Ima Let You Finish...But Ima Judge You First

Life,
     Liberty,
          And the Pursuit of Happiness.
These were given the title of inalienable rights. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “inalienable” describes something that is “incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred”. These are given rights that the Founding Fathers instilled in our constitution and embedded in our spirits for a purpose. We naturally crave to fulfill these aspects and set out our whole life to find their purpose. Anything, whether it be the right to love, the right to a career, or the right to education, that helps someone achieve happiness and meaning in his/her life should never be taken away or disregarded.

One of the most popular topics at the time that this applies to is gay marriage. Opposition to this comes from all sorts of different people with different ways of life. Some claim that the Bible says it’s wrong, while others say that it’s just not a natural thing. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, but when it not only affects your actions, but is the reason driving you to commit them, it becomes a different matter. Now, I am in no way a religious person and I have never diligently read the bible, but I just can’t seem to make myself believe that someone as almighty and gracious as “our creator” would say that love—one of the most sacred experiences—between two people, who just happen to be the same gender, is not acceptable. How can that be so wrong, especially if love is such a strong, magical emotion? As for the unnatural aspect of it, many animal species (orcas, dolphins, giraffes, lions, and chimpanzees are a few listed here) have been documented as having homosexual tendencies with same sex partners. If it was really a crime against nature, then why do wild animals do it in their natural state?

Another common topic that could relate to this is U.S. immigration. While arguing that immigrants are stealing American’s jobs, people fail to remember that it is American companies supporting immigrants. Now, let us take a step back here and look at why immigration happens in the first place. Why would someone want to leave their home—as well as everything they know and that is safe to them—and just get up and leave, family and familiarity left to linger like dust in their wake? I know of one good reason—a better life. Why judge someone who leaves a hard time, only to arrive somewhere unfamiliar and start an even rougher task to get to a better place? I'm sure it gets worse for them before it gets better. And if they do prosper, why be angry or jealous or bitter? I understand that immigrants use a lot of resources that American tax-paying citizens provide, and it is perfectly fine to be angry with that. However, that is a result of immigration, and there's no reason to be bitter about the fact that people came here solely for the purpose of giving themselves and their families better lives. There's always a chance and there's always a choice, so people learn to make the best of things.

Either way, if something gives meaning to a person’s life, who has the right to degrade that and strip him/her of it? The correct answer would be no one. We can't go around pushing our reasons and views onto others. Differences should be accepted with love and embraced warmly. We shouldn't be so cold and become so eager to push differences away and knock them down. The only way to exist together is to accept and unite. We can't fight fire with fire, for it only creates more flames. We can't fight to drive out the darkness and hate in the world, and in the words of the great Martin Luther King, Jr., only light and love can do that.