I really should have written about this sooner, but unfortunately this week has been somewhat sad and insane for me. On that note, I'd like to get you to come see this show. Not to see me (actually, please go to the bathroom when I perform) but to see all of these crazy insane famous starrrrrrs!
It's been an incredibly long week for me and if nothing else I value the ideals of friendship and of life. Please come out and enjoy ... And most importantly, help shine the light of hope for those still suffering in Haiti. Let's change a small piece of the world ....
xo
LT
http://lightforhaiti.net/The_Event.html
February 26, 2010
February 19, 2010
KMG.
Kate Marie sent an email demanding I help fill her (work) time with something on my blog. And, when she sent it yesterday I didn't have much I wanted to write about. Luckily, God took care of that pretty quickly. So here's your treat KMG. Dig in.
Yesterday I did work during the day at Orchard88 as well as coupled with a few rounds of CSI. Here's the thing though, CSI runs a loop. And, most of the time, I've seen every single episode. Which some would say would help me focus more on work. But it actually makes me focus more on the details so when I grow up to be a forensic scientist like them, I'll be detail-oriented and savvy enough to solve all crimes within 24-36 hours. Best when fresh, right?
ANYWAYS, I don't often go to Bikram at 4, I'd rather have it as a book-end on my day. But for some reason yesterday I got antsy and felt the need to go a wee bit earlier. Because of the last minute decision I was running a little later than usual and couldn't take a back row spot. Thus, I swiftly surveyed my options and found a spot in the middle row, in front (and in between so not completely blocking) a handsome man and a pretty gal. As class began I came to learn that Josh had brought his friend Amelia for her first Bikram class. The teacher instructed her to watch the person "Leigh" in front of her. *Sidenote: I go by Leigh in class. Weird, maybe. But Leigh-Taylor is a total mouthful for the teacher when spouting out corrections or very infrequently "way to go"s.
Ok, so Amelia did a really good job for her first class. She only had to sit out a few poses and I don't think she left the room. As I was sitting on the bench in the hallway putting my shoes back on thinking of my swift departure, she joined me. As I told her what a great job she'd done, her friend Josh joined us. He opened his mouth and he could no longer mask his identity. It was HIM:
Don't recognize? Think: Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon's love interest with a smooth as honey Southern accent from Little Rock, AR. Got it?
Yesterday I did work during the day at Orchard88 as well as coupled with a few rounds of CSI. Here's the thing though, CSI runs a loop. And, most of the time, I've seen every single episode. Which some would say would help me focus more on work. But it actually makes me focus more on the details so when I grow up to be a forensic scientist like them, I'll be detail-oriented and savvy enough to solve all crimes within 24-36 hours. Best when fresh, right?
ANYWAYS, I don't often go to Bikram at 4, I'd rather have it as a book-end on my day. But for some reason yesterday I got antsy and felt the need to go a wee bit earlier. Because of the last minute decision I was running a little later than usual and couldn't take a back row spot. Thus, I swiftly surveyed my options and found a spot in the middle row, in front (and in between so not completely blocking) a handsome man and a pretty gal. As class began I came to learn that Josh had brought his friend Amelia for her first Bikram class. The teacher instructed her to watch the person "Leigh" in front of her. *Sidenote: I go by Leigh in class. Weird, maybe. But Leigh-Taylor is a total mouthful for the teacher when spouting out corrections or very infrequently "way to go"s.
Ok, so Amelia did a really good job for her first class. She only had to sit out a few poses and I don't think she left the room. As I was sitting on the bench in the hallway putting my shoes back on thinking of my swift departure, she joined me. As I told her what a great job she'd done, her friend Josh joined us. He opened his mouth and he could no longer mask his identity. It was HIM:
Don't recognize? Think: Sweet Home Alabama. Reese Witherspoon's love interest with a smooth as honey Southern accent from Little Rock, AR. Got it?
