echidna64 wrote :

vkimo wrote :


I'm perplexed at all the straight people rejoicing over the legalization of same sex marriage. I'm neither for it nor against it, I simply don't care.
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I was the same way for many years, I used to think "it's not my battle," but I've always been a regrettably silent advocate of gay marriage and equality. I actually attended the first gay pride celebration following the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts.

Two things that have shaped my view were having gay friends and family members and also the realization that in most cases homosexuality is not a choice, all species of mammals have homosexuality. Also, I think that many politicians and religious leaders have used homosexuals as scapegoats to seize power over the masses. 

It's wrong to preach hate and to persecute homosexuals who are often productive members of society- if you have ever been to gay neighborhood they are usually the cleanest and have the best restaurants haha. 

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That makes sense. I just feel like a lot of people are jumping on some bandwagon.

I did not write this but I think it's another answer to your question.

"The fight for LGBT equality is one young people today were born into. They've gone to school with friends and classmates who were out since high school, often earlier. In researching news consumption for my new job, I've learned that among millennial and post millennial audiences, LGBT issues rank toward the top of what they care about. Nothing of these youngsters' participation at Pink Saturday or Pride smells of insincerity to me. This is their fight too. They care that much."

Now, as much as I wish I was, I am not in the "millenial" age range. Close, but entirely out of it, and most of my friends are older than I am. But we are a progressive bunch, too. The Pride parade here is pretty big, and I think most people I know here have attended at least once. I have. And every year I hear of at least one straight person (among my friends) going.

So while I also noted a seeming popularity waving on the social media, I can believe that people are truly happy about it. Perhaps after all of the deaths and all of the corporate power we have seen lately, and the judgmental behavior masquerading as freedom (to discriminate), people are extra-excited by a victory for civil rights.

shakin steak wrote :

...that among millennial and post millennial audiences, LGBT issues rank toward the top of what they care about. Nothing of these youngsters' participation at Pink Saturday or Pride smells of insincerity to me.
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Which is sad in a way. I have no doubt it is an important issue to the tiny percentage of people directly affected by it. And I don't doubt the statement made here about millennial folks and taking up the cause. It's sad that this is so high on the list for them though. There are so many larger problems needing a fix, needing people to take up as their cause. In the grand scheme of humanity, this is small beans. They'll come to learn that in a decade or two, but by then, those larger issues that weren't championed because time, effort, and money was spent on this, will have gotten worse.

I grew up exposed to people who are gay, have disabilities, of all races and religions. So to me it doesn't seem like that big a deal either.  But remember in some places, it's been a matter of life and death. People have been murdered, and committed suicide because of their sexual orientation. Even in less extreme cases, without an accepting culture I could see someone experiencing daily mental torment. So for straight folks to have empathy for that I can understand. It would be nice if we could address all homelessness or environmental conservation or something like that. But I think in this matter, the solution is easier to agree on.

I have a friend who is legally blind. He can see a little bit. He has like 5% vision in one eye and 20% in the other. His depth perception is really poor, stuff floats across his field of vision, he has double vision, and lots of trouble with contrast. People harass him on the street all the time. They stop him and ask him how many fingers they are holding up. They snap their fingers and quiz him on where they are. They don't believe he is blind because he is walking around without a dog. He is vocal about it on facebook. And he always gets way more responses than a woman who posts about being sexually harassed on the street. Even though that happens constantly, all the time, to way more people.

My point in that story is, I don't know why people's expressive priorities are where they are. But again, I would look to the easy answers.

How about a sports topic for the moment? Who's everyone's favorite athlete for the moment?

I don't particularly care for any athlete in this day and age. Back in the day, I was a big Chris Mullin fan, and before that, Magic Johnson.

I also liked watching hockey, especially Hockeytown's own Steve Yzerman.

I guess Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks, who is a 3-point master.

The U.S. women's soccer is set to face the Japanese women's soccer team for the World Cup title on Sunday.

What a great post-4th of July it would be if the American ladies won.

USA!
USA!
USA!

It's a rematch!

Japan won the last time, but USA will get their revenge.