Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Why not?

I'm a little confused by the behaviour of some people (most of whom I don't know, all of whom I don't know well enough to question personally.)

Last Saturday evening many millions observed Earth Hour. Whether you believe global warming is a frightening fact, or an enormous hoax, where's the harm in a symbolic gesture? Is it really so awful to cut energy use and the consumption of fossil fuels? Regardless of one's position with regard to climate change, no one, NO ONE believes that the world's reserves are infinite. Do they? I can understand that some people prefer not to buy into the reports of melting glaciers and rising sea levels, and fine. Whatever floats your boat people, and at whatever level that boat is. But why mock those who choose to believe differently?

I've seen several images in several places on the internet of people who chose not only to NOT take part in Earth Hour, but to stick out their tongue and waggle their fingers in their ears. A short video I can no longer find had a lovely couple tee-heeing around their large home turning on every light and every television, and then dancing out to the driveway to start (and presumably leave running) both of their large cars. So folks, how's that noseless face gonna feel when the power and gas bills come in, huh? You know what? Even if you're right? Even if it turns out the entire state of Alaska is floating on a thousand mile deep puddle of Exxon Super Premium and the Duracells you buried in the back yard grow into hot and cold running power lines? You still just look stupid. You might as well have hauled the chiminea out onto the patio and toasted marshmallows over your smoldering wallets.

Next. The Senate has, and the House of Representatives of the State of Vermont is poised to overwhelmingly pass bill S.115, the Vermont Freedom to Marry Act, which would extend legal marriage to same gender couples. Our governor, Jim Douglas has announced, ahead of the House vote, that he will veto that bill. Ten years ago, under a former governor, Vermont was the first state in the country to legalize Civil Unions, kinda-sorta marriage for gay and lesbian couples. The world did not end. Civil unions were a compromise, and at the time, a good first step. But separate is not equal. The laws that recognize civil unions in Vermont have no weight beyond the borders of our state. Homosexual couples want to be married. There are some, perhaps Governor Douglas among them (although this is not his official reasoning,) that argue that allowing homosexual couples to enter into the same legal, binding, contractual relationship as heterosexual couples demeans the instutution of marriage. How? How does the union of a loving couple threaten marriage? Adultery? Abuse? Lying? Cheating? It seems to me that every single one of those things, in ANY marriage, is a greater threat to the institution than allowing gay couples to marry. And saying God doesn't approve? First off, if God made everyone and everything, he made homosexuals. So he approves. And then there's that whole church/state separation thing, so whether or not He approves is irrelevant anyway.

There's more, but I'll never push publish if I don't stop soon. This post has been banging around in my head for 3 days now, and I've rewritten it at least 3 times. I'm not telling anyone what to think. Half the time I don't even know what *I* think. But geeze, why is so hard to just do the nice thing, the good thing? Why can't we walk softly on the earth and treat each other with the respect we'd like directed toward us? Where's the harm in just being kind?

11 comments:

Sara said...

Thank you. Very beautfully said. I don't understand why people just can't do the nice thing, either.

Sometimes I think people in Europe have it right - you get married in a civil ceremony for the state to recognize it. That's the one that counts. Then if you want a religious ceremony - you have a second ceremony in your choice of place of worship.

Why can't we do that???

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Well put - kindess is one of the easiest things to do - so let's do more -kindness to each other and to our earth - cuz we've only got one.

Warty Mammal said...

Nicely said.

There are some irrational, frightening people out there who prefer to disregard facts. That, or their understanding of what constitutes a fact (vs. an opinion) is different from mine.

DebbyMc said...

Wonderful. I completely agree.

Heidi said...

Great post, great opinion

The Calico Cat said...

Well said. I love reading your blog - it always feels like you have been thumbing through my diary...

Vicky aka Stichr said...

Right On Dorothy!

Diana said...

Thanks for posting this. My wish would be for basic civility, maybe some kindness and respect would follow.

Wilma Lee said...

Amen sister!!

Rian said...

I found it interesting that Al Gore left his lights on during Earth Hour.

Dorothy said...

Rian - that is interesting, isn't it? Realistically, the energy saved by shutting things off for an hour is negligible. I'll bet there were a lot of tivos running in all those dark houses, so the consumption was simply delayed.

But the event *was* symbolic, and inconvenient or not, Al Gore should have flipped the breaker. He's got a big house...