We Shouldn't Need Laws to Open Our Hearts

Today, Wednesday October 28, 2009, President Obama signed a law that makes it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his sexual orientation or gender identity. This piece of legislation was named for Matthew Shepard, a teenage boy in Wyoming who was brutally murdered because he was gay. First, I would like to emphasize my belief that the implementation of this law is an important first step, of the many required to establish equal rights for gays and lesbians. Second, I am disheartened that a law like this even had to be passed at all.

It's hard for me to understand how someone could be so angry, ashamed, disgusted (what ever the case may be) at another individual's preferences, that he would feel the need to harm that person. Why? Why would you need to assault or murder someone based on a choice they made that does not affect you in any way? I truly am unable to comprehend a reason.

We live in America: the land of the free, the country of choice, the founder of personal liberty. We all know this; we all live by it. We complain if we are told what to do; we protest if we are not given options. We argue and disagree because we are free to do so; we give our opinions because we can. And for some reason, we still are unwilling to let others do the same; we wish to put limitations on our neighbor, but never ourselves.

On that note, I am sad that we still have to pass laws that protect people who may look, think, or act differently. We should all be protected equally no matter the circumstance. There should be no need for this hate crimes bill, there should be no need for the 19th amendment; there should be no need for affirmative action. But, there is...there is a need and that is what distresses me most. We are passing laws to counteract our hearts....this should make us ask: "what is wrong with our hearts?"

This Minute, Right Now

A couple of days ago I asked myself: "Why is everyone so obsessed with preserving memories." Don't get me wrong, I am certainly no exception and adore my photo album and scrapbook. Yep, that's right, I am definitely a scrapbook girl.

But I hear people complain all the time about how they missed the entirety of their own wedding reception or were unable to interact during the birthday party because they were so focused on taking dozens of pictures. So why do we keep doing it? Why do we consume our time during these exciting events with taking pictures, running a camcorder, or writing down the funny things your drunk uncle said?

I realize the importance of memories and the remembrance of past events. It is important to apply our past experiences to today, learn from our mistakes, grow from our strengths, and recall the good times we shared with one another. Nevertheless, the obsession of preserving these images, words, or events by a medium other than our own minds can actually have an opposite and detrimental affect. Instead of actually living and experiencing the moment, we are only witnessing it from the lens of a camera. Only experience gives us something to grow by.

Never stop taking pictures; everyone needs something to look back on. We should just start living more for the moment when its happening rather than for the moment five years down the road when we actually get two minutes to flip through that old album. So next time your at a 4th of July party, set down your camera, grab the one you love, and just soak it in. Fireworks are always better now than their carbon copies later.