Practice What You Preach

I have heard this phrase a lot in my short lifetime so far. Sometimes directed at me, to make me stop and think about what I was doing or saying. Sometimes directed at someone else for the same purpose.

The other day I was browsing websites, and came upon a blog site that talked about the shooting in Tel Aviv.

If anyone reading my blog doesn't know what shootings I'm referring to, here are some links:

Gunman Kills 2 at Tel Aviv Club for Gay Youths (Reuters)

2 Shot Dead at Gay Center in Tel Aviv (New York Times)

This did not happen in America, that's true. But things like this DO happen in America. And in just about every other country I can think of.

Why? Because most governments don't practice what they preach. It's chic now to preach tolerance for the LGBT people and communities. Even in countries other than the United States. It's chic now to do this, to preach that we should be tolerant of LGBT people, to let them live their lives and do as they wish, to express themselves. To be open about their sexuality and their "alternative" lifestyle.

But, this is part of the problem! Why? Because, the governments of the countries that do this do NOT practice what they preach. You cannot preach tolerance and understanding, tell your citizens not to discriminate against a minority group, and then turn around and practice intolerance against that same group (or groups) and discriminate against them and expect the citizens to understand that these are people and not freaks.

The very way that the governments of these countries act (or do not act, as the case may be!) is a major part of the problem. This is a major reason that I think governments need to make LAWS protecting minorities, INCLUDING the LGBT people.

And I do not think hate crime laws are good enough. No. Laws need to be enacted that give minorities like the LGBT citizens of a country not only the same protections as the majorities of these countries, but also the same rights. ALL of the same rights. Not just some. Not rights with separate names from that of the majority, either.

Civil unions are NOT marriages. And they do NOT provide all of the same protections and securities that an actual marriage does.

In a way, by not treating the LGBT communities as if they are the same as the rest of the majority citizens, we are truly harming them.

No, making these laws and guaranteeing these rights will not solve the problem. I never meant to imply that they would. BUT, it will be a major step in the right direction. It would be like the governments of these countries are saying, "we will no longer tolerate or facilitate the intolerance and discrimination of the LGBT community."

Because, if our own governments cannot bring themselves to recognize and embrace LGBT people, then how can the rest of the majority citizens who do not share these lifestyles ever hope to do the same as a majority whole?

They can't. Until the governments really get serious, and stop just chuckling and patting the LGBT community on the head as if it were a small, dull child that needs to be made to think it is getting its way when it really is not, we will not see much of a decline in the type of behavior in Tel Aviv by that masked gunman.

For those who do not want to read the articles, I will tell you right now that the gunman opened fire on a group that was mostly teenagers. That's right. Teenagers. Kids. Three people as far as I know are dead. Two died at the scene, one later in the hospital.

These people were, to my knowledge (unless I missed something when reading these articles myself, or unless new information that I haven't read on this subject yet is out) were minors. That's right. Not even legal adults, yet.

They did NOTHING wrong. I do not know whether this masked gunman had a religious reason behind what he did, or if it was just simple homophobia without any reason other than he just does not like LGBT people.

These kids did not deserve what happened to them. None of them deserved the injuries, none of them deserved to die, their families don't deserve to go through this, their friends don't deserve to have to go through this, and none of them deserve the nightmares that will like follow and probably psychological damage.

I can't say that they will, I am not a doctor. I just know that if it were me, I sure as hell would have nightmares and psychological damage. If my friend died because she or he did nothing wrong but attend an LGBT support group, I would damn sure have problems. If my brother, or sister, or daughter, or son died for no reason other than he or she was gay, I sure as hell would have issues.

It's time people stopped seeing LGBT people as freaks or second-class citizens, set apart from the rest of society.

And it has to start with the governments. It must. Government needs to lead by example in this. Only then can we begin to truly see changes start to be made.

Anyway. That's my opinion.