Nerdy Apple Bottom

This pneumonia thing is really frustrating. I get completely exhausted putting a load of laundry in. 9 days sick and 6 days of meds and I really feel no better. Back to the doctor tomorrow.

Anyway, one thing I am able to actually do is scroll through my Twitter feed and keep up on Facebook which sometimes falls by the wayside. While reading through last night PhD in Parenting had tweeted a link to this.

I went ahead and clicked on the link to the original blog and read what the woman had to say. As someone that was criticized for my viral post when many of those critics didn’t actually read what I had written, I felt it only fair to read her exact words. And sit with them for a minute. And then reread them.

I am saddened by what she had to say. Apparently she lives in a place riddled with the gays. It seems they are everywhere she goes, the pool, the park. And they are hugging. Sometimes even rubbing elbows in an effeminate way [I don't really think I know what that means so if someone wants to send me a youtube video of it, that'd be great.] She laments that gay marriage is allowed in her state and states that it is just one part of the larger secular agenda. [We do still have separation of church and state in the ol' USA, right? I want to make sure I didn't miss something while bedridden.] She seems to mostly object to these things happening in front of her kids. It is immoral.

Well, hmmm. Firstly, there are a lot of things that happen out in the real world that I don’t want to explain to my kids. That I’m not ready to explain to my kids. But if it happens, and questions arise, I will. For example, we took Peanut to the MU/KU football game last year. The lovely folks sitting next to us were very inebriated to the point that one vomited. Awesome. And we took the boys to a T-Bones game where a gentleman behind us proceeded to make very loud, very racist comments. The Detective and I answered the kids questions honestly and briefly. Always telling the truth, but not going into any more detail than was necessary.

Also, it doesn’t appear from her post that her kids actually questioned what they saw, much less even noticed. So her fears were not realized. For now at least. She seems to think the best response is to not leave the house anymore. I think that may be a bit extreme. I mean, if they happen to ask, couldn’t she just say that some families are different than theirs and leave it at that? Families are more than a man, a woman, and 2.5 kids now. There are blended families, same sex parents, interracial, intergenerational, mixed religions, foster kids, no kids, single parents, you name it. And they are all ok. Family is family.

Kids should be out in the real world. Kids should see that there are many different kinds of people out there. They should see folks of all sizes, all colors, all religions, all abilities, and all everything. A mother in Uganda loves her children just as much as the blogger. The couple at the park, the parents from the mosque down the street, the Army man that was just deployed, we all love our kids. And we too want what is best for our kids. We are a world that seems to focus on differences when really we are more alike than different. We all want to love and be loved.

And that includes the roving gangs of gays and lesbians in her Massachusetts towns. I, for one, think that we could use a lot less hate/spite/intolerance and a whole lot more love/compassion/empathy.

She also lists a couple of crimes committed by gays/illegal immigrants. [I'm not sure how the illegal immigrants and the gays were lumped into the same category, but whatev. Her blog, her rules.] I would like to point out, as the wife of a police officer, that crime is an equal opportunity occupation. There are even Catholic, hetero, mothers of 7 that have done some illegal things.

I am also saddened by the fact that her post begins with an update regarding hateful comments she is receiving. I certainly received my fair share calling me terrible names, suggesting my shorties should be removed from my care, and even calling Boo vile, hateful things. I am just fine with people having differing opinions as long as they are presented with a modicum of respect. Once you start name calling and threatening, you’ve lost all legitimacy. And you make them feel even more justified in their views. We won’t change the world with force and fire. We need reason and understanding.

The part that I find the most intriguing though is that she seems so frightened by these folks that are doing exactly the same things she is. They are hanging out by the pool with their partners and pushing their sons on the swings. Is that the part that scares her the most?

That they really are just like her.

P.S. Are there roving gangs of the gay running around somewhere? If so, how does one get a membership?