Nowhere to Be Found
Posted by Bob Barcus on April 27th, 2014
The beauty of America is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter how wrong or ill-informed it may be. Freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution allow people like me to write stuff in this blog and share my thoughts with the world. The problem with free speech is that people don’t realize how stupid it can make them seem. More so, just because you have the freedom to say something doesn’t necessarily mean that what you are saying isn’t defamatory, bigoted or illegal.
I subscribe to a number of channels on social media, regardless of whether or not they meld with my own personal, political or religious beliefs. I feel that it is smarter to view both sides of an argument and make my own determination once I’ve seen the facts. I even enjoy the occasional bantering with my friends that have the capability to intelligently discuss issues, even when they differ from my own. Each differing attitude allows me to form a more rounded opinion on a subject.
This morning, I came across an article on the Right Wing News Facebook feed. I think I’ve mentioned it before, but these people disgust me with their rhetoric. They can take any story and spin it such a way as to appeal to the narrow-minded mongrels who praise their work.
The article in question was about a lesbian couple who allegedly abused their 6-year-old adopted son. It’s a tragic story and I have no trouble agreeing with the populous that the child should be removed from their care. Further, these two women should be punished for what they have done. Unfortunately, the article places more emphasis on the parents as lesbians than they do as abusers.
The majority of parents are good parents, whether they are gay or straight. Gay parents are obviously in the minority, but when one goes bad, look out! The far right-wing fanatics are quick to jump on the bandwagon and attack all parents who happen to be gay. You hear about abuse in the news on almost a daily basis. It’s unfortunate, but it happens quite frequently in our world today and it’s wrong.
Articles like the one I mentioned tend to bring out the worst in people. All you have to do is read the comments from the Facebook post and you begin to see just how narrow-minded some people can be. Some of the statements made by people are pretty dramatic, to say the least. Again, these people are allowed to spew whatever misguided beliefs they have on the internet. Perhaps they would feel that my beliefs are equally as wrong (and I have a pretty strong feeling that they would).
What really irks me is that the majority of comments have absolutely nothing to do about the boy, but rather the fact that his parents were lesbians. Where are all of the prayers for this boy from these people quoting scripture? Where is the concern for the welfare of this abused child? They are nowhere to be found among the hate-filled comments and I find that almost as disturbing as these two abusive parents.
I was fortunate to grow up in a home with two parents who loved their children. Some of my friends were not as fortunate as I was. Some had an absent parent or one who had passed away. Perhaps I was luckier than most. I was raised to respect life, to be courteous to others and to honor your elders. Hatred was never a part of my upbringing and perhaps that is why I cannot understand why so many people choose to preach animosity for others. For most people it is easier to hate than it is to offer understanding. It is easier to throw up their hands in disgust and walk away than it is to reach into the earth at their feet to grow and nurture something good.
My greatest decision this morning was not to write this blog post. It was deleting the Right Wing News from my Facebook feed. I have better things to do with my time than to read the garbage they produce and watch the hatred flow from their pandering of their audience. I don’t want to be counted among those people.