Friday, June 28, 2013

Maybe I'm A Conservative

You know, maybe I'm actually a conservative. According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of conservative is "tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions."

That got me thinking. Most so-called conservatives seem to be more radical than most of us so-called liberals. They want to change the way things are done. They want to change the classes of persons. They want to change the rights and opportunities people have. 

For instance, the Citizens United decision. How is this conservative? It is radical. All citizens have the right to free speech. Not corporations. I want to conserve the right to free speech for all people.

National security. Torture. Drones. The PATRIOT Act. All things that are supported and glorified by the conservatives. But they are radical. I want to conserve the rule of law. The right to an attorney. The right to a fair trial. The right to protection from search and seizure. 

I want to conserve the right to a free press. Not a bought and paid for press. A press that reports on events. Not a press that presents information. 

I want to conserve the separation of church and state. I want to conserve my right to worship how I wish without having religious influence in my government. 

I want to conserve my right to be free of discrimination. We all created equal. Not just men. Not just white men. Not just wealthy white men. Not just wealthy heterosexual white men. All of us.

I want to conserve the rights my mother's generation won for me. I want to conserve the America imagined by Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F Kennedy. I want to conserve the America imagined by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I want to conserve the America imagined by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. 

I want to conserve the word conservative from the conservatives.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Matrimony

I'm a normal girl, I guess. I'm 47 and single and childless. But, I still want to get married. I still have fantasies about the perfect wedding dress.

I fantasize about the ceremony. Who will I have as my maids of honor? What will my bridesmaids wear? Where will I have the ceremony? What will the cake look like??

I look at my ring finger and wonder why there's nothing there.

Did I do something wrong? Is there someone for everybody? Did I miss my chance? Why am I still alone?

These are all valid questions. I also belong to a church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) that emphasizes a lot on family. On families being forever. On how important marriage is. Think about being single in that atmosphere!

So, when I think about the recent controversy over Proposition 8 and DOMA, I am proud of our Supreme Court for moving equality forward.

Primarily I support marriage equality because I believe that we should all have equal standing under the law. As long as the government is involved in marriage, it has to treat us all equally!

But, beyond that, as a romantic (who still believes in happily ever after), I just feel that any two people who love each other enough to dedicate their lives to one another and to raising a family together, should not be told they aren't able to.

Love conquers all. (At least, that is my hope and prayer.)