THE RIGHTS OF ALL

I was raised by free loving liberal hippies. There's just no other way to put it. I lived in a commune as a child and remember my parents growing pot, living in a bus, being homeschooled, and living off the land on a farm in the middle of nowhere. I married into a conservative, religious military family. My husband's family served, my husband served, and now my son is serving in the military.

In a lot of ways, these two are as far apart as they could get. And in a lot of ways, they are very similar. The love for family was strong in both. The belief in ideals was strong in both. Over the years, I think I have learned from both about their views of the world. Now, here is my problem, and it has nothing to do with either family, but the important things I've learned.

YOU are no more or now less than anyone else. All of the money and prestige in the world means nothing if you believe you are better than anyone else. All of the problems you have don't mean others don't have problems. A man who makes a million dollars can have problems just like a man who has nothing. They may not be the same problems, but that does not mean they don't have them.

A Christian has the same right to practice his faith as a Muslim does. You don't want to be Muslim? Don't go to their church. You don't want to be Christian, don't go to their church. If you believe prayer should be allowed in church, then pray, but don't force others to do the same if they don't want to. On the other side of that is that if you demand prayer in school, then you have to allow all religions have that right, even the religions you don't agree with. Your religion is important to you. Their religion is important to them.

If Tom wants the right to marry Jane, then John can marry Jane. That's his right. But if John wants to marry Harry, that his also his right. You're not marrying Harry. John is. You're not sleeping with him. John is. Unless you plan on standing at the end of their bed every night to watch them have sex, then why do you care? The "I don't want to see that shit" is crap. Cause's guess what, they don't want you to see it either. Surprise!

You have the right to believe how you want, but you must give the same rights to everyone else.

I can't stand classical music. Hate it. That doesn't mean I believe it should be outlawed, but you won't find me tuning into it on the radio. I HAVE THAT RIGHT.

I don't like watching reality TV. Guess what? I don't. I change the channel. I HAVE THAT RIGHT.

I read MM romance because I like it. I also write it because I want to share what I love with others. I HAVE THAT RIGHT (for now).

I fell in love with a big burly bear of a man and I married him. I HAVE THAT RIGHT.

What I listen to on the radio, what I watch on TV, even who I marry and sleep with is my right as a human. I REFUSE to deny that right to others. What I do in the comfort of my own home or even in my bedroom is no one's business except mine. What you do in your bedroom is no one's business except yours.

You CANNOT demand the right to be who you are without allowing others to be who they are.

You CANNOT demand to be able to practice whatever religion you want without allowing others to practice their religion.

You CANNOT demand the right to love whoever you want without allowing others to love who they want.

You CANNOT demand civil rights without allowing others the same civil rights.

You CANNOT demand to be treated with compassion if you do not have the same compassion for others.

You CANNOT demand the right to make decisions about your own body without giving others the same right to decide.

From my liberal free loving hippie family, I learned that everyone should have the same rights. From my conservative religious military family, I learned that we all must fight to ensure everyone has those rights.

If you want to be considered human, then you CANNOT deny others the right to be human.

And guess what, if you don't like what I have to say, that is YOUR RIGHT.