So there's been all this controversy lately surrounding Miss California Carrie Prejean and her reply to a question about the legalization of gay marriage. I wasn't sure at first what was true and what was exaggeration since I hadn't watched the pageant, so I didn't want to say anything about it. But today I watched the video clip on YouTube and I have a better idea now of what is going on. Mega-blogger Perez Hilton (who I'd never actually heard of before, but who I now think is obnoxious, overly flamboyant, and egotistic), as a judge on the panel, asked Miss California whether she thought all States in the USA should be following suit and legalizing gay marriage. Her reply was that she thought it was great that Americans are able to choose between gay marriage and "opposite" marriage, but that in her country they believe in "opposite" marriage and that her personal beliefs (she added that she hoped not to offend anyone) are that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Now, I'm not entirely sure what my views are on gay marriage (which isn't surprising since I'm not entirely sure what my views are on marriage in general). I think everyone should have the right to spend their life with whomever they love -- that's one of the basic rights we have as humans and one that cannot be denied. And I do not think the government should have anything to do with it. But at the same time I don't know any of the legal aspects of marriage so I will keep my thoughts to myself for now. What's more important is the fact that this is a POLITICAL question and has no place in a beauty pageant. Prejean was put on the spot to answer a question that should have nothing whatsoever to do with the Miss USA competition. Furthermore, she was asked for her opinion, so what did everyone expect her to answer? She gave her opinion because she was specifically asked for it, she didn't go around picketing against gay marriage or say anything about the matter until she was put on the spot. In addition, she added that she hoped not to offend anyone with her answer. Of course, the more prudent thing to do would to have not given an opinion on such a controversial issue, but I don't know if the contest rules allow for that and either way she had no time to think ahead and consider this.
I'm not making special allowances for Prejean. I think she could have handled the situation differently. I laughed at her when she used the term "opposite" marriage, it may just have been her overdone makeup and the beauty pageant setting but I thought she seemed really uneducated, even though I know she must be smart to have gotten this far. I don't think she should have become a spokesperson for anti-gay marriage activists, I think she should have abandoned the issue altogether. Like I said, there's a place for opinions and politics have nothing to do with a beauty pageant. But at the same time, this is a young 21-year-old woman who is being vilified and verbally abused and attacked through the media for expressing her opinion. Homosexuals who want their opinions and lifestyle to be accepted and respected are not granting the same acceptance and respect to Prejean for hers.
When will people learn to tolerate and respect the opinions of others? Why do they all feel so threatened when one person dares to speak up for their thoughts? I'm so disgusted with people sometimes.
Now, I'm not entirely sure what my views are on gay marriage (which isn't surprising since I'm not entirely sure what my views are on marriage in general). I think everyone should have the right to spend their life with whomever they love -- that's one of the basic rights we have as humans and one that cannot be denied. And I do not think the government should have anything to do with it. But at the same time I don't know any of the legal aspects of marriage so I will keep my thoughts to myself for now. What's more important is the fact that this is a POLITICAL question and has no place in a beauty pageant. Prejean was put on the spot to answer a question that should have nothing whatsoever to do with the Miss USA competition. Furthermore, she was asked for her opinion, so what did everyone expect her to answer? She gave her opinion because she was specifically asked for it, she didn't go around picketing against gay marriage or say anything about the matter until she was put on the spot. In addition, she added that she hoped not to offend anyone with her answer. Of course, the more prudent thing to do would to have not given an opinion on such a controversial issue, but I don't know if the contest rules allow for that and either way she had no time to think ahead and consider this.
I'm not making special allowances for Prejean. I think she could have handled the situation differently. I laughed at her when she used the term "opposite" marriage, it may just have been her overdone makeup and the beauty pageant setting but I thought she seemed really uneducated, even though I know she must be smart to have gotten this far. I don't think she should have become a spokesperson for anti-gay marriage activists, I think she should have abandoned the issue altogether. Like I said, there's a place for opinions and politics have nothing to do with a beauty pageant. But at the same time, this is a young 21-year-old woman who is being vilified and verbally abused and attacked through the media for expressing her opinion. Homosexuals who want their opinions and lifestyle to be accepted and respected are not granting the same acceptance and respect to Prejean for hers.
When will people learn to tolerate and respect the opinions of others? Why do they all feel so threatened when one person dares to speak up for their thoughts? I'm so disgusted with people sometimes.
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