According to a recent news story received via the internet, it is legal for the ultra self-righteous amongst us to hold protests at funerals for soldiers killed in battle; specifically those soldiers who were openly gay. In my humble opinion, it may be legal, but it is far from "OK," as stated in the title of the article I just saw. (I think it was on MSN.com or UPI, but I'm not absolutely certain.)
Since when did a funeral become more about the former lifestyle of the deceased than it is about those left behind trying to find some comfort in their intense heartbreak by holding a ceremony to memorialize their loved one? For any group to so openly and savagely rejoice in the deaths of others' loved ones, particularly when those deaths have occurred during war time, in service to our country, is to invite retaliation. Haven't we seen enough of that in endless past examples from the Middle East, among other places and situations?
These protests need to be seen as a two-way street, and the fundamentalists who staged the initial protests at a gay soldier's funeral (I hesitate to refer to them as "Christian") should consider that there may eventually be those who will choose to rejoice and "protest" at the funerals for some of their loved ones. This latest Supreme Court ruling opens the door for that to happen LEGALLY.
Is my point getting through or am I muffing it here? JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE CERTAIN RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW DOES NOT MAKE IT OK TO ABUSE THE SPIRIT UNDER WHICH THOSE RIGHTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED! I do not know how to state this any more strongly. I hope someone is listening.
So, while it may be legal for me to protest at the funeral of someone I have strongly disagreed with or condemn, it is still an action that is provoking in its emotional overtones and aggressive in its nature. It is picking a fight with grieving relatives and friends and is extremely insensitive and tacky at best, and emotionally explosive if the situation races out of control and a mob mentality takes over, at its worst. THIS NEEDS TO BE AVOIDED, especially now that the law has stepped back and can/will no longer move to prevent such potentially eruptive situations from taking place due to such "protests" now being protected by Freedom of Speech.
Although people may disagree, fundamentally, with any public honors being granted to these soldiers, they can hardly deny that these men and women died bravely serving their nation without the presence of solid proof of cowardice or dishonor BEYOND the soldier's CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED AND LEGALLY PERMITTED CHOICE of sexual preference.* The honors were, and are, legally and morally earned, something many of the "protestors" may have never experienced for themselves directly or collaterally. These honors should not be rescinded unless actual proof of some perfidy on the part of the honoree, directly relating to the honor in question, can be produced in a timely manner. THEN protest, with hard evidence, in court. The argument would be they did not serve and die bravely - despite their homosexual preferences - and therefore due to cowardice or dishonor should not receive, or have noted publically, honors for their actions. We already know they were gay.
The kindest way to handle this, I think, is to consider those whose gross insensitivity to the pain and loss of others, whose mindless cravings for attention silence arguments for kindness, patience, truth, civility, compassion, forgiveness, - traits of any person of good conscience (a "good Christian?") - as being misguided and/or ignorant. YES, the Bible condemns homosexuality and it IS considered one of the BIG sins, but IT IS HARDLY THE ONLY "BIG" SIN LISTED. Why aren't these people also protesting at the funerals of adulterers, abusers, rapists, murderers, thieves, frauds, gluttons, liars, molesters? How, in good conscience, can you be more tolerant of certain BIG sins than others? Why are these people so virulantly vicious regarding this particular sin while seemingly soft, publically, on the rest of the REALLY BIG SINS?
Perhaps it has to do with this particular sin being more public, as it has needed to be, in order for the people concerned to fight ignorance and prejudice, cruelties and inequities, and to claim their Constitutional rights as adult human beings and United States citizens. Perhaps it has to do with fear on the part of those protesting; Christians are not supposed to walk in fear. (Note: not everyone is Christian and feels or understands repentance or sees the need to sincerely repent.) Homosexuality is as forgiveable a sin in the eyes of God as any of the other, more secret and subtle, sins listed equally beside it. Maybe homosexuality just isn't SNEAKY enough anymore to squeak by the protestors like all of the other sins. If homosexuals were to become more quiet about their lifestyles once again perhaps the protestors would feel differently about the whole issue. The matter certainly deserves more thought and attention, more compassion, before things run out of control.
Also, to pinpoint accutely, to so thoroughly isolate and concentrate, your efforts in one single direction is to magnify an issue OUT OF PROPORTION and to MISUSE VALUABLE RESOURCES that could be having more of an effect elsewhere. THAT OTHER SINS ARE JUST AS, OR MORE, HEINOUS AND IMPORTANT TO FIGHT AGAINST than the issue of a decent and respectful funeral for a fallen soldier who also just happened to be gay, is unarguable. The funeral and the honors, the grief and the loss, are NOT the sin!
It should also be noted, for the record, that whereas homosexuality/lesbianism is NOT CONTAGIOUS, hatred, ignorance, and often violence, seem to be. A little more food for thought.
* Presumably, these people have not victimized, deliberately harmed, killed or deprived others of their freedoms and Constitutional rights and legal priveleges because of their choice of sexual preference - which takes homosexuality out of the realm of a sexual perversion, such as pedophilia or sadism. Again, my humble opinion.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment