2002-01-17

INTOLERANCE

I have all too many times heard people nonchalantly throw the F word into their everyday language. And no, I'm not talking about that F word. I mean F*GG*T. I refuse to say or write it because I equate it with the N word. It is such an insensitive, intolerant, awful word, and people use it like its no big deal. No one would dare say the N word or any other racial slur so habitually (at least I hope not, I've never heard anyone do that). Are gay people just subhuman, are they not worthy of having the same rights as others? There is obviously some general consensus that homosexual people are subhuman and therefore it isn't necessary to protect them from discrimination.

This is the way I see it: A person is a person, a human a human. It doesn't matter what race, gender, religion or sexual orientation a person is. EVERYONE deserves to be protected under the law. Perhaps someone may not agree with a homosexual lifestyle, perhaps it is against his or her religion. So how does that justify discrimination? Hell, there are a lot of lifestyles that I don't agree with, but as long as they don't hurt me, who am I to tell those people that they can't do that? Please, give me a good reason as to why gays shouldn't be allowed to adopt children or get married or be protected from discrimination?

Today in debate club we talked about intolerance, and mrs Yarbrough said that if we hear or see anyone being intolerant, to speak up against it. and I try to, honestly, but its hard sometimes. When I yell at someone for saying the f word, or using gay as a synonym for stupid, they reply by either saying "shutup, tree-hugger!" or making a dumb excuse like "it means cigarette," or "happy!" or just coming to the conclusion that if I stand up for gay people, then that must mean I'm gay.

50 years ago, the N word was an acceptable word to say. I wonder if 50 years from now the F word will carry the same connotation as the N word does now.