(Sigh) It's Another Angry Rant...

Sorry, just need to rant for a minute to get this off of my chest.

Just so you know this will be about politics, however I'm not going to tell you my side of it because, well it's not really relevant to my point.

Today one of my best friends called me. She had put up a status update on her Facebook saying that she was really happy for the Health Care bill being passed last Sunday. Because of her medical history and current medical standing, she has been denied for coverage and also her family has had to pay over $1000 a month in premiums because of medical conditions, so this is something that she's been looking forward to and has supported since the beginning. Also as a side note, she has never publicly told someone who doesn't support it that they're wrong, she has just made her point and moved on. So I made a comment about it, completely neutral, and went on about my day. When she called me she was asking if I had seen what someone else had written after me, so I looked at it. Basically one of her "friends" had gone onto her page and practically wrote a novel as to why she was wrong to be happy for the bill passing and compared Obama to Hitler and then continued to berate her by telling her that she is wrong, uneducated and blinded, all while finishing off that he didn't want to start a "pissing match" over it. She was ticked off that he claimed to not want to start something, yet basically told her that she was a stupid socialist Nazi in his retort. Granted, I really don't care what people think one way or the other on this, because it doesn't change my opinion, but what I do hate is the fact that people on both sides are firing such hateful things at each other over this. She also told me that she had received 2 other private messages, one stating that by supporting the bill she was going against God's will and will go to Hell for this. Another one told her that as a Mormon, she should not support this bill.

Aside from the personal experience of my friend, in Washington politicians are being spit on when they go to work and being called terrible names. Just like in the 60's, which to me is honestly scarier than the health bill.

Is this a bill a big topic for our country right now? YES. Of course it is! Regardless of how you look at it or whether you support it or hate it, it's a huge topic of discussion and debate right now and is something that is going to affect everyone, whether positively or negatively. So here are my questions:

1) Where does anyone, other than the leaders of any one religion, get off in saying what or how that religion should vote or think?
In the LDS religion, prophets have always counseled their members to research all political topics thoroughly and to come to a decision on the matter on their own. They have never told their members how to vote or how to feel or how to think in regards to matters of government. What they do tell people is to do your political duty and vote according to your personal revelation and feelings on the matter.

2) What gives someone the right to condemn someone else for believing in something that they don't?
Here's the down and dirty truth: Not everyone thinks the same way or has the same opinions about things. (I know! What a shocker!) People are going to believe differently that you. People are going to vote differently than you. You can debate with people all day about which view is right, but guess what? Most debates end with both parties feeling even more firmly that they are right and the other is wrong than before the debate. For example, you can talk to me until you're blue in the face that your kids are cuter than mine, but will that ever change my opinion of how I think that my daughter is the cutest in the world? No. Because that's how I see her. And I'm willing to bet that everyone else out there has a daughter, niece, sister, cousin, friend's baby, etc, who they think is the cutest little girl in the world, and their opinions probably won't change because I flash a picture of my daughter. Silly example, I know, but that's how people can be with politics as well. They are set in their ideas and probably won't change because you tell them they're wrong.

Anyway, while I was talking to my friend, I found this quote:

"If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way."
-Joseph Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church Chapter 29, "Living With Others In Peace And Harmony"

He's speaking specifically about religion, but to some people, politics is their religion. Now I know that generally speaking, how people worship does not affect the masses, whereas politics and bills being passes or vetoed does. So, rather than go on a hate trail when you don't get your way, do your research and vote. If voting doesn't work, see if there are petitions or something you can join. Don't tell people that they are going to go to Hell because they saw it a different way. What you should be doing is studying. Find out if they have a valid point for how they feel. I know exactly why my friend supports the bill - she's done her research, and while she very openly states that it's not perfect, she says that she supports it because it will help people like her and her family. I also have friends to very openly oppose it - and some of them like my friend have very specific reasons for opposing it. Here's the thing - those who truly have reasons to support or oppose the bill have actually spent the time to read it, so I completely support their opinions. I don't tell them if I think they are right or wrong, but I support their decisions. Who am I to judge whether they are right or not?

There are the other people, however, who support or oppose without having a clue as to what they're supporting or opposing. They only reason they do so is either because

A) Their parents have that opinion, therefore they do as well
B) Their friend told them all about it and "they're really smart so I trust them"
C) Some person said it on the radio/TV/in their book, so I believe them.
D) I just do. (No reason given, no facts to support, they just picked a side and stayed with it)

The thing missing from all of these reasons is personal study. Do your homework or shut your mouth. That is my opinion. In fact, the reason I don't get into the debates, other than to point out something that someone says that I liked, is because I simply haven't done the research on it. I haven't read the bill, therefore I have no right to tell someone if they're right or wrong. I hear what various media influences say but they don't decide for me, I do. I can listen to them, but I really shouldn't believe any of them without doing my own research first. They're just as opinionated and biased one way or the other as someone on the street, so why should any of them help me in making my decision? The ones that I believe should be involved are me, God, and if there's something I don't understand a non-biased person who can explain a portion to me that maybe I'm not sure what it means. That's it. Until I read the bill to fully understand what's going to happen, I don't have any right to tell someone that they're right or wrong.

Alright, well this rant has gotten long enough, so I'll end with this. Please don't discriminate against people because of how they think. Don't condemn people for having an opinion that doesn't match yours. And for goodness sake, do your research before you start flapping your mouth about something that you really don't know anything about, even if you heard it on TV or from a "reliable source". Don't rely on someone else to figure things out for you - you need to do it. Will I read the bill - yes. Until then I'll keep my opinions to myself, hear out facts, and respect other people's right to think one way or the other.

Again, I hope I haven't offended anyone, that's not my intention, I just think that there is too much unnecessary hatred being spewed out there that really shouldn't be. Please think before you speak, and please remember that Jesus said to "Love they neighbor", not yell and scream and condemn them for thinking differently.

End rant.