Just watched a video about a group of children aged 5-13 years old made to sit through two gay marriage proposals and to comment on them. Though their replies were heart-warming and cute, I couldn't help feeling sad. Yes, the beauty of the childhood innocence is worth admiring and revering in. Children are not afraid to love, to laugh, to tear, to fear, to explore and say anything they want. They trust easily and are like a lump of clay, easily mouldable and changeable into any forms of shapes. We find great delight in their innocence.
So yes, if two people genuinely love each other, there is no reason why they should not be allowed to marry just because they are of the same gender. If you think like a child, there are so many things on earth that should be allowed. Using this line of reasoning, if I’m poor and hungry, why can’t I be allowed to steal to feed myself? There is nothing wrong with stealing because God created everything to be freely available on earth in the first place. It was man who created rules, regulations and policies to divide properties and prevent others from taking what ‘belong’ to them. Why is the act of taking what is readily available to feed myself be deemed as stealing? It is a free world.
Now dear friends, as we grow up, even though our world view is shaped by the society, I believe that we still have an innate ability to judge a right from a wrong, to discern a childish mentality from a mature one. It is as our minds mature and gain wisdom that we learnt to understand and accept that sometimes the world is not just about ourselves and what we want. We learnt that rules and regulations are needed to be set and respected (you will understand if you are a teacher or a parent) so that a place, a home, a school or a nation is kept in order, even if it means making some sacrifices. It is the balance between power and freedom that will allow communities to improve and progress peacefully as a whole. It is also the fundamental reason why it is very important to choose leaders who are wise and trustworthy; who will make right but not popular decisions; whom we can trust to do what is right for us.
In this case, it is quite despicable to be using children and the novelty of love to make a point. The minds of the children were clearly manipulated as the conversation was directed to arrive to a desired conclusion. Speaking from the experience as a teacher, I know how easy it is to direct a conversation with an innocent young mind to make them agree to what you want them to believe in. As much as I would love to embrace and agree that any form of marriage should be allowed as long as there is love, I can never agree to the gay rights movement plaguing the west. There are so many societal concerns that can arise from people publicly declaring they are gay and showing their affection for each other in public and wanting people to embrace that. The entire value system on sexuality built on sustaining the population of the earth, will crumble into pieces. When that happens, how do we teach our children?
Undeniably, it is a proven fact that young minds are easily mouldable and they are always eager to explore. If we teach them that it is okay to be loving another person of the same gender, that we support and encourage them at a tender age, will they explore that option? Even after exploring, will they ever change and learn to love a person of a different gender again? (Generally, I don’t see a lot of gay men changing to love women again). If they don’t, who is going to sustain the earth’s population with the dwindling birth rate and an ageing population? If they don’t, will the heavy responsibility of reproduction lie on the people who choose to love the people of opposite gender? Will the novelty of giving birth degenerate into a commodity? If giving birth becomes a commodity and artificial insemination becomes nothing new, then how about the rights to choose the DNA of our child? Should we stop debating about that too? After all, everyone will be fighting for anything under the sun in the name of their own freedom and rights. Can you see the can of worms we will be opening?
So dear friends, as much as I am openly against this gay rights movement. I can reassuringly say that I have never judged a person if they openly declared they are gay. In fact, I am pretty cool about their preferences, though sometimes I will secretly wish a gay man is not gay (especially so if he's good looking) but I do respect and acknowledge that they are free to love whomever they choose to love. I will respect them for their responsible behaviours that revere the true value of love and commitment needed in a relationship. Not in the wrong values like crazy orgy parties, open sexual declarations and promiscuous behaviours some choose to indulge in.
Regardless, I strongly believe likewise, people like me should not be expected to change how we think and how we want to teach our children. I will never encourage my children to love another of the same gender. I refuse to allow them this new avenue of sexual exploration and strip away their chance of experiencing the joy of bringing up their own children and having them to take care of them when they are old. I want my children to grow up knowing that a normal family is where a man and woman play different roles (don’t lie to yourselves, men and women will always be different). I am not going to show them a gay proposal video and educate them, look child, that’s love. I am definitely not going to support any gay preferences until they are mature enough to make rational decisions for themselves. However, I can assure you, I can teach them the values of patience, respect and understanding towards gay people. All I seek is the same from them and be given the same respect.
After all, this world isn’t just about us, really it isn’t. There is a huge difference between responsible behaviour and a childish rant to achieve our hearts’ desires. There is a difference between a human rights movement and a gay rights movement. Throughout the years, human rights movements have garnered great support by the masses as they often involve fighting against great injustice, poverty, pain and torture for the oppressed. These movements often seek to help improve the lives of a specific community/nation as a whole. They seek to build not destroy. Now, will we die not being able to marry the person we love? Is it a huge injustice not being able to openly declare our love for another? Do we feel immense physical pain and torture not being accepted by the entire society? Is the community going to improve if we get our desired change? What can the society benefit from this? What will a responsible, wise and mature person do? Are we reading too much Shakespeare?
I believe change always begins from us. If we want people to change their mindsets and accept certain issues, we have to show them how through our attitudes and actions. These gay rights parade, open condemnations and protests are not going to change any mindsets; they only act as catalysts to more hate and pressurise others to conform. After all, we can never be completely rejected from a society. It is about choosing the right community to fit in.
With this I plead, let’s stop creating these divisions in our society by advocating such self-serving movements. We can coexist peacefully in love, patience and understanding without it. And please, leave the children alone.
If you want to watch the video, click here.