…And so should every American, whether you are gay, straight, white, black, asian, or indian, etc…
Miss. California, Carrie Prejean, was asked for her view regarding gay marriage, and if Vermont’s legalizing it should be followed by all other states in the US. What good is asking a question if you don’t want to know a person’s answer? And what good is it to seek a person’s opinion, if you really don’t want an opinion besides your own? Apparently, the judges at the Miss. USA pageant were looking for ‘Yes people’ and conformists, not people who are true to their values, principles, and beliefs.
Everyone who lives under the banner of the Red, White, and Blue has not only the freedom of speech, but the freedom of opinion. Just as a gay American who wants to speak out and express their opinion about being granted the ability to marry should not be demonized and attacked for their views, Carrie should be granted the same rights and freedoms. Our culture touts the banner of tolerance and then has the nerve to point the finger at the Christian church and call them hypocrites when one of its leaders or members fall in the public eye, due to their mere humanity. Yet, those carrying the banner of tolerance are the biggest hypocrites when it comes to being tolerant for issues that aren’t their own. If we are going to point a finger at all of the hypocrites its not a one way street. Trust me we are all hypocirtes in one form or fashion, but some want to make their hypocrisy less than others.
Equal, Really?
Gay rights activists are yelling for “Equal Rights” as if a hospital won’t treat them because they are gay or as if they cannot buy a car because they are gay. That’s totally wrong. Every American is given the same rights despite their sexual orientation. However, Miss. California was not given equal rights, an equal platform, or an equal opportunity. Carrie Prejean, had an equal opportunity to win up until controversial blogger and judge Perez Hilton asked the now famous question about Gay Marriage. Though Perez does not have to reveal his score for that question, he clearly stated that “The way miss California answered her question lost her the crown, without a doubt!” Perez also called Carrie a dumb Bi*** and the C-word. We’ll get to Mr. Perez a little more shortly…Shanna Moakler, the director of the Miss. California pageant, and rumored friend of Carrie Prejean, not only snubbed her “friend” after the show, but vented her frustration on Twitter, her Myspace page, and through public statements. She tweeted,” This is why we have judges at Miss USA, so we find the girl to rep us ALL,” – I’ll get back to that statement as well, Shanna also said, “I don’t know how you can call a gay man or woman your friend and not want them 2 have the same joys as yourself. In my family we believe in equal rights for all, I am sad and hurt, I agree with Perez 100 [percent]. It’s one thing to have an opinion I am very opinionated n have dealt with backlash from it, it’s another to alienate people who cared about u.”
So it’s okay for gay American’s to yell their opinions for “equal rights” and we’ve all seen their protests in favor of gay marriage as well as in opposition of proposition 8. They can spew their venom against the protestant church, the Catholic church, and the Mormon church, they can call us hatemongers and bigots, and resort to personal attacks, but one young lady cannot answer a question honestly and politely without being attacked and demonized. I think people in Hollywood and in the media need to look up the definition of equal.
Perez Hilton
I just have to ask…Why is the Miss. USA pageant allowing someone like Perez Hilton to serve as a judge? Have you read his blog? He is highly controversial, he is offensive, he is derogatory, and very crude towards people he does not like. Hey Shanna, does Perez represent us ALL? No, he does not. Does he even represent the best of America? No, he does not. I could care less whether he is gay, Latino, or whatever other title he wants to give himself. He is a horrible selection as a judge.
Since when are pageant judges supposed to leave the panel from the show and call the contestants, “dumb bi***” the c-word and then go attack their family? It’s a disgrace and the Miss. USA pageant should be more embarrassed for having put him in the spotlight than for one of their contestants to answer a question honestly and boldly.
