Rose Bowl parade boycott???

[Aislin Ceawlin]

I mentioned this in another thread, but thought it might make for an interesting discussion. A family member of a close friend of mine posted this on her FB wall. I simple can not believe the ignorance, and closed mindedness of some people. Even Pope Francis has called for an end to human judgement of the LGBT community. The following is from a post in the American Family Association website.  

 

 

 

http://secure.afa.net/afa/activism/TakeAction.asp?id=457

 

[Dillon Levenque]

Well, it looks like they managed to get a fair turnout even with the boycott, if this photo from Google Images is any indication.

I can't argue with you on the close-mindedness of the group (or possibly the one person pretending to be a group) advocating the boycott. I just don't think it's worth anyone's while getting upset about it.  If those people in fact didn't go watch the parade, fine. Hopefully their children will learn more about tolerance as they grow and are exposed to influences other than the ones they have now, but if they don't: so be it.

There are and will continue to be ignorant and close-minded people in every society. I'm of the opinion that the only worthwhile action against that is to try to avoid being such a person myself and to encourage those with whom I have some influence to do the same.

By the way, it was a terrific parade. I say that in complete confidence even though I watched only a few quick snips of it. I've seen it often. I even saw it in person a couple of times when I was a child. It's always terrific. I do believe it is the most beautiful parade in the world but even if it isn't—it's on the list.

 

Edited for spelling

[Katheryne Helendale]

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

There are and will continue to be ignorant and close-minded people in every society. I'm of the opinion that the only worthwhile action against that is to try to avoid being such a person myself and to encourage those with whom I have some influence to do the same.

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This.

Sometimes, the best way to deal with closed-minded people is to just not give them an audience.

[Aislin Ceawlin]

Thanks for your insightful response! You are right, it is the best way to deal with it. I sometimes act on my gut feelings before thinking about the rational approach. I usually get there after I think about it, though...lol! 

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

There are and will continue to be ignorant and close-minded people in every society. I'm of the opinion that the only worthwhile action against that is to try to avoid being such a person myself and to encourage those with whom I have some influence to do the same.

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Whle I agree that this action is certainly a worthwhile endeavor, I have to question your assertion that it is the only one.  The pro-gay movement would be nowhere if we had all simply resigned ourselves to not being ignorant and close-minded.  How far do you honesty think would we have been able to get if all any of us had ever done is encourage those with whom we had some influence to be better people?

I'm not a very confrontational person, but my greatest respect goes to those who are... those who were willing to stand up, confront societal perceptions of what's right and wrong... of equality and persecution... those who were willing to fight for the very few rights and regards with which gay people have be granted today... even to the point of giving their lives for the cause.  No... there is much, much more that can be done than simply trying to be a good person.

...Dres

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Aislin Ceawlin wrote:

I mentioned this in another thread, but thought it might make for an interesting discussion. A family member of a close friend of mine posted this on her FB wall. I simple can not believe the ignorance, and closed mindedness of some people. Even Pope Francis has called for an end to human judgement of the LGBT community. The following is from a post in the American Family Association website.  

 

 

 

http://secure.afa.net/afa/activism/TakeAction.asp?id=457

 

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There is no ignorance involved with this endeavor... these people know exactly what they're trying to say and have taken fully into account the ramifications of their supported actions.  My greatest wish is that the respect and consideration which they have shone toward their fellow men and women, be shown back to them in spades.

...Dres

[Dillon Levenque]

You're right, and I overstated my case. I was focused on the idiot who created the web page linked in the OP and I was really responding to that.  For the record, my advice had to do with intolerance in all its loveliness: racial, religious, etc, but the OP was about an anti-homosexual boycott.

Your second paragraph explains why it was so easy for me to dismiss the nitwit in question. Other people  were willing to put everything on the line (even their lives, as you pointed out)  to change society. People are working at that still.

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

You're right, and I overstated my case.

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I would rather the case be overstated than not stated at all.  I'm reminded of the rather affective slogan "Silence = Death".

 

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

I was focused on the idiot who created the web page linked in the OP and I was really responding to that.

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No doubt, the person who wrote that petition is indeed an idiot, but they are not an ignorant one.  On the contrary, they are very well informed as to precisely the right rhetoric to use in order to suck in the sadly moronic bigots who make up their target audience.

• Depict a same-sex couple as some sort of nefarious radical activists, rather than two people in love, who merely wish to be united in the eyes of the law and attain the same recognition that opposite-sex couples enjoy - Check
• Propose that their wanting to be united somehow equates to a hijacking, as if they're nothing but a couple of deviant social terrorists - Check
• Belittle the sanctimony of their union by disdainfully referring to it as "a so-called 'gay marriage' ceremony" - Check
• Imply that the existence of gay couplings are somehow antithetical to the existence of families - Check
• "Think of the children" syndrome - Check

Sure, they didn't cover every idiotic anti-gay talking point that they could've, but it was certainly a valiant attempt to cover the most mundane ones, if not the most radical.

 

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

For the record, my advice had to do with intolerance in all its loveliness: racial, religious, etc, but the OP was about an anti-homosexual boycott.

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I agree that intolerance is something that should be avoided whenever possible.  I just don't find it possible to be tolerant of people who choose to be intolerant of others simply because they foolishly believe that they've got some sort of mandate from above that allows them to actively work toward denying others the rights, respect and opportunities to pursue the same aspects of life, liberty and happiness which they expect for themselves.

...Dres

[KarenMichelle Lane]

I must have missed the boycott. The million + people at the Parade kind of prevented me from seeing the empty spots.

[Aislin Ceawlin]

Glad to hear that. I think that went out to the supporters of that group who are a very small percentage in the bigger picture. I was simply blown away by it when I saw it, and wondered if others had heard about it.