I Don't Have a Title for This, Only a Disclaimer

This post comes with a disclaimer:

Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. This is mine.

You don't have to agree with me. I want you to have your own opinions and beliefs, that you can back up with your own convictions. 

If you believe differently than I do, swell. If we agree, great.

Don't blindly follow anyone.

 Be the person you are, with no apologies.  Just don't be a dick.

 

I guess I'm a little more redneck than I thought, because the event that got me riled up enough to sit down and type something up about some recent historical developments, is an article stating that TV Land pulls Dukes of Hazzard from their network. But, why you ask? Because, painted on the roof of one of the greatest muscle cars ever, is a Confederate flag.
Apparently, we are a nation that is going to start getting rid of our own history based on what offends people. And, I'm not just talking about a kick-ass show that I grew up watching. If we're going to get rid of the Confederate flag, remove it from everything. I want teachers clipping that thing out of their textbooks and omitting it, any resemblance of it, and not teaching anything about any of the states that ever flew it. Sound ridiculous? Yep. But it looks like that's the road we're headed down. What's next to be removed from our past? 

I'm honestly surprised that George Orwell's 1984 hasn't been removed from bookshelves and reading apps accessible to American citizens, because our society is more "Big Brother" than it ever has been, and is marching straight toward a totalitarian state. (If you haven't read this, you should! It was on a list of required reading back in the day, but I'd guess it's not there anymore. It's a good, interesting, quick read. Also, you should probably read To Kill A Mockingbird, too before it gets pulled for offensive language.)

We live in a nation made up of all types of people from all over the world, and chances are, we're never all going to agree on a single item. Someone out there is going to get pissed off and offended because some chick has colored her hair purple, a dude is wearing cowboy boots, a black man married a white man, or that someone without a visible disability is parked in a handicap spot. Put on your big kid pants, realize we all come from someplace with a spotty past, and if we don't recognize the shady parts of our history or teach our kids what happened and why it was wrong, history is going to repeat itself, in a bad, bad way. 

We're not all going to skip and hold hands through a glittering field of clover, underneath a rainbow with millions of dollars at its end, but we need to be tolerant of others, their beliefs, our history and the fact that some guy, somewhere, has pierced his face 87 times. You don't have to like it, but it doesn't have to be wiped from the face of the earth because people want to throw a toddler sized tantrum and scream, "I don't like it!" Same for the Confederate flag, it is a part of our history, and it has many different meanings. If you want to fly it to show pride for the region you live in, or where you grew up, have at it, I'll buy you a damn flag pole! I'm not, however, in any way, shape or form, condoning the ass-backwards dill-holes that still put on white hoods, light a cross on fire and fly the Confederate flag in that capacity. That's not ok. Ever.

And, while I'm at it, I'm going to say I'm happy that everyone is now able to marry whomever they would like, regardless of gender. People are people, and who am I to say it's not ok that Ruth and Bernadette, having been an couple for over 40 years, can't get married? It shouldn't matter if you have boy parts or girl parts. If you find someone that makes you happy, you feel safe with, and you love, you should be able to get married. I'm not a religious person, so if you're going to spout a verse in the Bible says it's not ok, you should probably take it elsewhere. Two men being able to wed is not going to ruin the validity of my marriage, nor is it going to cause locusts to come or fiery pits to swallow up the Earth. However, it will probably result in happiness for a whole lot of people, some crazy-awesome wedding receptions, and excellent memories for those that attend the wedding of Joe and Josh. I don't care who you are, as long as you're a good person. It's as simple as that in my world.
So, for the love of Waylon Jennings, leave the Duke boys alone! They only want to get their moonshine moved across the county line in a sweet ride. And if two women want to get married, spend a down-payment for a home on Vera Wang and Pnina Torani dresses, throw a beautiful reception, and spend their lives defending the rights of abused children and working in a nurse in an Alzheimer's unit, that's fine with me.