Danger-Prone Daphne Strikes Again

A mother fires off a reply on her personal site regarding her son's decision to dress up as Daphne from Scooby Doo for Halloween. It's well written and she makes some brilliant points. I am not going to summarize it because to understand, her whole article needs to be read to establish context. Go ahead, I'll wait a minute.

There is one single quote I'd like to bring to the front, however, because it's a problem that applies to everyday conversations all the way to the White House.

"IT IS NOT OK TO BULLY. Even if you wrap it up in a bow and call it concern."

Seriously, did someone's mom just put the entire country in line? I think so. Her response is correct, and like truth tends to do, it applies to every situation big or small.

With the outpouring against gays, I have been curious. The arguments essentially boil down to "I don't like it, so I am going to make sure they aren't treated well." Is that not bullying? Is forcing your beliefs on an entire segment of people who have the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness not taking advantage of a minority population? Is trying to use the Constitution to enforce personal beliefs on the private lives of Americans not warping the purpose of the law? Watching Palin and Company rail about values makes me feel like the popular kids are rallying against those pesky substandard people who just won't realize their place. Until they are willing to conform and live how they're told, there is no place for them in "their" United States.

I call BS. And thank goodness, so does this intelligent lady.

Under the guise of concern, women have been denied access to birth control and health care. Kids are taught to give up privacy for convenience, and the words "security reasons" has become the new catchphrase to imply obedience is mandatory. A child not yet in kindergarten has sensed that vibe and feared it. This has to stop We have to take a stand and think for ourselves, even if it means we are inconvenienced or find ourselves having to evaluate ourselves and tackle our flaws as they are brought to light. "I never thought about it" is a poor excuse to watch our society crumble and let fear and hate rule our lives. Kudos to this woman for showing intelligence and compassion in the face of stupidity and rudeness.

Again, taking this behavior out on kids is not acceptable. Just because you are free to say what you think doesn't mean you are not responsible for the words you say. Regardless of what we think or feel, our kids deserve to grow up innocent and not used as pawns in an argument that never made sense in the first place.