Democracy not just
By Leanne Nakamura
for heterosexualsMY 10-year-old sister entered the house announcing, "I heard (a celebrity) is gay! That's so gross! I'm not going to watch that show again!" I asked her if the TV show has anything to do with the celebrity's sexual preference. She stopped to think for a minute. After a while, she just repeated, "It's gross!"
Unfortunately, the debate over same-sex marriages vs. traditional marriages has reached the youngest children. It doesn't matter how innocent we would like them to remain; they're becoming more aware of current events. This would be a good thing if they received enough education to guide them toward informed opinions, but instead, they're simply repeating the statements, they hear from others, no matter how naive, biased or hateful.
A radio station blamed parents, complaining that they teach their children that their way of thinking is the right way to think. I believe parents do have that type of power, although I realize it isn't just parents who influence thought. A child's friends, and sometimes the parents of those friends have a similar effect.
I know that my sister's outburst regarding gays wasn't learned from our parents, but from one of her friends. The question is, who taught this friend what to think about gays?
One argument I heard for traditional marriage, which is not really an argument at all, is, "What about the children? They'll get confused!"
Unfortunately, these arguers haven't realized that the children are already confused about sexuality and different types of marriages. It would be easier for young people to accept homosexual marriage if it were not for those who argue so vehemently for traditional values, knowing that to allow only certain people to marry means discriminating against another group of people.
AT school, some students ask, "Why do we have to learn history?" History teachers for years have answered, "So that history doesn't repeat itself and we can learn from it."
Judging by the way some people are so quick to villify others, one might assume that they haven't stepped into a history class for a long time. They haven't learned not to discriminate against others who have no control over their gender, skin color or sexual preference.
What happened to the idea of equality? It wasn't too long ago that African-Americans and women had to fight for their own rights. Today, women are losing ground again to those who wish to take away their reproductive rights.
It is only when we start getting rid of prejudices and allow people to live their own lives and make their own choices, that we will live up to the Democratic ideal we all say we believe in.
Leanne Nakamura is a junior at Castle High School. Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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