An Emotional Day for Many

Hi Everyone,

Well, I've come back in the middle of the week again. Maybe the reason I keep returning in the middle of the week is that I keep having a lot to write about. However, today I am less excited than I was last week. Today finds me more sad, but not necessarily a bad kind of sad. The kind of sad that is oddly peaceful. Today, I will wax somewhat emotional, but I promise it will be for a good reason.

This past friday, I talked about the theater class I really enjoyed taking this semester. Well, yesterday was the last day of it, the day of the final. Our final was to read a monologue we had written. We were to perform it for the class and ourselves. We were continuing from last wednesday. I read through it throughout the morning.

I decided to read my monologue near the beginning. My monologue was written from the perspective of a teenager back in school. I was talking to a friend, or to someone who I could depend upon. No one else understood me, so I told this person, emotionally, that I felt alone, and that I was willing to have people in my life, I concluded by asking if they would be my friend.

I asked with some emotion, since this is how I often feel. I often feel that I am without a reliable friend or counterpart, outside of my family. Since my best friend moved away, to Washington state, back in 2005, I have been mostly by myself, believing, like the character, that I was alone in my perception of the world.

This is why yesterday was so important. After each of us finished our monologues, which some of the people had trouble performing, we talked about our experience in the class. One girl, in particular, said many of the things I had felt about the course. She said basically many of the things I was going to say.

As I went through middle and high school, I became self-conscious and reserved. I rarely opened up to anybody. As I mentioned about this class, I was able to interact, ironically enough in an acting class, more openly than I have, at least recently. This was very important to me. I said as much, and then we left class and resolved to connect via the best way we knew how... Facebook. We even started a facebook group for people in this section of this class. Sadly, the professor will move St. Louis next fall, but I was able to find the aforementioned facebook group, and yesterday I was voraicously friending the people whom I recognized from the class.

Often, I have felt like I didn't appreciate something enough while it was happening to me. Have you ever gotten that? Well, I often come across this feeling. I didn't have that with this class. Even though I was sad yesterday and today, and for the last few weeks, I certainly appreciated it much as I experienced it. I feel like I really learned something about interacting.

In improvisation, we learned about "saying yes" going along with a story someone else states. For instance, if someone in the act asks "Why is your hand on fire?" responding as if your hand really was on fire. I often have trouble saying "yes" to life's little "improvs." I want there to be the right idea that will make things work. In the improv, however, I learned that it works better if you go into it without an idea, and let one randomly emerge. This summarizes why this was so important.

That was yesterday. This morning, when I woke up, I was told by my family that my Grandmother passed away early this morning. She was my father's mother, and she lived to be 86 years old. I cannot think of many things to say about her. I could not possibly say everything that needs to be said in one blog post. I will say some words here, and elaborate further on Friday.

I will say that she was a wonderful person. She was devoted to her family, children and grandchildren. She was also a devout Christian Scientist, and a teacher for many years. She was a good friend to those she knew and made an big impact on the people she met, even the hospice nurses who helped her for the last few weeks. She passed away peacefully, having been at home, receiving care for three weeks.

I will give a full biographical sumnation of my Grandmother on friday. For now I will just say that she is survived by her husband, my grandfather, her sister, her four children, my aunt, two uncles and my father, seven grandchildren, my cousins, my brother, and, by your humble servant. Her love and her light will always shine. See you all on friday!

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

My View On Gay Marriage

Hi everyone,

Well, today, my home state of California's Supreme Court handed down its much awaited ruling on Proposition 8. It ruled that gay couples married before the proposition passed last November could remain married, but those seeking to marry now are banned from doing so. The time has come for me and you, the reeders, to look at the issue of gay marriage.

I swore I would not get involved with the Miss California media circus a month back. I do not agree with Ms. Prejean's views, but I believe that she has a right to them, and she has a right to express them, however wrong they are. What I did object to, aside from Perez Hilton's attacks on her, was her parading around as the victim, thus villifying those who disagree with her views. This is all the commentary I will offer on that episode, since I have little more desire to spend time commenting on it than I have to comment on the Octomom episode way back when. Is it just me, or are these things coming at us much faster lately?