You Cannot Represent Us ALL
Dear Shanna, I hate to break it to you but you cannot represent us all, and neither can one single Miss. USA Pageant winner. A single President cannot represent us all. What you have done however is alienate the entire Christian community, you alienated everyone who opposes gay marriage, as well as the gay Americans who oppose it. I mean, really? Do you think ONE person can represent ALL Americans? Do you want ONE person to represent ALL Americans? If so, you are looking for a flaky, spineless, person with no principles and no values. You are looking for someone who will say anything to please anyone, but will contradict themselves to please another crowd. It truly sounds like you are looking for a politician, not an individual. I’d love to know how one person can represent us ALL? How is Miss. North Carolina going to represent us all? Does she support gay marriage? Then she does not represent those of us who oppose it. Does she support allowing illegal immigrants the same rights as American citizens? If she does, she does not represent those of us who oppose it. Does she represent people who participate in illegal dog fighting? How about those who support Prostitution? I’d love to know how you expect to find someone to represent us ALL?
The Problem Is…
Most of the people who represent Hollywood, secularists, the media and the likes are pushing for conformity rather than individuality. People who support the actions that have been levied against Carrie Prejean are not looking for someone who acts based on their own beliefs. Because the people attacking have no backbone, they have no principles, and they have very little values, they want their friends and representatives to cave to their viewpoints as well. The call themselves progressive, non-conformists, rebels if you will, yet they all say the same things, they all believe the same way, and they all form their opinion not on conviction, but rather on the opinions of others around them. If this is not true, why all of the attacks on Carrie? If this is not true, why would Shanna Moakler not stand by her friend, politely say she disagrees and has a different opinion and view and agree to disagree? Rather, she attacked her “friend” through the media and through social networking, she did not stand beside her, and she is allowing her to be a target. That is not a friend, but its the very thing we are seeing in our culture. We are being taught to act in that very manner and to accept that very behavior. Sadly, many of you buy into that until it comes to bite you, because you one day decide to stand up for something. It goes beyond the issue of gay marriage, it seeps into other areas that affect our daily lives and our country. The only opinion you should have is the one they tell you to have. If you vary from that, you are an extremist, a bigot and a racist. In the video at the end of the post, you can hear Perez say that he expected Carrie to be “Prepared” for the question, and then he goes on to give the answer he wanted her to give. Bravo, to Matt Lauer for pressuring Perez on his answer!
The Christian Community
…is the target in this situation. Miss California, Carrie Prejean is just the current symbol that they are using. It’s no different than the political strategies derived from Solinsky’s “Rules for Radicals” where it is taught to “Pick your target, freeze it, personalize it, and then polarize it” in an attempt to destroy it. If you truly believe that this is solely an attack on Carrie, you are sadly mistaken. This is an attack on everyone who believes in the traditional definition and the Biblical definition and blueprint of marriage. It will be a horrible mistake if we decide to sit silently on the sideline and allow her to be targeted, frozen, and polarized in this issue. Moreover, we have an entire generation of young people who are watching and seeing how we as the Christian community respond, or how we do not respond. I’m NOT talking about anything that would come out of the Westboro Baptist Church (I totally disagree with them). We do not have to be militant, hateful, and obnoxious, just because they are. We do represent Christ and the love that He has for all people. Love however does not mean a blank check of support for anything & everything because someone attaches the word “rights” to it. It will however, in my opinion, be a huge mistake to make Carrie stand alone if we agree with her. I believe everyone attacking her is being so polarizing because they know she will not reverse course, but they want to scare anyone else from making the same stance. They want people to be intimidated and to be afraid to be treated in the same manner. Carrie Prejean is solid and she knows what she believes. She is a great picture of what I hope every student I ever worked with becomes. She understands what she believes and why she believes it, and so far, she is not allowing the attacks or the pressure to stop her. It is however a sad day when the likes of Britney Spears and Lyndsey Lohan are the poster children for our young people to model their lives after and young ladies like Carrie are demonized.
Check Carrie Prejean out on the Today Show from Tuesday, April 22, she boldly stands by her answer, Bravo!
Faye says
Well said. As in so much of culture today, there’s a LOT more that you don’t see than what you do. Yet, our enraptured society chooses to remain ignorant of truth and reality. Sad. Scary.
Ken Leslie says
Good job Nick. I appreciate your way of laying the truth out like this!
Susanne Reeder says
Loved this post, and especially the last line. “Bravo”… my sentiments exactly!
