Shades Of Gray

I have a headache. I believe it was brought on by my argument early this morning (1 am-ish) with homophobic narrow minded person. Of course the argument was a result of a political "discussion" which we will never agree. He is a republican with strong beliefs and admits that his morality is superior than others on certain things. He feels that certain items are cut & dry, black and white...no shades of gray. And of course I vehemently disagree.

Everything is shades of gray. And I do not feel that my morals are superior to anyone else's. I believe that many of those that find their morals superior than others tend to justify their illegal behavior (i.e. bombing federal buildings and abortion clinics, bashing gays, lynching African Americans) on that moral superiority.

We discussed abortion, child molestation, Osama Bin Laudin, federal and state laws...you know the usual light subjects in the political arena. At one point I found one of homophobic narrow minded person's statements utterly ridiculous and cracked up laughing. He took major offense to that. He even asked me if I would apologize for it. I didn't. Not because I wanted to offend him, but because I don't find it necessary to apologize for my beliefs and reactions.

We discussed the reflection and influence of our (i.e. America's) laws on societal morals and vice versa. He believes in individual state laws dictating moral laws (such as abortion) instead of federal laws. That if you do not like certain laws of a state you should move to a place where you are surrounded by more like minded people. Sounds like an argument supporting segregation and intolerance, which are things we have fought against for decades and which cost the lives of Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy.

I now truly know why politics and religion are such taboo subjects. There is no absolute solution to our differences. The best we can do is compromise and respect one another's beliefs...dictate within certain agreed upon parameters what moral paths each person can choose to follow. Because beliefs only become harmful when you try to enforce them on someone else with action.