Anyway, I recognize that this may be a sensitive issue for some of you. I am aware that in commenting on something so emotional, I may be playing with a loaded rifle. But this issue is important to me, because it has to do with civil rights, something the Reeder here cares very much about. And the Reeder is also not about shying away from these issues, even if they are touchy subjects. So, here is my take on gay marriage and homosexuality in general.

As I said above, I believe that Ms. Prejean's view and those who side with her are wildly off the mark. I don't think they are wrong for feeling the way they do. I just think the view is not correct, almost like believing that 1+1=3. There are a few key reasons why I believe this.

First off, you will hear many opponents of gay marriage describe it as "immoral." The words vary, but they are often to this effect. Immoral? How, exactly? Because it is foreign, alien to you? This is an easy trap to fall into. If you don't understand something, you tend to be afraid of it, to think of it as bad, to automatically assume it is wrong and your way is right. In many cases, your way is perfectly fine, and the other way may be flawed or wrong. Here, this is just false. Many gay people have just as strong a moral and ethical compass as the average person.

Some of the more extreme opponents describe homosexual people as if they were describing pedophiles. Why all the judgement? Why all the condemnation? Homosexuals are not seeking to express an inner darkness. They are not expressing hate. They are expressing love, the same way you and I can express love for our families. Why must their opportunity be stamped out? Why must it be crushed? Because you and I don't understand it at all?

There are many things in this world we do not understand, but they may be beautiful in their own way. Let us not crush something that may be beautiful and wonderful in its own right only because we don't understand it at all. You often hear people proclaim "Marriage is between a man and a woman," end of discussion. Says who? What works for you may not work for the next guy. Different people have different ways of expressing things. I don't understand homosexuality at all. I don't ever plan on being homosexual. I only plan on marrying a woman. But the way I express my love is not for everyone. It is for me. Everyone else should be able to express their love however their heart directs them.

Second, you hear many opponents claiming that their rights are being infringed upon. There are many variations to this as well. It comes down to their right to feel what they want and the religious doctrine regarding homosexuality. The key to these lines of reasoning is that they need you to feel that there is some big, bad, scary blob of people coming to get you. They're gonna take away your right to be straight and feel the way you want about those homosexuals. This is what the anti-gay ads talk about.

Nowhere have I seen any indication that gay people or those who support their rights want to take away people's right to think about gays as they please. Still less have I found any indication that they want to make anybody not be straight. I've known some people who I knew were gay for sure and none of them showed any signs of wanting to do anything but live their lives and express their romantic feelings the way others do.

Then there is the religious doctrine behind this. Religions, most prominently Christianity and Islam, have galvanized movements against the recognition of homosexuals in many areas, not just marriage, but here in the US, even military service. All I can say to this is to point out that since time immemorial, religious doctrine has also been used to justify racist and sexist attitudes. Those attitudes are now unacceptable almost everywhere. I realize that these are not entirely analogous, but one cannot deny that there are many similarities in this regard.

The third claim, and this could be seen as a variation of the "immoral" line mentioned above, is that allowing homosexuals any degree of recognition will bring about the downfall of civilization. You know, just like allowing women to vote brought about the downfall of civilization, or desegregating schools for minorities, making them truly equal, brought about the downfall of civilization. Every time some new group of people wants to be granted the same status as the ruling majority, the claim that it will mean the end of society as we know it is brought out again and again. And again and again, it has been proven wrong.

But beneath all these claims is one central theme: the inability to see the humanity in the others. When many of the opponents think of homosexuals, they don't see human beings. They see either sinners, or queers, or fags. Funny people. Weird people. To them, they aren't as valuable as people, and are to be treated likewise. Never mind that they may be just seeking the same shot at love, at validation, that you and I take for granted. Never mind that they may have similar needs as we do, that may be expressed differently. No, they just...I don't know. i just don't understand why this must be denied them. What if you loved someone, but you weren't allowed to express it? How much would that hurt you? Could you imagine the pain?

