Push off

This blog originally posted Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Current mood: cranky Category: Life

I was listening to talk radio the other day (yes, I know that probably kills more brain cells than inhaling paint fumes), and they were talking about the upcoming elections. People were supposed to call in and tell who they would vote against or what proposition they would vote against and why. NOT what they were voting FOR, but AGAINST.

Well, I kept hearing the same arguments regarding a few specific ones - Len Munsil (a Christian running for Governor), the Scottsdale Strip Club regulations, the anti-smoking ban, and the proposition about keeping pigs and veal calves in larger pens. Time and time again, I heard callers say, "They're just trying to push their morals/values off on us." Most often, this was in reference to Christians.

OK, can I be the one brave enough to say this????...... YES. YES, we are trying to push their morals on you. Duh!!! Now at least one of us in this conversation is intellectually honest here. For the record, if you vote for something (anything) in an election, YOU are trying to push your morals/values off on everyone else. That's what society and politics are all about.

In the valley of the sun, we have more than 4 million people. We don't all agree on everything. So, to make our society work, we have to come to agreement on what rules we will have and how things will be run. Therefore, someone wins (pushes their moral values off on others) and someone loses (gets someone else's moral values pushed off onto them).

That's life.

That's politics.

That's society.

Further, the very fact that we have a system where we get to vote for our leaders and not a monarchy is because a group of people pushed their values off onto the others. Read your history books, the largest group of people who fought for the British in the revolutionary war were colonialist Americans!!!! Didn't know that did you. Almost as many colonists were for staying with England than were for the revolution!!! Talk about pushing your morals off on someone else.

Murder is a felony in this country. That is someone's values that society agreed upon. Prostitution is illegal in this state but not in Nevada. That too is someone's values. Multiple wives, sex with children, income taxes, insider trading, and even the speed limit on the roads are all examples of someone's values being pushed off on the rest of us. I guarantee you that there are members of our 4 million community that feel differently about each of these issues. Tough luck. Some of them will even continue doing their own thing despite the law. When they are caught, then the policemen and judges will push our morals off on them. That's what we pay them for. That's the way the system works. Next time you get pulled over for a ticket, just try refusing it by telling the officer thay you believe that he is pushing his morals off onto you. Good luck with that.

It doesn't matter whether you are a member of the Sierra Club or and Oil Conglomerate, whether you are with PFLAG or the Christian Coalition, Planned Parenthood or Operation Rescue, PETA or the FFA, Anti-Smokers or R.J. Reynolds, Somos Americanos or the Minutemen - you want to push your morals off on everyone else.

Can we all just admit this?

Can we be honest here and quit making that stupid statement about pushing your morals off on me?

When we go to vote, you get your people to vote and I'll get mine. If you win, I have to deal with it. If I win, you have to deal with it. Sounds like fun, doesn't it.

I'll see you at the polls, and I hope I win.