Stephanie says
Hands down, my favorite post! The world is getting scarier by the day and no one seems to see it…
Shelly says
We are still allowed our own opinions right? Who thought it was a good idea to give someone like Perez Hilton a platform to spew his garbage? Drawing cartoon drugs and penises on people is good but actually standing up for your beliefs is bad. Seriously there is going to come a day when no one will stand up for anything for fear of being vilified, sued or harrassed.
Lucinda says
Love this post! I don’t know why this poor girl is being attacked in the first place! We live in AMERICA. Remember, the land of free speech? It seems like instead of a country with freedom OF religion we are now a country with freedom FROM religion. Very scary times. May God have mercy on us all.
nick says
Dear Commenter HUGO BOSS:
I appreciate your participation in my blog and the conversation here. I am a strong supporter of everyone’s freedom of speech, but since this is my PERSONAL blog, I cannot approve a comment that is crude and inappropriate towards another person.
I disagree with a lot that Perez Hilton says and does, but I will never condone wishing harm to him, death to him, or his being affected by horrible diseases. You are free to share that opinion on your own blog, but that goes beyond disagreement on opinion and issues and the likes. I agree with the rest of your comment, but not the first part.
john says
Excellent commentary. I agree 100%. While the first amendment is meant to prevent suppression of ideas and speech by the government, such vehement public criticism can certainly have the same chilling or oppressive effect as a government mandated policy. That is why it is so important that anyone who believes in the individuals right to express him or her self freely stands behind Miss. Prejean. It is particularly important for Christians to get behind her and use this as an opportunity to demonstrate that we will not tolerate the suppression of our closely held beliefs anymore than gay rights activists, such as Perez Hilton, will tolerate the suppression of their own (notice that is not to say either side should be silenced, but that both should be able to speak freely without the fear that friends, neighbors, or the mass media will persecute or ostracize them). Additionally, isn’t this exactly what we want in a Miss. USA? A strong woman willing to speak her mind and her beliefs? An intelligent woman who won’t cower to popular opinon, but can formulate her own thoughts and opinions and express them in an articulate and non-offensive manner. Isn’t that the type of young woman we want to hold up as an example in our country? Final point, which some have made, if Miss Prejan was to represent the people of Cal., isn’t that exactly what she did given the outcome on Prop 8?
nick says
@John – Your last point was great. The problem is, the activists who are attacking are not content with the law unless it is of their forming. They would be just as content to do away with our process, simply so they could have their way.
I definitely want a strong woman who can speak her mind and her beliefs to represent us as Miss. USA, however the community of people who are attacking her do not. It is apparent by the elected officials that they throw their weight and support behind. Their default mode is cowering to popular opinion and shifting positions to make specific voting groups happy. I don’t know if they could recognize standards anymore.
Kate says
I completely support Carrie and I hope she knows that. Someone should make a website or something.
Nomad says
Asking a question about same sex marriage at a Miss America pageant is out of place and bad form, just like Perez Hilton would do
Kent says
I support this young God fearing woman. Her answer was a God sent. I would have liked for it to have been even stronger. But in the spot light like she was, one must ask ones self, would you have had the courage, in the face of everything that you know is out there, to have said what she said? God convicted her heart and she spoke. If you really think about it, its really hard say something in public that you are principled about, and know that there are people that you might know or may be even family, which is more than likely the case with a lot of people, that will feel offended or hurt. And this is where you must choose. But just remember, The (Bible) Word of God is Quick, and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword,. So yes, I support this lady. Her answer is a roll model for my daughters. Three daughters. Remember, God said he will wipe away your tears. What does that mean? Ask yourself, why are there tears to be wiped away ? I think we all may know the answer if we think about it. But will say anyway. But for the saving grace of God on an individual level, these people, as well as anyone else, who is not saved before the end, will come into jugdement before God and be found guilty.
eddie says
I support Carrie, Rock On Ms. California!
Claire Richardson says
Carrie Prejean deserves to have her crown. She is beauiful and is also entitled to her own opinion about gays. ,’