One last thing I would like to say on this controversial topic. A friend of my dad's is a great guy. He often comes to visit us on weekends. He is easygoing and kind. He has always been a good friend to us. He is a good father to a girl whom I met, and whom I know will grow up to be a fine woman. There is one thing, though: he is gay, and he and his partner adopted the daughter. But if ever there was an example of a person one would aspire to be, in terms of character, this man would probably be one of them.

One thing I'd like to say to those who oppose gay marriage or the rights of gays: why? I don't understand the reasoning behind this. These are people who are more like us than we realize. Because for all of our differences, we do have a lot in common. Many of these people's moral compasses are just as sound as ours, they can exercise just as much control over their lust, but their manner of expression is alien to us. These are people with whom we have more in common than rhetoric would suggest, who would like a chance to express love in their own way. All I ask you, the opponent of gay rights to look at the human side of this issue, and ask yourself again, why? And ask yourself if, perhaps, you may allow them that chance after all. You needn't defend it or approve of it, or even understand it. Just allow it. That is all I ask of you.

Well, that's it for my essay on this topic. I hope this hasn't been to fiery an issue for you to look at. Because my intention is not to stir up argument, my intention is to hear some practical takes on issues. So write me back with your views if you wish, and, to those who disagree with me, give the task I just described a try, if only once, just try.

To switch gears to some lighter news, today, President Obama announced his newest pick to replace outgoing Justice Souter on the supreme court. Her name is Sonia Sotomayor, a Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx. She was appointed to a circuit court under President Bush 1, and then moved up by President Clinton. Knowing what I've heard so far about her, I'd say she's a very intelligent person, and I think she'd make a fine Supreme Court Justice. Well, I'll end it here, and write back to me with your opinions on the newest Supreme Court pick if you wish as well. That's all for now, thanks for listening, and come back anytime.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.

I've Fallen in Love...

To everybody,

You may have noticed (maybe not) me acting different lately. You may have noticed a certain giddyness in my demeanor, a light quality. Well, I can't keep it secret anymore. I've fallen in love.

Now, the young woman I'm speaking of is far from perfect. In fact, I've come to realize she has many flaws, and has made some real mistakes in the past. But over the years, I've also come to realize that she can do lots of good. So I decided that in spite of all her flaws, I love her still.

Who is this woman, you might ask. Well, I debated whether or not to reveal this, but I think it will be okay if I do. So here goes. Her name is America.Yes, I love my country. After years of soul searching, after all the oppression of the past, I've discovered after all of that, I love my country anyway.

Why? I mean, it is corrupt and all. Well, there is corruption and in recent years, it has gotten out of hand. Because of a recent turn of leadership, though, I am confident that this will change. And in many other countries, corruption is far worse than it is here. You could be a lot worse off. Thankfully, the laws of the country are set up to guard against abuses of power and preserve the well-being of the many.

This is, of course, an ongoing project. There have been mishaps along the way. But some imperfections and mistakes are no reason to abandon the dream. If anything, it's all the more reason to intensify the search. Way back when, my father's father's, well, several fathers back, fought in the Revolutionary War. That's one reason. I aim to do what I can to keep his dream intact and keep it going.

I have been tempted by the machinations of the right to believe all the criticisms of the left. While they work out of a concern for people, the mistake they make is that they assume everything and everyone is fixed, that things cannot improve. Thus they are capable of becoming as cynical as their right-wing counterparts.

I've learned that in spite of all the history of bad behavior, a bedrock of decency and compassion is emerging beneath all the madness. I hate to be cliche, but I know in my heart that Americans are as capable as anyone of being a part of this movement.

America, as you know, has some tough times in store for her. So I will stand by her and give her the same kind of help and support that you would give someone you love. When you love someone, you realize they have faults, but you love them anyway. That's how I feel.

This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.