No to all three questions. Of course I can't know what is truly in your heart of hearts or why you were bothered by what you saw but I don't believe at all that you personally want to set gays back or that you want to make their lives harder. You don't seem like that type of person. Never did. Though such people no doubt still exist. Rather, I see your thread and comments as coming from elsewhere. First, I see you as a conservative who seems quite reactionary these days and defensive about self, especially when you view yourself in comparison to liberals. You seem fearful of social change and perhaps you feel threatened by thoughts of losing what it is about conservatism that is meaningful to you in light of these changes. I also believe reactionaryism & fear is animating con politics and coming to define cons writ large. If I can be a little more blunt, your op didn't strike me as your thinking it was strange (you called it sad) and your tone was dismissive (e.g. "gay stuff"). This prompted me to take notice, not because I need you to be a bigot etc. or to "irritate cons" or battle you, but because it seemed to me to indicate more than you were letting on and confused by the source of your anger. Namely, the reason why you were bothered by the flags and why you felt the need to start a thread about it was because the social change that the flags symbolize provoked those threatening feeling in you...and you quite strongly needed to excise those feelings. FWIW, I've had similar impressions wrt some other threads you started/prior comments you've made and have tried to articulate them at times, but probably not in ways that didn't get your hackles up. At the risk of coming off as even more egotistical than you probably already think of me, I am well-attuned to the way people frame arguments and the types of words they choose in such framing that might indicate the truer nature of or motivations spurring their arguments. This comes from years of having to deconstruct arguments/reasoning/logic etc. It's my job, but it doesn't mean that I get it right all the time, or that I'm impervious to being corrected. Same time, I should probably reign it in a bit on here for the sake of discussion. Anyway, you're not wrong in your criticism of my not giving any middle ground, especially w/the way I've debated you here. But I gotta tell you, you couldn't be any more wrong about what motivates me. Again, bluke, none of this was meant to insult or offend you. It's my honest view. I'm open to having my mind changed or to listening to where you might disagree. Or provide a similar perspective.
Why do y'all hate Christians? Nb: presumptively, its TIC--point being, we don't hate gays anymore than yall hate Christians (though both respective groups dont care to have the other's agenda thrown in their faces).
The gulf between tolerance and promotion is clearly lost on you. NB: Not wanting something to be PROMOTED, is categorically NOT bigoted (not mutually exclusive mind you, but objectively falls way short, by itself). Which btw, is the problem with neo-progs. Mere tolerance is bigoted/ racist/ misogynist/ X-ophobic...to the militant neo-prog. You have to wrap yourself in the flag of whatever pet cause the neo-progs favor, at the risk of being labled an absolute HATER. (...cant wait for y'alls shitty deseased condition to fade the hell away...). The good news is that the time is nigh upon us! REJOICE!!!
You cannot stop yourself can you? You are "rejoicing" at the thought of those different from you suffering because of who they are, and not wanting to have to cower in closets. But no, you are not a hate mongering bigot, right?? You are truly tolerant....as long as gays, blacks, hispanics, Jews all "keep their place" and your superior WASP values go unchallenged.
The really sad part is, probably half the folks in the US couldn't even tell you who we got our independence from.
Maybe I woke up feeling refreshed but I gave you a winner because I felt your post was honest. I may not completely agree with you, but you made sense with this thoughtful post. I’m thinking about how you deconstructed my post and it makes me think about the words that set you off. The word sad. I’ve never been the strongest writer and I don’t always choose the best words. I also think sometimes I like the entertainment of taking a side and maybe I don’t realize some words I use can be inflammatory. I’m still pondering over it. Thanks again for a strong post.
And yet when people say they don't want to deal with Christianity being promoted and shoved in their faces the are told they are being bigoted against Christians. Irony.
I read somewhere that target was trying to unload excess inventory. That means I think putting everything on the floor. I think they plan on discounting everything they have to much of.
So much in this thread. June has become my least favorite month. Couldn’t care less what any of you do in your bedrooms or who you do it with… really truly do not care. But June has become so laser focused that you can’t eat your lunch, watch a tv show or by milk without the establishment blaring how much they support LGBT. Which is full on bullcrap. June isn’t about equal rights it’s about the almighty dollar and using people. I can disagree with the LGBT life style and not hate hem. I can disagree with their life style and not fear them. I disagree with many many lifestyles. The drug user, the drunkard, the man that works 80 hrs a week and doesn’t have time for his family. I disagree strongly with all of those. Politicians lifestyles… can’t stand them. So what? As long as I don’t have to live it with who cares. I don’t make them live my lifestyle. So June - whole month- has become pride month. Ok. But understand that commercialism is using it not to support you but to profit off of you. And just because some disagree with your lifestyle doesn’t t mean they hate you or fear you. Anyone know what Awareness March is set aside for? Don’t look it up. Just go by all the big brands running ads, tv shows adding it in, etc… Developmental disabilities month. Glad we shine a light on those that need it most…