I was at JoAnn's today buying fabric. While I was standing in line to pay for it, the checker started a conversation that got everyone around me involved. She mentioned how Prop 8 passed and now same sex couples can't get married. Then someone else said, "Well I think people didn't really understand to vote 'no'to allow same sex marriage. Otherwise I don't see how it could have possibly passed." Then I heard an employee say, "You know the Mormon church was in charge of the campaign." The other lady responded by saying, "I don't know why they care, they can marry as many wives as they want anyway. They're just hateful and so hypocritical."
These were their actual words while I just sat there listening. I'm not one that likes confrontation, so I didn't say anything. I also thought that engaging in a debate or argument would be just giving them fuel for the fire and proving their point. What I wanted to say though was, "How can you make such judgements on people that you don't even know anything about?" I know that any debate has two sides, and I've always thought that if you really try to understand the opposite side usually any negative feelings toward that person dissolve. I've put that in action. It's really easy to make judgements when you are distanced from someone.
I just wanted to share that because it really disturbed me. I was someone that they were talking about "a mormon" standing right there as they were talking about me. They didn't know me, and I wonder if they had known if they would still be saying those things.
In case anyone was wondering polygymy is illegal. I wonder what those same people at JoAnn's would think if there was a proposition making polygymy legal in California. Would they be as open minded about it?
6 months ago
10 comments:
well put.. it makes me sad that now we are now in the limelight.. but when on the front lines we have to expect to get hurt a little.. but here's something to cheer you up..
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/842518567.html
Put that in your address bar and feel good..
I think I would have said something. That is wrong and hateful, They are all about not discriminating and yet they say the most hateful and hurtful things in a most discriminating way.
I would have liked to hope I could have said something to put them straight without letting it get out of hand, but you never know until you are in that situation.
what do expect? almost all of the jo-ann employees are gay (here). i've heard some of their converations while they are in the break room. i guess they think no one can hear. pretty yuck!
I love your thoughts. I think you totally could've said something. It probably would've opened their minds. I think sometimes people think Mormons are just all living up in Utah or look like those polygamist ladies on TV. They don't expect a Mormon to be a nice, pretty woman standing in line next to them at JoAnn's. Maybe I'm being hypocritical and wouldn't have said something b/c I would've been too nervous. But I don't think there is anything wrong with saying something in a polite manner that doesn't instigate an argument. I've been in situations similar to this where people have said something about black people (not knowing that half of my family is black), and I always feel like I need to speak up. In this day and age I'm surprised anyone says anything about another group of people that could come across as offensive. You never know if someone else is gay, or their brother is LDS, or their sister-in-law is black or whatever. Just love each other people! Even if you have a difference of opinion. Making judgements or hateful remarks is never uplifting.
Okay - off my soapbox!
Amen, Beth! Amen!
Isn't it insane how hypocritical they are being? The people who cry the loudest about hate and discrimination are the ones spreading hate and discrimination. I'm impressed you were able to hold your tongue. I don't know what I would have done in that situation, I kind of want to fall into one just to see what would happen ;) Michelle, you're awesome!
btw...this is Tawny, not Jess ;)
Michelle I can't believe that. That is crazy. how awkward. was jonah with you? I think it would have been different with or without kids...because if my kids were there, I would have to say something. they are smart and old and it would have affected them.
I totally understand why you didn't say anything, but I think you could have without being confrontational. We are only supposed to say something if we can be nice. I was thinking I could have said, "I'm Mormon and I am not hateful. I love gay people. We are not polygamists"
Not to mention that mormons only makeup 2 percent of the population of california, so there has to lots more than us who voted yes.
dude...now I'm just waiting for someone to say something in front of me....we'll see how i really react.
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