What is the hardest thing to stand up for in today's society?

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Permalink Reply by Ari Strudler on July 21, 2009 at 9:28pm

I wrote my end of the year paper on the evolution of the phrase that's so gay..
I hear you sister.
But when it's complete strangers is it hard to say something?
That's when I find it most difficult.
"Sigh"

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Permalink Reply by Anthony David Castaneda on July 21, 2009 at 9:29pm

i can agree that standing up for homosexuality can easily be the hardest thing to stand for.
alot of people are taught that being gay is not "normal" if its just the family's thoughts or can
even go as for as how your religion says it is. too me i dont see anything wrong with it because
they can still be good and smart people, just like anyone else. i thin only time can fix this too become
socially okay in everyones eyes. one of the biggest things i see is the word "gay" being thrown around
as an insult.

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Permalink Reply by Ari Strudler on July 21, 2009 at 9:32pm

I just think that people are born the way they are. It bothers me when people think that you "choose" to be something.
Like you can choose your hair color but you can't choose your skin color.
Same thing with your sexual orientation.
I don't think that someone else's viewpoints should decide who someone can love or not love by the state.
Seriously you obviously don't want to go into their bedroom so just stay out of it.
Everyone deserves the right to happiness; so grant it to them.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Hadley on July 22, 2009 at 7:30pm

I disagree, from my experience being gay is the best thing you can be in Portland. I once publicized that I disapproved of the gay phenomenon: I was nearly shot...literally. I think that its mostly just a fad if anything. Although there are a few who truly love each other many do it for the attention.

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Permalink Reply by Jordan Moeny on July 22, 2009 at 7:57pm

Being gay is a fad? If you say so.

I would also say Islam is very hard to stand up for. It's actually a relatively peaceful religion, but extremists have made it so that so many people in modern society automatically equate "Muslim" with "terrorist". Three are just so many misconceptions out there about this religion, and even when people are told the truth, they sometimes refuse to believe it.

(Example: the Book of Revelation does not, in fact, say that the Antichrist is a Muslim--and does not describe Obama in particular--because Islam as a religion was not founded for about 400 years after the book was complete. http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/antichrist.asp)

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Permalink Reply by Sophie von Rohr on July 22, 2009 at 8:50pm

Well, everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness, no one can actually grant you happiness. And to be honest ( please don't take this the wrong way, I am gay myself, so I'm really not being a bigot ) I don't think that saying something is 'gay' is especially insulting. I mean, I can defintely see why a lot of people would, but I always just thought of them as two completely different words. Obviously... I know where it comes from but... I don't know, it doesn't bother me.

As for Islam, I actually read the other day that hate crimes against Jews are still FIVE times more common in the US than hate crimes against Muslims, which really surprised me. I do agree with you, though.

Cheers

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Permalink Reply by Sean Hadley on July 22, 2009 at 8:54pm

Jordon,
I have never heard anyone say that the bible describes Obama as the Antichrist, nor have I ever heard of anyone saying that the Antichrist was Muslim. I have lived my entire life in the church...I don't know who you are talking to.

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Permalink Reply by Jasmine Antoinette Wright on July 22, 2009 at 10:55pm

I agree with Sean.
I do know alot of gay people, but I know some that are doing it just to be "cool". I personally think people should just be who they are.
And about Islam, I agree that it is difficult to stand up for. I think that ideas or beliefs which are associated with a bad memory or incident is a hard roadblock for many to find their way around. And what about stereotypes? I think breaking out of them and defending others is very hard.

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Permalink Reply by Jordan Moeny on July 23, 2009 at 10:49am

Sophie--

Really? That's terrible. It seems like that's one of those things that's gone down, but I guess it's just not made public as much. Who knew? Apparently not me. (Do you remember where you read that? If I can find a source, I'd love to use that in debate sometime.)

Sean--

Sorry. I figured that since I saw it on Snopes and only a few days later heard two friends talking about it as if it were truth that it was more common. Maybe I'm wrong.

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Permalink Reply by Sean Hadley on July 23, 2009 at 11:09am

Lol, maybe I am just sheltered...

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Mackay on July 23, 2009 at 2:09pm

I've never heart of the obama antichrist thing either... so you aren't the only one sheltered Sean. lol

I think one of the hardest things is standing up against things that people say--like the phrase "That's gay". I still find it respectful to others. I mean when I have confronted people they say its "only an expression", but it still gives being gay a bad connotation. I mean it's similar to so many derogatory phrases that have been used for a long time but people just don't realize its derogatory. Like the phrase "That's a gyp" even though people may not come in contact with gypsies it doesn't mean they should ragging on them by using the phrase.

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Permalink Reply by Sophie von Rohr on July 23, 2009 at 2:23pm

I did a search for hate crimes on the Oregoinan website. I didn't actually read the article, but it said it on the little, you know, search blurb, so it must be in there somewhere.

EDIT: here's the link:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/religion/2007/11/
It's posted under the fifth heading 'Islamophobia'

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