My views on Societal Issues in 2015

My views on Societal Issues in 2015

 

 

I've watched the news the last few weeks and kept my comments to myself.  Today has put me over the edge.  There have been postings of changing the US Flag to this:

This is NOT acceptable.

 

This is the United States of American and our flag is Red, White, and Blue.  If you don't like our Flag or our Country I think you should move.

 

 

According to USflag.org:

Evolution of the United States Flag

No one knows with absolute certainty who designed the first stars and stripes or who made it. Congressman Francis Hopkinson seems most likely to have designed it, and few historians believe that Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress, made the first one. Until the Executive Order of June 24, 1912, neither the order of the stars nor the proportions of the flag was prescribed. Consequently, flags dating before this period sometimes show unusual arrangements of the stars and odd proportions, these features being left to the discretion of the flag maker. In general, however, straight rows of stars and proportions similar to those later adopted officially were used. The principal acts affecting the flag of the United States are the following:

• On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."
• Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
• Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state, signed by President Monroe.
• Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.
• Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
• Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizon tally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.

So you can see the flag has not changed for any other race, religion, gender, war, personal agenda or anything else.  If the gay community wants to have a flag to represent their community that is fine.  It does not constitute a change to the US flag.

 

This is acceptable.

 

Secondly the cancellation of the Dukes of Hazard by TV Land.  Fine its petty but I find it quite annoying.  Political correctness has reached a new low in my opinion.  If you find this program offensive DON'T WATCH IT.  I don't care for reality TV and shows like Jerry Springer and Maury, so guess what, I don't watch them.  Whatever you think the Confederate flag stands for is your opinion, the truth is, it is a part of our history, so is slavery and the Holocaust.  As sad as this is, Slavery was considered the norm in that time.  Now we know it is not acceptable to treat another human like a piece of property.  Regardless its history and we cant change it.  I would like for my children to continue to learn about this history so it does not repeat!  It's called getting an EDUCATION.  No I would not be fond of my neighbor flying a swastika flag over there house, but they live in the USA and that is their right.  I don't have to be their friend either, but I don't have to hate them because we disagree.

 

My friend Roger posted this on Facebook today:

You don't have an inherent right to live life without being "offended". If a TV show is offensive to you, hit this button (CH^) and it won't be on your TV any more.
If someone's lifestyle is offensive to you, disassociate. Don't hang out with that person.
If you hate Jesus, sleep in on Sundays; don't celebrate Christmas.
If you love Jesus, pray and worship Him, and continue living IN this world but not OF it.

Don't expect a pastor who doesn't believe in gay marriage to perform your ceremony. Find one who will.
Don't expect a gay couple to live in the sewers; they have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as well.

If you don't like long haired dogs, get a slick one; don't petition them to be outlawed because other people may hate short haired dogs.

It's really NOT hard to mind your business, and go about your way/life without impeding others.
No one has ever died so that you can live unoffended. People have died so that you can live free (which no longer happens, so their deaths were all in vain).
Freedom in its very essence is offensive. It's the right to be offensive. It's the liberty to do what you want to do REGARDLESS of who may be "offended" providing it doesn't intervene with someone else's rights to life, liberty, and pursuits of happiness.

I couldn't agree more.  I don't understand being gay.  I am straight and that's okay.  I will not condemn those who are gay.  I don't understand gay marriage, why not?  See above, I don't understand the attraction to the same sex.  Should that stop gay people from getting married NO.  I do not hate gay people.  There are some gay people I don't like, but not because they are gay, but because they are assholes.   Its the same with every other race and religion and so on.  There are people I like and people I don't but, its not about their race or religion.  If I don't like you it's because I don't like you!  If my children ever brought home a person of the same sex or a different race or religion, etc I would not disown them.  They are free to make decisions and I will always love them.  I respect people and their opinions.  Just because our opinions are different doesn't mean we can't get along.

If you don't like the choices of another person, well don't like them and move on.  Treat people with respect.  Sometimes I think its okay to just be honest with people.  There are some friends I refuse to have certain conversations with because they just want to argue that their point it right.  We all have opinions and should, but everyone does not have to agree with them.  I am friends with black people.  I am often up front with them early on that I will not refer to them as African-American.  They are Americans, as I am.  They happen to be black and I white.  America is a diverse culture and we need to own it.  I say Merry Christmas.  I have Jewish friends. I will tell them Happy Hanukkah. I'm not offended if they tell me the same.  If they put a Menorah in their window that is okay.  I have been known to ask questions to people that do things differently then I do.  I like to learn why people do certain things.  I know it may shock some people to think they might learn something.  This goes way beyond just this.  So many groups of people are stereotyped and its not always true:  Male nurses are Gay, Motorcycle riders are gang members, fat people are lazy, and so forth and so on. If we take the time to get to know people we may be surprised how alike we really are  I don't mind people promoting their beliefs etc but please don't cram your views down my throat, and I wont either.

As a career I chose Nursing.  This is very important for me.  I don't judge patients and I don't treat them differently.  I have taken care of VIP's to murderers and everything in between and they all have and will always receive the same quality care.  My religious beliefs and personal beliefs are for me and for me only.  I have never and will never force my beliefs onto a patient I am providing care for.  In my opinion its called integrity.

I think we need to learn to respect others and move on. 

Please STOP BEING OFFENDED BY EVERYTHING.

I must end this with appropriate disclaimer for the world today:  I know this may offend some people and I expect to lose some social media friends over this, and that's okay.  Its not likely we were really friends to begin with. My friends know I love them just that way they are!

Reference:
http://usflag.org/history/flagevolution.html