Perry's Ad is NOT Anti-gay!

Isn’t it time that people stop being so darned thin skinned and  stop seeing  persecution behind every statement that is uttered?   A case in point is the accusation that Governor Rick Perry's campaign released  “Rick Perry’s anti-gay ad.”  Had the Perry campaign wanted it to be an anti gay ad, the language would have been much more explicit. harsh and different.  It was not.  This is exactly what the ad said:

·   "There's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school."

I saw the ad on television one of the first and few  times it aired here in South Texas.  As soon as I heard his words I  knew instantly that there would be someone, somewhere, who would jump on the bandwagon and scream “Homophobe!”  It is such predictable behaviour.   Even knowing that Perry employs gays on his staff is not enough to stop these insecure, intolerant people from making a mountain out of a molehill.

In my opinion, Governor Perry is correct in his statement.  In fact, I agree with him 100%.  He is stating a very real and a very simple fact.   He is talking about changes that have taken place in this country that have altered the world in which we live. Some would consider it progress, others would heartily debate the issue. 

During previous wars, and even during peace time, while there was a military draft in place, many attempted to avoid serving in the military by pretending to be homosexual. It would have meant instant exclusion.   Like it or not, there was a time in our country when it was not agreeable to be openly homosexual.   It was not considered acceptable by society then to have homosexuals serving in the military and perhaps creating undue stress on the troops.  One of the main reasons was because homosexuality was not an accepted practice.  It wasn’t commonplace to “come out.”   In essence the law banning gays from enlisting also served as a protection for them.  What we have now come to know as “hate crimes” against homosexuals were not as severely punished or prosecuted as they are today.  In many cases  perpetrators who harmed homosexuals got off with a plea of self defense against unwanted advances.    

Today, in the 21st Century things are quite different and homosexuals have rights that are not only protected by law, but their alternative lifestyle is fairly accepted by many in society. 

The other change to which the Governor referred to and that we must accept is the absence of prayer in the schools in the attempt to exclude God from our daily lives. The bitterness  and vitriol with which many oppose the practice of Christian values and beliefs is also relatively new to our nation. 

Regardless of what Barack Hussein Obama would like folks to believe, the United States of America is a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles, teachings and tradition.  Our Founding Fathers quoted the Bible and relied on prayer, their Christian faith, and Divine Guidance from God as they wrote the manuscripts and laws that evolved into our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and the learned writings, and wisdom upon which still rely. 

Just as it is peculiar to have homosexuals openly serving in the armed forces,  it is unusual for children not to be able to have Christmas parties, and gift exchanges, Christmas concerts, and to go  caroling.  Most of you who can read this page remember Christmas Pageants at schools, Christmas parades in our  cities and towns, and “city sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style.” 

Suddenly a small minority are raising objections and expecting the majority to abide by their demands.  Can one imagine anything more absurd than a group of atheists traveling from Wisconsin to Texas to force the citizens of one town to remove a manger scene?

Those who believe that Rick Perry’s add was anti-gay, or take offense to it, are invited to imagine what we who are believing Christians think about the abolition of our customs and traditions because a handful of malcontents can't read the First Amendment.  Or is it that our rights, and our freedoms no longer count?  

We live in a rapidly changing world. This election year is proof of that. The range of beliefs, ideologies, lives and experiences of the various candidates demonstrates it.   We all make adjustments and practice tolerance when at times that it is the last thing we want to do. 

Perhaps it is time that we stopped thinking in one issue terms and reassessed our love for this great country.  Instead of reading between the lines, and misconstruing people’s words, try putting our country and the good of All Americans over practices  that we have been forced by the courts to accept.   

Recently a photograph made the headlines.  The first gay military kiss between  two women in  uniform.  I know gay women in my own family who would never consider making others uncomfortable by such  an “in your face” display.  Rather than being repulsed, I was embarrassed for them for being such  manipulated fools.

My ten year old grandson recently had the distinction of being asked to emcee his school’s “Winter Extravaganza.”  In my day that would have been the school’s Christmas program or Christmas concert, but they were forbidden to mention the name Christmas.  Holiday and Winter are now the accepted terms.

That is what Rick Perry meant in his ad.  There IS something wrong with a country that knuckles under to the wishes of small special interest groups and ignores those of the majority.   Anyone who objects to his choice of words and thinks of it as an anti-gay ad, put yourself in the place of Christians who are denied their age old traditions to practice their Constitutionally given right to observe their faith. Consider the numbers of people and percentages of the population that are concerned in these issues, and then we can really talk about who is being discriminated against.

Sister One

for Two Sisters From The Right

December 2011