I only knew it was him when he spoke. I told my mom I literally couldn't look at him after that. I was fine before I heard him speak. But I was done for after that. I have never been starstruck, but I've watched that movie so many times ... sigh. And, come to find out, he's dating and just moved in with Rachel McAdams. As if I needed another reason to want to go to yoga at 4 every Thursday here on out.
SO, then I left, slightly flustered, and got on the phone with my dad to ask him a question as I silently contemplated whether to get wine for Claire's then while sweaty or after I showered. I always get the same wine, Bacchus, for $11.99 at september wine & spirits. And what did I find on the ground as I debated the purchase? Two $5 bills and 2 $1s. Truth.
Bought the wine. Done-zo.
And the rest my friends, is history.
SO, then I left, slightly flustered, and got on the phone with my dad to ask him a question as I silently contemplated whether to get wine for Claire's then while sweaty or after I showered. I always get the same wine, Bacchus, for $11.99 at september wine & spirits. And what did I find on the ground as I debated the purchase? Two $5 bills and 2 $1s. Truth.
Bought the wine. Done-zo.
And the rest my friends, is history.
January 28, 2010
Perspective
In keeping with the theme of reflecting on last year, I want to tell you about this night last year.
I don't think this story has been told on my blog, so I will take the chance to let you know. Last year Kate Marie (Miss DC) worked some recon and decided I needed to meet her boyfriend's brother because she thought we would totally hit it off. She was thinking boyfriend at the time I was thinking friend.
So, on this mission of hers, she strategized a plan where she would bring her crew over to my Halloween party. Ironically I went to high school and college with some of Steve (her boyfriend's) friends. I met Paul whom I made fun of for having a store (slash worse ... online!) purchased costume when he came over ... and then later in the night I tried on my roller blades for him and showed him my skills (non-existent) in my pint sized Manhattan apartment.
We communicated and went on our first date a few weeks later. Most know that the couple of months leading up to Miss America are at the very least insane. Paul works in investment banking ... and his days are always as busy as mine were those couple of months. But in between all of that we found time to hang out. He would literally come over from 1-3am and we would chat, I would giggle, go to sleep and go to 645am Bikram yoga.
I'll never forget the morning of my Miss America send-off party, 5 days before I left for Miss America, when he asked me if there was anything he could do to help. After some thought I said no ... all I had was a lot of laundry. Otherwise that day I was going to 4 hours of mock interviews, tanning, going to the gym, getting a haircut in my apartment by my dear friend Jay, and then Jay and Paul were going to head to the party with me. So he insisted on taking my laundry in my overstuffed pink Vera Bradley duffel home with him. He returned that night with my duffel and stacks of clean laundry.
I was done for.
So the morning I left for Miss America he came over, stuffed a card in my carry-on advising me I couldn't open in until Vegas, walked to Starbucks got me a huge latte, and carried my 3 overweight suitcases down my 4 flights of stairs.
I mean, I really can't make this stuff up people.
He came out to Vegas on Friday morning (after nearly missing his flight because he had unknowingly turned off his phone due to the influx of texts from family and friends about my ss win ... including a photo from his Aunt Karen of me giving him a HUGE thumbs-up) and met my family for the first time at our gala that evening.
His mom, Mrs. Sig, met my parents inadvertently in the lobby of Planet Hollywood before either of us had met the respective family. Embarrassingly enough I'm sure it's not hard to miss MY FACE ON A SWEATSHIRT. (Or my dad's cowboy boots for that matter .... worn with his tuxedo on final night hoping they would be photographed with me as Miss America.)
We danced, he met all of my dear girlfriends, and then all of the contestants were escorted by security and hostesses back to our rooms. Miss CA, Jackie, was my roommate last year. She was also known as my twin. Her boyfriend Robbie was also in attendance and had come that night to the gala. So when we were washing our faces at our sinks ... looking at each other through our parallel mirrors she asked me if Paul was my boyfriend. I reminded her, since we had already discussed this, that Paul and I hardly had any time to talk about that. With a sly little grin on her face she then informed me Paul had told Robbie that he was my boyfriend that night.
