• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

Why are some so afraid of women, gays, trans, etc?

7/27/2022

0 Comments

 
Questions to the right wing of American politics and those religions that are forcing their beliefs on all of America:

What about women making decisions about their own bodies scares you?

What about transgender people scares you?

What about gay people scares you?

What about people whose religious views are not yours scares you?

“Scares” is the only word I can think of that fits these questions. For example, why are you so afraid of women that you think you know better than they about their health care? Or about who loves  who they choose to love?

Religion certainly can’t be driving your views, can it? After all, in this county people are free to follow whatever religion they choose. It’s there in the very First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

It’s one of the main reasons this country was created and fought for through the years. And I know that you love this country.

How are you affecting my or others religions?

For one thing, abortion. It is allowed by some religions. But by outlawing abortion you take away rights from those religions that believe differently than you. I know, I know -- “All” the Supreme Court did was put the decision on allowing abortions into State hands. And then certain states do the dirty work for them. Boggles my mind. (Hmm, would the conservatives on the Court have sent it back to the states if Democrats controlled a majority of them?)

And what about the case of the 10- year-old who suffered major traumas in her life before she was 10 (rape, pregnancy, refusal of her state to allow abortions even in her type of case, the abortion itself.). Think about how that young girl will be affected for the rest of her life. Her views on sex, pregnancy, men, among other things, will likely be driven from this experience. She, I hope, will deal with these monster thoughts so she can have a “normal” life.

For many conservative officeholders and TV talk show hosts, they immediately said she was a fake, a made up story to sell the other side’s “narrative.”  (Hmm, projecting much?). By the way, if she hasn't seen it already, she will at some point read about those attacks from conservatives and talking heads. That will affect her, too.

Trans people. I know a particular trans person pretty well. She (as she is now called and is) is a good person and, in fact, is a more alive person since her decision to transition to female. Her confidence is up. Her mood is up. She is no longer tormented by who she really is. She is proud of it. So, why does that torment you so much? She is living her best life. You’re not in her life. She isn’t affecting your life. And, she’s a happier human being. Who opposes that?

Gay men and women. A clear majority of Americans support same-sex marriage. Many of us have attended weddings of friends or family who are gay. In my experience, that particular wedding was one of the most joyous I’ve ever attended. And the two men being married couldn’t have been happier then or now.

So, how does that affect you? Again, happiness is a result. You don’t want people to be happy? A majority of Americans do, thank goodness, so let’s hope legislators will respect happiness. And freedom for people to choose to be who they are with whom they choose to be.

Religious freedom. Personally, I could care less what religion you practice, or don’t practice. I have questions about most religions, including my own. But that’s why we study. Why we discuss. To me, that’s part of religion – to discuss and learn about yourself and others. To learn about where we are right, or wrong. To grow.

I’m not naïve. I get that evangelicals live strictly by their interpretation of the Bible. Fine with me. I don't agree with many of their positions myself, but I’ll defend their right to practice that religion, as long as it doesn’t intrude on other religions or people’s beliefs.

I’m certainly no religious scholar but from what I read, the term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning “the good news” or the “gospel.’ Thus, the evangelical faith focuses on the “good news” of salvation brought to sinners by Jesus Christ. I’m sure it’s more complicated than that but that’s fine, too. Be an evangelical. It’s your right as an American.

It’s my right not to agree with you. And the right of millions of women too. And millions of gays and trans. Heck, we can disagree just to argue and learn from each other. But that's not what's driving those who oppose abortion today.

I know women who say that the Republican Party must hate them because of the policies the party has adopted. I get it. And that’s the party’s right, too. And it’s our right to vote against that party – that, too, is what America is all about. And for those votes to be counted completely and accurately.

So, I’ve vomited a lot of thoughts that roll through my mind. Though I’m not sure I made may point.

To be clear, my point is an old one:

This is a free country. This is a country whose founding belief was freedom. The very first Amendment lays out five freedoms: speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government.

It’s what we all love about this country. It’s why so many others want to live in this country.

Yet, there are those among us who are erasing some of those rights. And if we don’t stop them, the whole American Experiment crumbles.

Last thought for today: While some, including some members of the U.S. Supreme Court, are chomping away at our rights, rights that Court had affirmed in the past, others are attacking our democracy from within.

Primaries are being won right now by men and women who want to change the way we vote and the way those votes are counted, putting more power in the hands of craven politicians than fair-minded career (non-political) officials and democracy-loving citizens

The global environment is changing right now. We thought we needed to protect that for our children and grandchildren. But now we need to protect us too.

Our democracy is being threatened. The Great American Experiment is on the block.

It is amazing to me that there are those among us who want to destroy the America we all know and love for such selfish reasons.

America was created to be the exact opposite of what some seem to be craving.

Lord.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com