The HRC Petition - A Popular Topic in the Media

So, as I'm sure everyone has noticed, the topic of "marriage equality" has become quite the topic of discussion in the media as of late. I've been thinking a lot about this lately in combination with my beliefs as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A good friend of mine posed this question on his Facebook page: "How can any person who has been to the Temple and call themselves an active LDS member ever support gay marriage?" He was asking this in an honestly inquisitive manner, not accusatory at all. I decided to add my thoughts to the many others that were posted. They were as follows: 

I've thought the same thing many a time. I came up with this analogy today, actually: You have a friend that drinks. You don't judge them for drinking, and you continue not to drink. You still love this person. However, you hand them a bottle and say, "I don't agree with or support this action, but have a bottle on me!" That's how I feel about LDS members supporting same-sex marriage. Those who have these feelings and act on them in any way, member or not, aren't bad people. Love the sinner, not the sin, right? That doesn't have to include pushing for the sin in order to seem more "pc," or tolerant. Love and accept people despite the choices they make, but don't encourage things you know to be fundamentally wrong. Would you support lowering the drinking age, or getting rid of it altogether? Legalizing all drugs? A law stating that couples must co-habit before marriage? A push for women to have the Priesthood? Supporting same-sex marriage is the same idea. If you support something that's fundamentally against what we believe, you don't fully understand the principle or doctrine. That's how I see it. I know I'm not going to be very popular because of this comment, but whatever. You don't have to support and encourage something you know to be wrong in order to prove your lack of prejudice, judgement, or cruel nature.

As I mentioned in the comment, I'm sure this post isn't going to give me any popularity points among viewers (as I witnessed when I expressed thoughts on something as simple as leggings...lol!!), but this is what I believe, and no cruel comment on a blog will change that fact. I love my religion, I love my God. He's always true to me, so I'll do my very best to be true to Him. So, if you can resist, just don't comment if you're merely looking for an argument. I already know the majority doesn't agree with me, no need to point it out. ;) Since this topic has been all over the media, I figured I'd add my part to it. If you feel I didn't explain my stand well enough, the video is the LDS Church's response to the HRC Petition. For more detailed information, visit here or even here; these sites will help fill in any blanks I most likely missed. :)

Remember, it's the little things in life!

Lindsey

Rape Awareness Starts at Home

I had a friend post this article on his Facebook wall a little while ago; it's titled 5 Ways We Can Teach Men Not to Rape and is written from a rape survivor. While I think the title is a bit over-the-top, the article itself is really good. I had never thought of rape from this perspective before, and it I like it much better. In today's world, I don't think we'll be able to completely and 100% prevent rape (although I really wish we could!), but there are things we can do to protect both our young women, and our young men. As the article states, rape prevention is definitely more geared toward women, which makes sense, yes. However, the effects of this approach is where this article changed my perspective. Since rape is most often done by men, the blame should fall with them, right? Well, what tends to happen too often, is when a woman falls victim to this awful, awful crime, she ends up with most of the blame. "Why were you running alone?," "You shouldn't have gone to that particular area," "I told you not to trust that guy!," "Why'd you wear your hair in a ponytail when you knew you'd be walking that way?," and so forth, are the common responses. While we as women do need to be conscious of those types of things, no one plans on getting raped, and most of the circumstances are out of our control. So why has our society and media put these female victims at fault, when the actual rape was done by the male? I don't know...but I don't think it's right. The sexualization, dehumanization, and belittlement of women all throughout the media lead many men to believe that rape is ok. Just so everyone knows...IT'S NOT OK! I appreciate this article, in that it gives (you guessed it...) 5 ways we can educate and encourage men from an early age to know that rape is unacceptable, and they should do all they can to prevent it as well as the women. It starts at home! The difference between right and wrong in our world is becoming quite skewed, and the majority of our society doesn't really care. Make an effort to help those you care about know the difference. Yes, women be smart, but men, buck up and do something as well please! Don't let your female friends walk home alone. Don't allow sexual humor in any form into your life. Encourage your male friends to do the same. I know there are many men out there who do these things, but maybe we could make a difference if more made a contribution. We could always use more people for any good cause. Rape is disgusting, selfish, and wrong. Don't let yourself (men and women) develop the attitude that it's something that "only happens to people on the news." Those people on the news are real people, just like you. If you or someone you know and love fell victim to this heinous act, and you could possibly have done something to help prevent it, how would you feel? Let's not let this happen, 'm k?