All I could think about that night was 1) the amazing over-stuffed cookie box from Mrs Fields that Jacqueline Cook, a former Miss VA had sent me ... that had been torn into by moi ... and I wanted more AND 2) !!!!!!!!!.
I went to bed that night so excited that Paul was my boyfriend. It sounds so silly. But think about it. I was a 23 year old girl head over heels for him. It put everything into perspective. Yes, winning that prelim was awesome, and ultimately being in the 5 was awesome I was legitimately excited about what awaited me at home if I didn't win. In 5 years, or even next year, and actually now, winning ss and placing in the 5 is miniscule in comparison to what I want to achieve and the time I want to spend with all of the people that I love. And that would include Paul and the whole Sigfusson/Bere clan.
PS: Paul is going to be extremely embarrassed I wrote this. I'm in trouble.
A year ago last year ...
I felt good about myself. And it wasn't because I won swimsuit at Miss America but it was something much bigger and much more joyful than that.
Last night I talked to Ellen Carrington, Miss TN 2008, and really just simply one of my favorites of all time. We talked about how wretched filming the Miss America reality show was but if we hadn't done been involved with it we wouldn't have been nearly as close as we all were last year. Which leads me to my point ...
Last year at Miss America I competed in Swimsuit and Evening Gown on this night, Thursday, the final night of preliminary competition. I had worked incredibly hard to get fit ("Miss America fit"). Not skinny, but fit. When I got to Miss America I felt like I could take down a chick if I needed to.
Either way, that night, I walked backstage after "Baby Wiping" all of the body glue off of myself in order to avoid gown stick-age and it was SILENT. I mean, if you had been backstage before that it was hopping. Girls flipping their hair. Lip gloss flying. But glue spraying. Lats minute advice being given. But everyone was staring at the tv monitor. Ashley Wheeler, Miss Vermont, was singing God Bless America a cappella and no one could avert their eyes. Not even the stage hands (I mean, they're entertained by the likes of CHER! AND GAGA!). It was unbelievable.
So, after competition Art McMaster and Sam Haskell (the men's force behind Miss America, president and CEO's) came up on stage and spoke for, erm, a long time. Case and point: Cullen Jones, the Olympic medalist swimmer, was one of our judges. After the first five minutes of them speaking he packed his laptop up. Put it under his table. Went into his bag and dragged out a huge back of chips and just started vegging. We were all jealous of him. No heels, no sweating, and eating chips.
Naturally I just started chatting with Miss NC, Amanda, and all of a sudden I heard "YORK" called out for Swimsuit. After a supremely quick process of elimination I realized I was the only one there that had a state name ending in York and proceeded to flail my arms. All of that imagining Katie Stam (who ultimately became Miss America, but who had done so well ont he reality show) racing me to the finish line in spinning had paid off. I mean, it's all about envisioning it, right?
Caption: "I hope you just said my name. Otherwise this could get really embarrassing, really fast."
I found my family and got a wee-tad excited!
This is when I saw the Miss New York Board!
But here's the good part I mentioned earlier ... Ashley Wheeler, one of my dearest friends, in and outside of pageantry, was announced the talent winner that evening. Check out the faces behind us on this link ... that's how excited I was standing in front of her. Watching her realize a dream. This is what we did instead of waving to the audience the whole time. And as she reminded me in an email this morning, I had just said (and you can see I am welling up in tears), "Ashley, oh my gosh, you just won talent at MISS AMERICA!"
That night when I got to visitation my brother said that on stage I was visibly more excited about her win than mine. And when I thought about it, it was true. That's why I was so happy that night. Of course I was excited about my win. But my happiness came from walking down
the Miss America runway, preliminary awards in hand, with one of my best friends.
Now that's a once in a lifetime experience.
PS: BIG congratulations to Alyse, Miss NY, and preliminary ss winner at Miss A last night!
