Wednesday, January 12, 2011

It Shouldn't Matter, But It Does

Okay, this is hard for me, because i so seldom do it. But, yeah, here goes.

I was wr.....
I was wro.....
I was wron......
I.Was.Wrong.

Whoosh. That was hard. But, as usual, there's more. See, I was annoyed by some of the blogs in the 'hood that were complaining about the fact that news organizations weren't mentioning that Daniel Hernandez is gay.

Who, you say, if you've been living under a rock?

Hernandez is Gabrielle Giffords's assistant. He's the one who went to her side, applied pressure to her wound, and kept her calm amidst all that madness. Daniel Hernandez very well may have saved her life. And he's gay.

And some bloggers were pissed that his orientation wasn't being mentioned as though it played some role in what he did. And I was pissed because his orientation shouldn't matter. He saved her life because he's a compassionate human being; he aided her because he was trained as a Certified Nurse's Assistant, and knew what to do. He didn't step up because he was gay, but because he was human, and that's how we all should act, gay or straight.

But, and here's where I was wr.....not right.

Mary Elizabeth Williams, writing on Salon.com., "[Reporting that Hernandez is gay and Latino] matters because guys like Arizona Sen. John McCain, who described the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' as 'a very sad day,' still think that orientation has an effect on whether or not a person can ably serve in the military. It matters because the notion that two people of the same-sex can love each other and build a life together is still considered in many parts of the country, including Arizona, a threat to what is laughably referred to a "traditional marriage" — as if heterosexuals have really mopped up the floor with this whole commitment thing." 

See, I didn't look at it that way because sometimes I want to look at the world through my fabulous rose colored glasses where sexual orientation doesn't matter. it doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else, it just makes you more like everyone else.

And we should all, gay and straight, strive to be more like Daniel Hernandez.

Read Mary William's article HERE.

8 comments:

  1. He's just all kinds of wonderful. When you hear that he, and several others, ran towards the gunfire - I can't even imagine.

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  2. Thankfully, it doesn't matter, compassion knows no boundaries. Another one of our human graces. I love to see more of it, more often. We really shine when it comes out in force.

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  3. I know it hard to admit, but I don't you were wrong. You a different opinion

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  4. I'm with Wonder Man, Bob. Sometimes we have to realize it is not as black and white, but filled with varying shades of gray.

    BTW, I have an award post, which you are a part of. Mwah!

    http://soundtracktomyday.blogspot.com/2011/01/stylish-spatula-award.html

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  5. I didn't think you were wrong at all. I'd rather have your own point of view but some people need to be reminded we are capable of doing anything in a crisis situation just like straight people.

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  6. Interesting...I didn't know until I read this that he is gay. When I first heard the guy interviewed, I posted that and said now THAT is a "real American."

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  7. Bob, I don't think you were wrong.

    I'm sick and fucking tired of the labels. Maybe I'm to stupid to understand it.
    Look you are not going to change anyones mind on how they feel.

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  8. Thanks so much for the nice words on the story! I hope minds can open in this country, and that someday a hero is just a hero. _ Mary Elizabeth

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