The Should Nots

I'm different from how I was when I started this blog; this is no surprise since it's been about 1.5 years. I was a bit bitter and overly analytical then.

I'm tempted to bitch about Prop 8 and die-hard Pro-Lifers who refuse to allows rape and incest victims get an abortion. But I don't think I have much more that is new to say on these issues.

Except that I left a message on Kelka's voicemail that went something like this:

I just realized that the entire maniacal/extreme Pro-Life package is sort of Anti-Life in a way. It's often (but not always) intertwined with religious extremism and the inability or unwillingness to separate church and state.

You can't have fun and be who you are: you Shouldn't be gay, you Shouldn't have sex before marriage, you Shouldn't use some or all forms of contraception, and you Shouldn't have the choice to abort a child that is the product of a rape.

All of these Should Nots are just toxic because they aren't reasonable, realistic,or responsible. Trying to teach kids to abstain from any sort of fun will backfire. Repression and denial are unhealthy and lead to the inability to responsibly manage one's urges when they inevitably burst to the surface.

I had some Should Not biases when I started blogging here: there Shouldn't be so many straight people. People Shouldn't have kids. Bigots Shouldn't be political leaders. Straight people Shouldn't be so ignorant about their privileges.

While every argument can have some truth to it, and this country CLEARLY needs a lot of help, I've been happier since I've let go of trying to impose my ideals all the time.

I should, however, note I am not likely to be this calm about things if John McCain is elected.