Last night I talked to Ellen Carrington, Miss TN 2008, and really just simply one of my favorites of all time. We talked about how wretched filming the Miss America reality show was but if we hadn't done been involved with it we wouldn't have been nearly as close as we all were last year. Which leads me to my point ...
Last year at Miss America I competed in Swimsuit and Evening Gown on this night, Thursday, the final night of preliminary competition. I had worked incredibly hard to get fit ("Miss America fit"). Not skinny, but fit. When I got to Miss America I felt like I could take down a chick if I needed to.
Either way, that night, I walked backstage after "Baby Wiping" all of the body glue off of myself in order to avoid gown stick-age and it was SILENT. I mean, if you had been backstage before that it was hopping. Girls flipping their hair. Lip gloss flying. But glue spraying. Lats minute advice being given. But everyone was staring at the tv monitor. Ashley Wheeler, Miss Vermont, was singing God Bless America a cappella and no one could avert their eyes. Not even the stage hands (I mean, they're entertained by the likes of CHER! AND GAGA!). It was unbelievable.
So, after competition Art McMaster and Sam Haskell (the men's force behind Miss America, president and CEO's) came up on stage and spoke for, erm, a long time. Case and point: Cullen Jones, the Olympic medalist swimmer, was one of our judges. After the first five minutes of them speaking he packed his laptop up. Put it under his table. Went into his bag and dragged out a huge back of chips and just started vegging. We were all jealous of him. No heels, no sweating, and eating chips.
Naturally I just started chatting with Miss NC, Amanda, and all of a sudden I heard "YORK" called out for Swimsuit. After a supremely quick process of elimination I realized I was the only one there that had a state name ending in York and proceeded to flail my arms. All of that imagining Katie Stam (who ultimately became Miss America, but who had done so well ont he reality show) racing me to the finish line in spinning had paid off. I mean, it's all about envisioning it, right?
Caption: "I hope you just said my name. Otherwise this could get really embarrassing, really fast."
I found my family and got a wee-tad excited!
This is when I saw the Miss New York Board!
That night when I got to visitation my brother said that on stage I was visibly more excited about her win than mine. And when I thought about it, it was true. That's why I was so happy that night. Of course I was excited about my win. But my happiness came from walking down
the Miss America runway, preliminary awards in hand, with one of my best friends.
Now that's a once in a lifetime experience.
PS: BIG congratulations to Alyse, Miss NY, and preliminary ss winner at Miss A last night!
January 25, 2010
Type and Erase.
That's what I've been doing for the past week after I got a bit of a hand slap by none other than JoJo Buffie. But, it's not that I haven't had anything to blog about. It's that there is so much! I haven't posted in so long that I need to get back into the groove. And to do so I think I just have to fast forward life past Christmas and New Year's to now. Cool, JoJo? Cool.
So, I started the blog to keep folks up to date with my whereabouts during my year as Miss New York. Then it just kept going. And a few of y'all kept reading so how about some Miss America awesome-ness?
It's Miss America week in Vegas right now, and it's back to school week for LT. So, I've decided against making the trek to Vegas. Nuts maybe, but to each their own. I shall miss all of the pageantry that ensues but I think I may be taking the bus or train down to DC (pending mass amounts of work due) to see Ashley Wheeler (Miss VT 2k9) and her fiance Michael. We're going to watch the whole sha-bang AND do a blind taste testing of champagnes for their upcoming wedding.
SEE! I'm not completely missing out. Actually, I will get a huge fill from that. She's one of the dearest people I know. Hysterical. Ridiculous. Utterly compassionate. THAT'S what Miss America does for you. You meet f4lyf. Friends for life. (I made that up for you, C-BUFF).
Anyhow, Miss New York is heading to her interview in just an hour. So I sent her an email and I'm sending her massive amounts of good vibes. And you should, too. Interview, I think, is the most important phase of competition. It takes a lot of prep, a lot of studying, a lot of mental goodness. Don't believe me? Check me out before my interview ... not my outfit. My right hand.
