Completely appalled...

Shit is going on in America, and it's got to stop.  Anti-gay sentiments are running rampant all over the media and it's killing it's future. 

My family is Italian.  And Catholic. And my cousin is gay.  And none of us care.  Not even my last-generation from Italy grandparents.

What has been going on in the United States is ... sad.  And disgusting.  When five kids in three weeks commit suicide because of their sexuality, in today's supposed enlightened society, it just proves that most of the country isn't enlightened at all.

My whole life, I've known what a homosexual was.  My aunt had a very good friend whom I had a crush on for years.  He was a walking, talking, living Ken doll.  He was gorgeous and fun, and I wanted him to marry my Aunt.  I was taken aside and given the talk.  She told me that he was a very good friend, and a good person, but he didn't like kissing girls.  I didn't ever see him kiss boys, but I didn't need to.  Somewhere inside I understood what it meant, and it didn't bother me at all.

It still doesn't.  I can't understand why people see it as an abhoration or a sin against God or humanity or whatever shit they're spouting these days.  These are the same people who will go home and tell their spouses, their children, their families "I love you."  How?  How can you possibly know what love is when there is so much HATE inside your heart?

My mom and my aunts were victims of hate crimes in the 60's.  Because they were Italian.  They didn't fit in at their all Anglo school.  They were called names, shunned, ridiculed.  They had done nothing to deserve it, except be born in an Italian family.

There's nothing different about this.  Hate is hate.

People have often asked me why I don't go to church, when I was raised Catholic.  It's quite simple.  I don't believe in religion.  I do believe that there's a higher being up there - and I believe that at the end of our lives, we will be held accountable for our actions down here.  I believe God is love, understanding, and all embracing.  But religion is what tells people that homosexuality is wrong.  It's what brought down the towers, it's what's caused more wars in the history of mankind.  People use it as an excuse for hate - and rarely do they truly celebrate life.

I have many gay friends.  I have many straight friends.  I have Jewish friends, and Irish friends, and Protestant friends, and Islamic friends and .... I could go on and on.

I'll admit - I do discriminate.  But not against race, religion, sexuality or anything of that nature.  I discriminate against ignorance.  I discriminate against hatred.  And I sure as hell discriminate against redneck (adult) fuckers - in positions of power no less -  who blog against KIDS and attack them for being who they are - in this case - gay.  Michigan's Ass't Attorney General Andrew Shirvell did just that to the University of Michigan's Student Council President on his public blog.

Or what about that jackass 50 cent?  His tweet the other day was so revolting I almost threw up.  But kids, for whatever dumbass reason, listen to him.  He's no role model, but he's got the public's attention.

If assholes like that are in positions of power - no wonder the state of the US is such a mess.  They might be world leaders in several areas, but where it's important, where it counts - tolerance, respect, understanding, enlightenment - they're almost in last place.  Sure, they're patriotic.  To white-hetrosexual-homegrown-God-fearing families and "values".

Not all Americans are redneck pricks - I know that.  I happen to have some very good friends who are Americans.  And they are people I am proud to know.  They are tolerant, they are open minded, they have big hearts and huge love for human beings in general.  I just wish that they were the ones that kids listened to, and looked up to.  Those are the type of people needed to run the show - and to prove that we are all the same no matter what.

Bullying is rampant in schools now.  It was pretty bad when I was growing up, but now it's just gotten worse for any kid who's different in any way.  Because of the internet, television, video games, and lack of parental supervision, they know words now that I didn't learn until I was sixteen or older.  And they're using that hate, those words, on their peers, who are barely able to get themselves to school, let alone defend themselves against something they have no control over.

Which leads us to the five suicides.

I find it sad when anyone kills themselves, because they are closing the door for good on all the possibilities life holds.  They are causing friends and family untold grief.  But they do it because society is a hateful creature as a whole. 

The next time you're going to project hate onto someone for their sexuality - or even the colour of their skin - neither of which can be helped, whether it's in the form of name calling, physical violence or even blogging - sit and wonder how you would want to be treated if the situations were reversed.  What if, suddenly, you were to be what you "hate"?

What would you do?