Celebrating the New Year at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

As our planet Earth travels around our star Sol, in this insignificant corner of the Universe that is nonetheless special to us humans,[1] I consider some memorable passages from Douglas Adams’ The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (the second book in his Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series).  On the size of the universe, he writes, “The Universe, as has been observed before, is an unsettlingly big place, a fact which for the sake of a quiet life most people tend to ignore.  Many would happily move to somewhere rather smaller of their own devising, and this is what most beings in fact do.”[2] Our own triumphs and struggles seem unimportant when compared with the cosmos; the events we look back on and the events we look forward to at the end of each year are happening on this tiny world hurtling through space and we feel as though we may be on our own.  Despite this, we have one another, and our feeling of loneliness in the universe is contrasted with the presence of our fellow human beings around us in our everyday lives.

Our planet has been traveling around our star for a very long time and will hopefully be travelling around it for a long time into the future.  Our species will likely see many more new years to come.  One day, however, it must come to an end, as our star cannot exist forever.  The ultimate fate of the entire universe is a subject of scientific study, with data being analyzed to determine the likely outcome.  Although we who are alive today will probably not be here to see the fate of the universe in person, Adams has created a fictional place-in-time which would be a fascinating field trip destination.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is one of the most extraordinary ventures in the entire history of catering.

It is built on the fragmented remains of an eventually ruined planet which is (wioll haven be) enclosed in a vast time bubble and projected forward in time to the precise moment of the End of the Universe.[3]

When our own species and our own planet no longer exist, when the universe no longer counts us among its inhabitants, will anyone remember that we were here?  And if not, will it have all been for nothing?  I take the view that even if no one remembers we were here, it will still have been worth it.  Although the universe probably takes no notice of us as we look back at the past and look forward to our future, we still matter.  We are here.  Let us remember that even though our own little planet moving around our star (counting down the years) will not exist forever, we can think and feel and try to make our tiny world as good as it can possibly be.  That, of all things, is what I hope for on this New Year’s Eve.

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References

[1] Sharmin, Ani.  Celebrating the New Year with The Hitchhiker’s Guide.  Posted at The Eternal Bookshelf on December 31, 2009.  Retrieved from http://eternalbookshelf.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/new-year-2010/ on December 31, 2010.

[2] Adams, Douglas.  The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.  New York:  The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., 2005 (1980), Chapter 10, p. 69.

ISBN:  0-345-39181-0

[3] Adams, Douglas.  The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.  New York:  The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., 2005 (1980), Chapter 15, p. 99.

ISBN:  0-345-39181-0

Why Weasley Sweaters Are the True Meaning of Christmas: Celebrating Christmas with Harry Potter

’Tis the season ’tis agreed, but the reason for the season causes disagreement indeed.  There are those who want to “Put Christ back in Christmas”, those who proclaim “Axial tilt is the reason for the season” (which is technically correct), and those who say “This season, celebrate reason”.  There are those who may decry the commercialism and materialism which accompany Christmas, and although they make a valid point, beneath the wrapping paper and the shiny veneer, there is a core of happiness and joy.  As I tend to believe that there is a Harry Potter quote for every occasion, I have decided to dedicate an entry to finding the meaning of Christmas within Harry Potter.

Even though Harry is an orphan, family becomes a part of Harry’s Christmases at the age of eleven, when he receives his first Weasley sweater.  Christmas morning of Harry’s first year at Hogwarts finds him and Ron waking up to a pile of presents.  Harry is surprised to find that he has received gifts.

“I think I know who that one’s from,” said Ron, turning a bit pink and pointing to a very lumpy parcel.  “My mom.  I told her you didn’t expect any presents and — oh, no,” he groaned, “she’s made you a Weasley sweater.”

Harry had torn open the parcel to find a thick, hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.

“Every year she makes us a sweater,” said Ron, unwrapping his own, “and mine’s always maroon.”

“That’s really nice of her,” said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty.[1]

At the end of the first school year, when he sees Mrs. Weasley again at King’s Cross, he thanks her.[2] Harry, who never received decent gifts or (more importantly) affection from the Durlseys is surprised that someone cared enough about him to send him presents.  It’s not really the presents he cares about, but the fact that there are people who care about him.  Throughout the series, the Weasleys become a second family to Harry, and we see the beginning of their closeness here, as Mrs. Weasley begins to treat Harry the way she treats her own children.  Her sweaters are already a tradition for her family and become a tradition for Harry as well.

During Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, there are so few students staying at Hogwarts during the Christmas break (due to Sirius Black’s escape from Azkaban) that there is a small group of thirteen having lunch together on Christmas in the Great Hall.[3] Despite the fear of the escaped prisoner, Professor Dumbledore’s cheerfulness makes the scene fun.  The way the teachers bicker with one another even resembles somewhat the arguments between family members; they are thrown together although they are different from one another and some would not usually spend so much time together.  Although Hogwarts has a large student body, this more intimate scene of a few people dining together captures the feeling that Harry has about the school — a home where there are friends close by, good food, laughter, and some strangeness, of course.