Stack o' notecards.
Alright ... back to school! Marketing and Retailing classes tonight. OH LALA. Maybe I'll be dressing some of the gals for Miss America in a couple of years. I mean, I'd be down.
So, I started the blog to keep folks up to date with my whereabouts during my year as Miss New York. Then it just kept going. And a few of y'all kept reading so how about some Miss America awesome-ness?
It's Miss America week in Vegas right now, and it's back to school week for LT. So, I've decided against making the trek to Vegas. Nuts maybe, but to each their own. I shall miss all of the pageantry that ensues but I think I may be taking the bus or train down to DC (pending mass amounts of work due) to see Ashley Wheeler (Miss VT 2k9) and her fiance Michael. We're going to watch the whole sha-bang AND do a blind taste testing of champagnes for their upcoming wedding.
SEE! I'm not completely missing out. Actually, I will get a huge fill from that. She's one of the dearest people I know. Hysterical. Ridiculous. Utterly compassionate. THAT'S what Miss America does for you. You meet f4lyf. Friends for life. (I made that up for you, C-BUFF).
Anyhow, Miss New York is heading to her interview in just an hour. So I sent her an email and I'm sending her massive amounts of good vibes. And you should, too. Interview, I think, is the most important phase of competition. It takes a lot of prep, a lot of studying, a lot of mental goodness. Don't believe me? Check me out before my interview ... not my outfit. My right hand.
Stack o' notecards.
Alright ... back to school! Marketing and Retailing classes tonight. OH LALA. Maybe I'll be dressing some of the gals for Miss America in a couple of years. I mean, I'd be down.
December 8, 2009
Hey! Drama Queen. Stop Side-Stepping around and VOTE!!
I was a drama major at UVa (tonight, Nate on Gossip Girl gave a few nods to the drama girls, three cheers for boys with some sense) and I met some of the coolest people while I immersed myself in the daily life of a true artist. Some of my fondest memories are from being the Production Stage Manager of Arms and the Man with Jonathan Green. I mean, I'm not even going to lie. There were times where I may have accidentally (barely) peed in my pants. (Sorry, mom!) But y'all, while George Bernard Shaw is pretty brilliant he gets kind of lame the 3,453rd ime around. Nonetheless, Jonathan kept me attentive (erm, kind of) and giggling the whole way through. And, I bet if you spent any time around him you would tinkle, too.
Jonathan and me celebrating the passage of our Senior Seminar. We performed in prison(!).
Anyways, here's the deal. When we graduated from college Johnathan and a few others from our drama department scooted themselves out to Chicago and started a theater company. And look, y'all ... they're about to win a $25,000 grant from CHASE. But, they need you to vote for them ... so, I've pasted a bit more background and the link below. Please help 'em out. They deserve only good things, and you can help them achieve that! (Also, Scottie grew up just down the road from me. She and her twin sister were dear, dear friends with my roommate from last year Cary. It's a small, small world!)
My friend Scottie is an artistic associate, founding donor, and staff member of Sideshow Theatre Company in Chicago, IL. Sideshow Theatre Company ("Familiar Stories. Unorthodox Methods. Perpetually curious.") is participating in the Chase Community Giving program. This is an incredible grant opportunity: Chase is awarding $25K to 100 small non-profits across the country, all based on the number of votes cast for each company on Facebook.
Just recently, Sideshow was in the top 100. But just barely. They've been working butts off over the past weeks on this project, and the results are showing. IT IS A TIGHT RACE, and even just a handful of votes could mean the difference between a huge grant and no grant at all. There are five days left to vote.
This grant would cover OVER HALF of Sideshow's current annual budget. And it is totally within our reach--they just need your help, now.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. Vote for us! It takes literally 20 seconds and four clicks of a mouse, and you can do it here:
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charit ies/1265079
2. Encourage others to vote for us. Check out all those friends you have on Facebook. Five hundred? A thousand? Tell them about Sideshow. Get them as excited about this company as you are. Even just posting it as your Facebook status or Tweeting the link above could mean $25,000 for our little non-profit theatre.
