Friday, June 26, 2015

Why I don't care about gay marriage and why you shouldn't, either.

Before I say anything, let me start by saying that this post is not to give my opinion on gay marriage and I don't want to start a debate over it. I respect any and all opinions that are similar or different than mine but I do not want to discuss them.

Moving on.

Today, American history was made when the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is now legal in all fifty states.

You know what also happened today? An escaped prison convict named Richard Matt was shot, while his accomplice, David Sweat, is still on the loose. Close to 750,000 people are fleeing to Jordan to avoid horrible terrorist attacks, (which include but are not limited to: gas attacks, shootings, beheadings, raping, and missile attacks) occurring in Syria and Iraq. At least 37 people were killed and several more injured in Tunisia when a terrorist opened fire on a beach. Islamic militants attacked an African Union base in Somalia, killing 30 people. In Ohio, 4 women were found dead and 2 are missing, leading police to believe a serial killer may be on the loose. A terrorist bearing an Arabic flag exploded a French Gas Plant and beheaded an employer.

On June 17, 2015 a mass shooting took place at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing 9 people and injuring 1. On March 8, 2015, there was a shooting in an Illinois church. The killer shot the pastor before being wrestled to the ground by members of the church.

On December 14, 2012, there was a school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Since then, there has been 74 other school shootings in the United States.

On March 27, 2015, a woman cut a baby out of a woman's stomach in Colorado. On June 26, 2015, a babysitter in New Jersey was convicted of murder after she intentionally shook the toddler she was caring for to death.

Approximately 18, 361 people are murdered in the United States each year. That's about 50 a day. There's approximately 293, 066 sexual assaults in the United States each year. That's about 802 a day.

Approximately 800,000 children go missing every year. That's roughly 2,000 children missing every day.

Since 2012, there has been a 12.5 percent rise in murders, a 3.2 percent rise in rapes, and a 3.7 percent rise in violent crimes.

As a soon-to-be mother, I simply cannot find it within myself to care in the least about gay marriage. In a short 3 weeks I will have to worry about my daughter's safety. I will have to worry every time I take her to the grocery store, to the park, to the fair, to the beach, that someone might try to grab her while my back is turned. I will have to worry about whether my babysitter is competent enough to watch her. I will have to worry that my daughter might some day have to deal with sexual assault.

When my daughter is old enough to go to school, I will have to have a conversation with her about what happens if there is a school shooting. I will have to explain to my daughter why it's not okay to wander off in public or talk to strangers — because you never know who could be some sicko that would snatch up my little girl.

When my daughter is older, I will have to worry that she will get into drugs because drugs are becoming more and more prevalent in colleges, high schools and even middle schools. I will have to worry about my daughter getting pregnant in high school because teenage pregnancies have risen so high in our society that they are practically expected.

Throughout my daughters life, I will have to worry that my partner or I will lose our jobs and be unable to find another because the unemployment rate is so high and the cost of living is ever rising. I will have to worry about not being able to provide for my family, about my daughter starving or freezing or just going without something she needs.

With everything that is actually important going on in the world, whether it be rising crime, terrorism, a failing economy, or a declining employment rate.

So yes, some of us can celebrate history being made. We can celebrate gay marriage being legalized. Others can fight gay marriage being legalized, and pray for our country and protest. But no matter what side you're on, you need to realize that there are so many other things going on, that are more deserving of your attention and prayers and protests.

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