I have not been presented with a
situation that exactly matches this question (in the sense of loosing
a friend or a job), but I can try to come close. Growing up I had a
couple babysit me on occasion named Dan and Vince. By the names you
most likely guessed that they were a gay couple. They have become
close family friends and are some of the most genuine people I have
ever met. Some people do not feel this way however. I have heard
people speak of homosexual families as unnatural and have even heard
it called “evil”. In most cases I would not choose to be in
conflict on this subject because it is close to me as I consider
these men my family. However, I have had to stand my ground when
people have tried to verbally hurt them by using foul language about
their personal lives. My critical thinking skills to combat this hate
would be to be calm, speak in a way that showed the flaws in their
arguments that these people were not “bad” people, and to then
give them a conclusion that was logical and not based in hate or
anger. Although on this topic there is little hope for agreement,
there is hope for constructive communication.
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteI admire you standing for what you believe in. I have been in similar situations with some family members judging my gay cousin. Once she started dressing differently, they questioned her character. They sort of assumed that she has become this rebellious person just by getting piercings and cutting her hair in a unique way. I also agree with you that realistically, everyone has different opinions and we are not all going to agree on everything. But like you mentioned, we can communicate and evaluate different viewpoints. We don’t have to irrationally rule out others’ opinions because everyone has a right to his/her own.
- Louise Arrieta
I'm glad that you stood your ground and stood up for them. I personally don't understand why people feel the need to make rude remarks just because they're homosexual. I'm surprised, but also impressed on the way you handled the situation because if I were in your shoes, I don't think I would be able to stand up to them calmly. I haven't encountered a situation like this myself because I don't have homosexual friends or family members that have been made fun of, but I'm sure if I did, I would stand up for them as well. Sure, everyone has their own opinions about homosexuals, but that doesn't mean they need to make rude comments, they should just keep that to themselves.
ReplyDeleteHey SjsuFM,
ReplyDeleteThis blog really go to me because I also have 2 gay friends who are dear to me. I also have over hear those kinds of things being said about my friends. People sometimes do not understand that their words actually do hurt. Although I sometime lash out and call those rude people out I was surprise that you had the critical thinking to keep your head on straight and with out speaking your mind in an angry tone. I could not say that about myself because I think I would not have that kind of thinking in the situation. I however admire you for being able to do that. This post was a great illustration of how you were able to critically think about a given situation that is very useful.
Heisenberg