i’m allowed to get on my soapbox every once in awhile…

i am all over the place recently with my scattered thoughts. i worked on several posts yesterday to post this week, and some are serious, but most are fluff. i am trying to think fun and lighthearted in the midst of disappointment over last friday’s result.

the good news is, i finished my last research paper! the hot topic in research this year for my juniors? prop. 8 of course.

we had so many interesting conversations in class when my students were choosing their topics (controversial issues). it’s a fine line when discussing these topics, because a teacher really needs to be careful that they won’t be perceived as influencing her students in any way. teenagers are curious and sometimes nosy. they asked everything from who’d you vote for? to what do you think about gay marriage? my answer was to assure them that i would be grading their writing, not their views. i would be looking at their support, or lack thereof, for their arguments. when pressed, i simply told them that i have gay family members and i want no more nor no less for them than i would ask for myself. period. i was raised to respect all points of view, and to know that sometimes many will disagree with mine. that is the beauty of where we live. we can express our views freely. what really struck me, however, was some students’ arguments for prop. 8 that gay people should not be allowed to adopt. obviously this is a subject close to my heart. we have met several same-sex couples in our fost-adopt support group, and they are no different from me. they are loving parents who desire to raise loving children. they are people attempting to love and make whole the broken children of broken people. i know many arguments are based on religion, but i believe in God, too. i just happen to view Him differently than others. if you disagree with me, that’s okay. i only ask that you take some time to look at this video. look at the love in people’s eyes. as a person learning photography this is is what i look for. that special look that is obvious. i can’t help but feel that some day we are going to look back on prop. 8 and marvel how this was even an issue. the same way we look back and wonder how so many opposed people of different races marrying.