Sideshow has a volunteer staff of eleven people. We're competing against other non-profits ten times our size. We need your help.
Everyone gets 20 votes, and you can only use one vote per company. If you have friends working for other non-profits, vote for them too.
If you want to know more about Sideshow or about the Chase Community Giving program, visit www.sideshowtheatre.org or email Scottie at scottie@sideshowtheatre.org.
THANK YOU, so much, for your help and support of storefront theatre in Chicago. We couldn't do it--and wouldn't want to do it--with out you."
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Jonathan and me celebrating the passage of our Senior Seminar. We performed in prison(!).
Anyways, here's the deal. When we graduated from college Johnathan and a few others from our drama department scooted themselves out to Chicago and started a theater company. And look, y'all ... they're about to win a $25,000 grant from CHASE. But, they need you to vote for them ... so, I've pasted a bit more background and the link below. Please help 'em out. They deserve only good things, and you can help them achieve that! (Also, Scottie grew up just down the road from me. She and her twin sister were dear, dear friends with my roommate from last year Cary. It's a small, small world!)
My friend Scottie is an artistic associate, founding donor, and staff member of Sideshow Theatre Company in Chicago, IL. Sideshow Theatre Company ("Familiar Stories. Unorthodox Methods. Perpetually curious.") is participating in the Chase Community Giving program. This is an incredible grant opportunity: Chase is awarding $25K to 100 small non-profits across the country, all based on the number of votes cast for each company on Facebook.
Just recently, Sideshow was in the top 100. But just barely. They've been working butts off over the past weeks on this project, and the results are showing. IT IS A TIGHT RACE, and even just a handful of votes could mean the difference between a huge grant and no grant at all. There are five days left to vote.
This grant would cover OVER HALF of Sideshow's current annual budget. And it is totally within our reach--they just need your help, now.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1. Vote for us! It takes literally 20 seconds and four clicks of a mouse, and you can do it here:
http://apps.facebook.com/chase
2. Encourage others to vote for us. Check out all those friends you have on Facebook. Five hundred? A thousand? Tell them about Sideshow. Get them as excited about this company as you are. Even just posting it as your Facebook status or Tweeting the link above could mean $25,000 for our little non-profit theatre.
Sideshow has a volunteer staff of eleven people. We're competing against other non-profits ten times our size. We need your help.
Everyone gets 20 votes, and you can only use one vote per company. If you have friends working for other non-profits, vote for them too.
If you want to know more about Sideshow or about the Chase Community Giving program, visit www.sideshowtheatre.org or email Scottie at scottie@sideshowtheatre.org.
THANK YOU, so much, for your help and support of storefront theatre in Chicago. We couldn't do it--and wouldn't want to do it--with out you."
Do it! Do it! Do it!
December 3, 2009
EWW.
So, like many New Yorkers around our state, I watched the NY State Senate vote live on the Marriage Equality Bill. I was watching history unfold, hopeful that I would be able to tell my children one day, "I remember when..."
But when they got down to the actual vote discrimination won 38-24.
I sat there with my jaw gaping.
It doesn't make sense to me. As one of the senators eloquently stated, I, and many others could try and defend or rationalize why we believe the right vote is yes ... but the better explanation is, how could you say no?
It doesn't make sense to me. How do we have the right to determine who has the right to be married and who does not? Most defend their opposition to this matter based on religious beliefs. Am I on glue or isn't there a separation of church and state?
It doesn't make sense to me. Don't homosexuals pay taxes just like you and me? And yet we can continue to deny them this right.
It doesn't make sense to me. How long ago was it that blacks were not lawfully recognized as human beings, much less allowed to be married?
