30 Days Of Hanson - Day 2

Favourite Song.

Oh, God.

I can't choose just one!!!!

My top 5 are (in no particular order): If Only, Give A Little, I Am, And I Waited, & Musical Ride.

And I can proudly say that I've heard all 5 songs live! hee hee.

30 days Of Hanson - Day One

Day 01: Your favourite brother

The one, the only......ZAC HANSON!!!!!!
I was gonna use his full name, but felt that was a little creepy. No idea why, though. haha.
I have had a crush on this man since I was 11 years old and probably love him more now then back then.
It's never been a creepy, stalkerish kind of crush, though.
I don't even recall ever wanting or thinking I'd marry him one day. haha.
At 11, I just wanted him to be my best friend, nothing more. I mean, I was 11...what else would I want? lol.
At 14, I did kind of dream of having him be my boyfriend, but only sometimes.
Then I found out he was going out with Kate, and then married her, and I was super happy for him.
I still crush on him, drool over pictures of him, and get butterflies in my stomach when I meet him (met him all 5 times I've been to a Hanson show), but I respect him, and his family.
And I HATE it when fans bash his wife & son and make inappropriate passes and gestures at him.
I mean, come on...he's married...he's not going to just drop his family and run off with you!

This post turned into a longer blog then I had intended. haha.

To sum up why he's my favourite:
He's hilariously insane, has a gift for being able to create amazingly awesome songs at the top of his head, has the ability to rock out on the drums while simultanously singing lead, and has a voice that just makes me melt into a puddle of goo.
And he's incredibly sweet. Even when I'm a complete dork. haha.

I took this picture in Spokane, WA. :D

Hate & Ignorance: The Bain Of My Existance

I've heard about the recent suicides, within the last few weeks, of teenagers who were bullied because of their sexual orientation and I've read ignorant comments on some facebook statuses.

It's these recent events that have caused me to want to write a little blurb.

What I hate most in the world is hate.
Hate and ignorance are the two things that get under my skin the most.
I may say I hate certain types of music or clothing, but that type of hate is really more of a dislike.
What I really HATE is small minded, ignorant people who hate others based on minor differences.

I hate that it's 2010 and kids are killing themselves because other kids belittle and bully them just for who they are.
Schools constantly preach tolerance and say that they're bully free zones and yet they do nothing to help the victims.
Nobody should be made to feel insignificant and worthless just because they're being themselves.

I hate that there are people out in this world that claim to be "Christians" and yet all they preach is hate and how God doesn't accept anyone different from the "norm".
I use the term "Christian" loosely, because, in all honestly, these people are NOT Christian.
They like to think they are and can spout off Bible verses like many people can spout off song lyrics, but when you get right down to what Christianity is all about and what God really preaches, these people are no more Christians than I am a dog.
And last time I checked, I was not of the canine variety!
When these Christians use the Bible to try and say gay people are sinners and are doomed to spend an eternity in Hell, no matter how kind & beautiful they may be, they give all Christians a bad name.

Firstly, the Bible says A LOT of things.
And it makes sense it would...it's a book that was written over 2000 years ago by multiple people.
Yes, it's the word of God, but you cannot tell me that the authors didn't include their own personal beliefs and opinions within God's word.
Like, Leviticus 18:22, probably the most quoted Bible verse when it comes to anti-gay sentiments: " You shall not lie with a male as those who lie with a female; it is an abomination."
Now, this is what Leviticus wrote and what many Bible thumpers pay attention to.
However, those people are also quick to say that the Bible's views on selling daughters into slavery are outdated and unacceptable.
So, apparently, you can just pick and choose which Bible verses you live your life by?
Well, if that's the case, I prefer to pick and choose the Bible verses that pertain to 2 ACCEPTED gay relationships:

• "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (Ruth 1:16-17) (about Ruth & Naomi).
• "...the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (1 Samuel 18:1) (David would be referring to King David)

So, there are gay relationships written about in the Bible.
Accepted gay relationships.
And since this is the case, how can anyone even begin to think that "God hates homosexuals"?
In my opinion, God hates no one.
Why would he?
Did he not create each of us in his own image?
If what I learned in Sunday School is true, and I'm 100% confident that it is, God loves every single one of his children.
And if he did not approve of homosexuality than he wouldn't create gay people.
That's another bone of contention....gay people being born gay versus "choosing" their lifestyle.
Well, if people can just choose to be gay or straight, than why wouldn't people choose the easier choice and just be straight?
Why would they WANT to be bullied, kicked out of their homes, disowned by their families, spit on, abused, or even killed?
If people can simply choose what sexual orientation they are than why do kids kill themselves to escape the torment they receive from other kids just because of who they are? why don't they just become straight and be happy?
Why?
Because sexual orientation is NOT that simple!
No one chooses who they fell in love with.
Back in high school I had a huge crush on a guy that was already in a relationship.
Did it benefit me to fall in love with someone that was already taken and therefore out of my grasp?
No.
Could I just turn off those feelings like a light switch?
No.
I wish I could have, but I couldn't.
Well, gay people don't choose to be gay the same way I didn't choose to like an unavailable guy.
I've argued this fact many times with ignorant, "Christians" and it just boggles my mind that they can't seem to grasp this idea.
No matter how hard I try and make them see I always get the "It's a choice and it's the wrong choice" response.
No matter WHAT I say to try and change their point of view I always seem to fail.
And in my failure, I get angry and more passionate in my views.
I know that what I believe is right.

It's this passion that has caused me to start looking into what I'd need to do in order to become a paralegal and work for a human rights law firm in the USA and fight for gay rights and making same-sex marriage legal in that country.
I want to do whatever I can to help make people see that gay people are just that: people.
And as people they deserve the same respect that every single straight person gets, whether they deserve it or not.
Many countries look to America as the example as to how they should run their country.
And although many countries have legalized same-sex marriage (and I'm proud to call one of those my home) if the US can legalize it I have faith that even more countries will follow suit.

People are killing themselves because they're made to feel like less than human just because of the way they were born.
We need to accept each other's differences and learn to love one another.

When I have children, I want them to grow up in a world where they are free to be who they are without fear of being ridiculed for it.

The Beatles put it best when they said "All You Need Is Love".