Politicians, please stay out of my bedroom

It’s easy to force our beliefs on others. Eat less meat. Recycle. Walk instead of drive.

But is it right to tell them what to do with their bodies? The simple answer is yes.

We do it all the time. Seatbelt laws tell us to buckle up or we will be fined. Smoking bans tell us where we can light up in the interest of public health. Mandatory vaccines to attend school protect our entire community, especially those who react to vaccines, are too young, or are immune compromised.

But what about in your own house? In your bedroom? Do politicians have the right to rule your roost?

Simple put: Fuck no.

Politicians don’t go to ultrasounds to hold your hand or throw you a baby shower. They won’t massage your feet or bring you dinner. Why would they ever have the right to say if you should keep your baby or not. They aren’t typically the ones who will take care of said child, for example, by pumping money into the system like increasing foster care funding or giving parents more money to raise their children.

Our federal government recently announced more funding for parents and many of the online comments were as such, “Why should I have to give money to raise someone else’s child?” That’s a whole different debate but really the question is, “Why then are you so interested in what I do in my bedroom in the first place?” Your belief system? I call bullshit.

Everyone has a right to follow a faith of their choosing, or not, but not when that faith is used to hurt another. Gay rights trump religious rights. Every single time. You’re entitled to your opinion but if it harms another person based on who they love, what they look like, or their abilities, you actually aren’t entitled to your opinion any longer because you’re breaking the law. Likewise, women’s rights, which includes abortion, sexual education, and tailored health care trumps religion. Every single time. It doesn’t always but it certainly should.

If your religion makes it okay to hate, blame, or bring people down, you need to go shopping for a new religion. If you use your religion to condemn and judge, you probably got the essentials really fucking wrong.

We are all biased. It’s a part of being human. It’s just that some people are more aware of their biases and change what they say or do, often through experiences that open their eyes like travelling, volunteering, meeting new people, or messing up really badly and realizing that it’s not who they are or who they want to be. It’s through these experiences that we are humbled and grow and learn. Others deny their biases saying that, “I’m not racist but…” or “I’m a very tolerant person.” If you have to convince others, you’re actually not a very tolerant person. This is your opportunity to change, to be the person you preach.

We’ve all said stupid things we regret, but when you trample on others’ rights, especially those who aren’t as powerful or privileged as you, it speaks more about your character than theirs.

It says that you make decisions based on bias, not logic and you use your beliefs to tear people down, rather than build them up.

#abortion #right #women #smoking #seatbelts #vaccines #racism #humanrights #gay #cancermommies #letsgetpolitical

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