It doesn't make sense to me. Our Pledge of Allegiance, first drafted in 1892 as one sentence, began consisting of the following words: "with liberty and justice for all." Are we remaining true to that? Or has this become something we haphazardly recite? Watch this video (it's really good ... thanks, Claire!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viJtojqqUmg&feature=player_embedded#
It is not that I don't respect other people's opinions. I do, I really do. But how can we tell these homosexual couples no. Not all heterosexual couples are married under God, they simply go to City Hall to have their marriage legalized. Marriage, at its truest form, is a legal contract. It started out as a contract based on land, based on family wealth and positioning. And, alas, how many traditional marriages fail yearly? Some people are married 3 or 4 times. We won't even allow homosexuals the opportunity to be married once? Two of my dearest friends, Chip and Scott, have been partners nearly as long as I've been alive. And yet, they still don't enjoy the rights I will one day.
I'm going to allow my favorite founding father to sum up what this all really boils down to:
"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling in religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law shall be made respecting the establishment or free exercise of religion, but from that also which reserves to the states the powers not delegated to the United States. Certainly, no power to prescribe any religious exercise or to assume authority in religious discipline has been delegated to the General Government. It must rest with the States, as far as it can be in any human authority." Thomas Jefferson
If you feel so inclined (and I hope you do), please write our NY State legislators ... or even better, call them. Here is a website which lists their position as well as their contact information: http://tools.advomatic.com/24/nyequality/totals .
As a sidenote: When referencing marriage and religion I am not stating that it remains merely as a legal contract today. However, I was trying to prove a point. When I am married it will be a commitment made in front of God. And, my dad will probably have to trade some land so someone will take me. But that is neither here nor there.
EQUALITY.
But when they got down to the actual vote discrimination won 38-24.
I sat there with my jaw gaping.
It doesn't make sense to me. As one of the senators eloquently stated, I, and many others could try and defend or rationalize why we believe the right vote is yes ... but the better explanation is, how could you say no?
It doesn't make sense to me. How do we have the right to determine who has the right to be married and who does not? Most defend their opposition to this matter based on religious beliefs. Am I on glue or isn't there a separation of church and state?
It doesn't make sense to me. Don't homosexuals pay taxes just like you and me? And yet we can continue to deny them this right.
It doesn't make sense to me. How long ago was it that blacks were not lawfully recognized as human beings, much less allowed to be married?
It doesn't make sense to me. Our Pledge of Allegiance, first drafted in 1892 as one sentence, began consisting of the following words: "with liberty and justice for all." Are we remaining true to that? Or has this become something we haphazardly recite? Watch this video (it's really good ... thanks, Claire!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viJtojqqUmg&feature=player_embedded#
It is not that I don't respect other people's opinions. I do, I really do. But how can we tell these homosexual couples no. Not all heterosexual couples are married under God, they simply go to City Hall to have their marriage legalized. Marriage, at its truest form, is a legal contract. It started out as a contract based on land, based on family wealth and positioning. And, alas, how many traditional marriages fail yearly? Some people are married 3 or 4 times. We won't even allow homosexuals the opportunity to be married once? Two of my dearest friends, Chip and Scott, have been partners nearly as long as I've been alive. And yet, they still don't enjoy the rights I will one day.
I'm going to allow my favorite founding father to sum up what this all really boils down to:
"I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling in religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law shall be made respecting the establishment or free exercise of religion, but from that also which reserves to the states the powers not delegated to the United States. Certainly, no power to prescribe any religious exercise or to assume authority in religious discipline has been delegated to the General Government. It must rest with the States, as far as it can be in any human authority." Thomas Jefferson
If you feel so inclined (and I hope you do), please write our NY State legislators ... or even better, call them. Here is a website which lists their position as well as their contact information: http://tools.advomatic.com/24/
As a sidenote: When referencing marriage and religion I am not stating that it remains merely as a legal contract today. However, I was trying to prove a point. When I am married it will be a commitment made in front of God. And, my dad will probably have to trade some land so someone will take me. But that is neither here nor there.
EQUALITY.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)