Remember, it's the little things in life!

Lindsey

Single Dad Laughing

Several months ago, I came across this blog Single Dad Laughing and fell in love with it! I admit, I don't read blogs very often, but any time I read this one, I end up either laughing, learning, or crying inside. The author shared a post of his from about 6mos ago on fb. The title is 16 Ways I Blew My Marriage and shares, well, just what it says, 16 things he felt ended his first two marriages. For each reason, he includes a bit on what he would've done differently if now given the chance, and a bonus for each improved action. As I was reading through these reasons and his thoughts on how to do things differently, I couldn't help but compare them with everything I've learned and am learning in my major. I feel the way the media depicts marriage is having an impact on actual marriages throughout the world, and it isn't until after the fact that the victims of unhealthy or failed marriages realize this problem. If only those "in charge" of the media would, heaven forbid, do some research to learn some of the trends, actions, attitudes, and setting that actually improve and create happy an lasting relationships. Every point the author of the a fore mentioned blog fit almost perfectly into everything we're taught in this major when it comes to creating our own relationships and helping others to improve theirs as therapists. I was so excited that real people really can "get it!" The media, at least for me, has painted such a negative picture of society when it comes to marriage, that I've often wished everyone could take some of the classes I've had to opportunity to learn and grow from! It's good to be reminded that things aren't always as bad as they're shown in the media. :) There was only one point of his that I didn't agree with, and I've included my response to his post. I highly recommend reading this post and others on his blog. Enjoy!

My response:
I'm actually pretty close to getting my degree in Family Sciences, and I agree with all of these except #8 Don't Fight in Front of Your Kids. Yes, there are things that shouldn't be discussed or done in front of your kids, but at the same time, how else will your kids learn successful conflict resolution skills? Or that marriage isn't always easy, and that they're parents still love each other despite hardships. I'm not meaning to say you should always fight in front of your kids, heavens no! I'm just saying it's not necessarily bad for them to realize you're human, and that arguing and fighting (constructively) can lead to more understanding, stronger relationships, and more openness in a relationship. Your kids have got to learn good conflict resolutions skills somewhere, and I'd rather mine learn in the home as opposed to whatever goes on at their school or otherwise. The same goes for showing your spouse affection. There are OBviously things that should be done in private, but kissing your spouse, sharing a long hug, or silly "mushy" comments in front of them is good for them to see as well. :)

Remember, it's the little things in life!

Lindsey

Blog ExPLOsion!!

As many of you may have noticed, The Little Things has become anything but little. I'm sure it will calm down and everyone will forget about my blog again, but still! I was NOT expecting anything like this. I thought I'd be lucky to make it to 150 views, let alone over 1200! Have you ever wondered how something goes viral, or just becomes so popular? So have I! Due to recent happenings with my last post, I've ended up talking about this topic with several of my friends. We still haven't come to any conclusions as to exactly how this happens, but it was definitely a wake-up call when I reached over 1,000 views in less than 48 hours!

Something as small and silly as a blog created solely for a class assignment can (apparently...) cause a huge hype! In the discussions I've had, we ended up focusing mostly on YouTube videos. How can a compilation of goats and sheep screaming make it around the world and back, while an awesome educational, inspirational, or just all around great video get about 50 views...MAYbe? Yes, the screaming goats and sheep are funny...but the other videos are great too! I guess the formula to a "great hit" as an everyday "normal" human being is humor, oddities, and/or something really controversial (like leggings...ha ha).

I think it's crazy that some people are able to make a healthy living off of blogs, YouTube, facebook, and other social media. Is this a good thing? Bad thing? I say both. It's great for creativity, entertainment, and some culture. On the other hand, I fee like some people give up the opportunity to really make something of themselves in hopes that they'll make it big online, and never do. I know this isn't the only "occupation" in which people fall into this cycle, I'm just hoping it doesn't begin to cause more problems in our already unstable workforce. I feel like it'll be fine, and whatever happens is going to happen anyway, but I still think it's extremely important for people to obtain as much education as they can. This creates not only more opportunities, but also freedom! You can pursue your dream job, hobby, or whatever, while working somewhere else, building your passion, and/or bettering yourself in other ways. The internet can be an absolutely beautiful and wonderful tool. More of us just need to keep in mind that it is in fact a tool, and not just a plaything. The internet can become confining, destructive, and just plain evil. Internet: Use with Caution. :)

Remember, it's the little things in life!
Lindsey