Warning: What you are about to read is a blog post that directly correlates to my political and social opinions. Do not take this as me shoving my opinions down your throat. If you would rather skip this politically charged post, feel free! One thing I learned from 7 years in a right-leaning school is that it can be very difficult and uncomfortable when people are throwing their political and social views in your face, especially when you don't agree with them. It has guided me in my life to not hide my views, but be more open-minded and accepting of others' (I hope). As such, if you would rather not read this post, that's fine! I don't take any offense to it. In fact, I'll make a second post of happiness and travels for those that would rather not read this one. Donc, let's get this show on the road.
These past few months, in the US and France alike, people have been discussing the implications one's sexuality has in the rights given to them. In the US it's been about gay marriage, and in France it has been about gay marriage and adoption by gays. This is where things begin to diverge, because while America has had enthusiastic protests in favor of gay marriage, the French have been storming Paris, monthly it seems, protesting against marriage for all. This came as sort of a shock for myself and my American co-travelers here in France. On the first weekend we arrived in Grenoble, many families left to go to Paris and join in on the protests. While we know that us mostly liberal, college-aged girls were in favor of marriage equality, it came as a surprise to find out that the French, a stereotypically loved-up nation with stereotypically blasé citizens who, in theory, shouldn't care who you love were so emphatically against gay marriage. Further proof that stereotypes should not be the basis of your knowledge on anything! Do your research! I knew that France was a Catholic country, but even many of my Catholic friends back in America are for gay marriage. It was surprising to me that France wasn't jumping on the bandwagon, but then again, when have the French ever done what everyone else has?
I've been willing to accept this as a facet of the French people, keeping my mind open and understanding that not everyone sees things the way I do and I've been listening to their sides of the argument (through my friends). While it's not a topic I've discussed at the dinner table with my host family, who has not left me in Grenoble to protest in Paris, most of my friend's families have been very open about it with my friends. Many people aren't against the marriage equality, but rather giving gay people the right to adopt. They believe, as many do in the US, that the best way for kids to be raised is by a mother and a father, not two mothers or two fathers. I understand where they're coming from, as I've sincerely enjoyed my life with a mother and a father, but I also believe that it's not a necessity. Why should the gender of your partner determine whether or not you would make a good parent? I really don't see heterosexuality as a necessity in parenting, but that's just my opinion. The other day, however, my friend was chatting with her host mother about the issue. The two of them know they have different opinions on the issue, but her host mom was feeling like going in depth on the issue this day. I don't remember exactly what she said about it, but she started pulling out an extremely offensive argument in defense of her opinion against gay marriage. She was talking about how if the government was allowing anyone to get married based on the argument of "being in love", what if someone claims they are in love with their dog, should they be allowed to marry their dog?
Hold up. Did you just equate a human being to a dog? As I remember from many an attempt at a different answer to my inquiry, despite how much I love my dogs, according to the Roman Catholic, dogs to not, in fact, go to heaven. The reason for this being, they are not given free will and a soul and all the good stuff God gave to each and every human being. Just because they also happen to be gay does not mean that they suddenly lose all of these things. Homosexuality does not negate the existence of a soul. Being a dog does. So, in answer to your question, no maybe governments should think twice about allowing citizens to marry their dogs, but they should stand up for their citizens regardless of sexuality and grant everyone the same rights, including marriage. Furthermore, France, haven't you historically had problems with the ties between Church and state? I distinctly remember you having a rather turbulent end to the 18th century and debut of the 19th century as a cause of this.
(http://lefsummerschool.eu/theme-2013/)
Yes, maybe your problems were because God has supposedly chosen the monarchs that had driven your nation to the ground, but still you went through the entire country taking the Church's goods and destroying Churches to install government buildings or hospitals or a metro station. Now you want to bring the religious argument into the debate and allow that to determine your laws? No. If you would like to have that option, then feel free to vote for a government more closely tied to the Church, by all means! However, while the church and the state are still not one and the same, you cannot use religious arguments as valid reasons behind laws. Unless you also take into account the beliefs of all citizens including Muslims, Jews, Hindus, etc. as well, your government is not required to make your religious beliefs law.Don't think you're getting out of this easily, America. The same argument applies to you, even more so. While France has historically been a Catholic country, going so far as to being half of the Great Schism with the Avignon Papacy, an active member of the Crusades, and a prominent part of the Holy Roman Empire, we have none of that. We were a country founded on the idea of religious freedom, being a safe haven for people of any religious belief to practice it without persecution. Yes, sometimes that's been a challenge for us.
(http://unconfirmedbreakingnews.com/2013/01/breaking-news-1763/)
I'm talking about you Salem. The 17th century was not your highest point in upholding this belief that the pilgrims were (sort of) aiming for, especially considering the majority of you were descendants of if not pilgrims yourselves. However, we have a bigger population than France and a bigger religious diversity, even when just considering Christianity on its own. I think that means we are held to an even higher standard when it comes to the separation of Church and state. When our melting pot of a nation tries to use religion as an argument, they better double check that this is what every religion practiced in the US believes, because the government I voted for is not one run by religious leaders, rather people looking to bring about a better standard of life for the American people as a whole, including equality for all. Whether you are black or white, gay or straight, female or male, Christian or Islamic, you deserve to be treated equally under the law of the Unites States in my eyes. If this means two men want to get married to each other, they should be allowed to just based on the fact that a man is allowed to get married to a woman. That is reason enough for me.
I have so much more to say on politically charged topics with regards to France, but maybe I should leave that to another day. So, until then, equality for all always.
No comments:
Post a Comment