The love of our families is remembered during the holiday season, even when the memory may be sad.  During Christmas break of fifth year, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione go to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries to visit Mr. Weasley, who has been attacked by Nagini, Lord Voldemort’s snake.  While they are there, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny run into Neville and his grandmother, who are visiting Neville’s parents Alice and Frank Langbottom.  Neville’s parents were fighting against the evil Lord Voldemort and were tortured into insanity by Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange.  We see them for the first and only time in what is one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the series.  Mrs. Longbottom (Neville’s grandmother) tells Neville, “You should be proud, Neville, proud!  They didn’t give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!”  She wants Neville to understand that his parents were brave and that they risked their lives for a good cause and that he should not be ashamed of them, even though they are now in a bad state.  Neville responds that he is not ashamed.[4] Although extremely sad, this scene shows the importance of family — what a child’s parents will be willing to do to make a better world for their son, a child’s loyalty to his parents despite their condition, and a grandmother who wants her grandson to appreciate his parents’ sacrifice.  As he grows older, Neville himself display the kind of courage his parents had and his grandmother praises him for it, telling him that he’s his parents’ son.[5] We see that Neville’s parents, who he visited during the Christmas break, really have had an effect on him.  Even though he sees clearly the danger of opposing evil and doing the right thing, he also understands that doing the right thing is so important that the risk is worth it.

The gifts we receive from our loved ones are not just material, but also everlasting, staying with us even after their death.  As the students are about to head back to Hogwarts after Christmas break of fifth year, Sirius gives Harry another Christmas present and says, “I want you to use it if you need me, alright?”[6] Later, after Sirius dies, Harry finally opens the package.  There is a note from Sirius attached, which reads, “This is a two-way mirror.  I’ve got the other.  If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you’ll appear in my mirror and I’ll be able to talk in yours.  James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions.”  Harry is hoping to see Sirius again, but Sirius is dead.[7] Even though Harry ends up shattering the mirror in anguish and despair over Sirius’ death, Sirius left Harry something even more important:  loyal and courage.  Sirius was loyal to his friends and eager to defend them; he wanted to be there for his loved ones, and even though he was a flawed human being, he showed his good nature.  Harry saw Sirius as a father figure for the small amount of time that Sirius was in his life, and Harry knew that Sirius would always be there to help him.  Harry is likewise there for his friends.

Harry and Hermione spend Christmas Eve of seventh year in Godric’s Hollow.  They visit the graveyard by the church, where Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore (Albus Dumbledore’s mother and sister) and James and Lily Potter (Harry’s parents) are buried.  Harry cries over his parents’ graves and knows that he is alive because of them, because they fought Lord Voldemort, because his mother took the Killing curse that was meant for him.  Hermione stands beside him loyally, and they put their arms around each other as they walk out of the graveyard.[8] Although Harry’s parents are no longer alive, they loved him so much that they were willing to sacrifice themselves to protect him and to make a better world.  Like Neville’s parents and Sirius, they suffered due to it, but they knew it was the right thing to do.  Harry is willing to put himself in danger to help his loved ones and even to help those he does not know.  Even though his parents are not there to put their arms around him in times of despair, his friends are there for him and that makes a big difference.  Even the saddest Christmas can contain a small amount of hope when it’s with friends.

The meaning of Christmas is present throughout the Harry Potter series.  The comfort of family and friends, the importance of helping others, the joy of the season, and even the frustrations of arguments over the dinner table are present.  The good will and cheer associated with the holidays are present in the hearts of the characters, as they carry these ideas with them not just during the party but also in difficult times.  Weasley sweaters are the true meaning of Christmas, because they keep the wearer warm and also represent the warmth of love, kindness, and hope that we learn through the good actions of others.

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References

[1] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 1997, p. 200-1.

ISBN:  0-590-35340-3

[2] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 1997, p. 308.

ISBN:  0-590-35340-3

[3] Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 1999, p. 227-30.

ISBN:  0-439-13635-0

[4] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, p. 512-5. [Direct quote from p. 514]

ISBN:  978-0-439-35806-4

[5] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2007, p. 571-6.

ISBN:  978-0-545-01022-1

[6] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, p. 523.

ISBN:  978-0-439-35806-4

[7] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2003, p. 857-8.  [Direct quote from p. 857]

ISBN:  978-0-439-35806-4

[8] Rowling, J. K.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  New York:  Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Press, a division of Scholastic, Inc., 2007, p. 323-9.

ISBN:  978-0-545-01022-1

The War on Holiday Cheer

I used to like Christmas.  I really did.  Actually, I still do, but the good cheer associated with it is dimmed by a portion of population who treat Christmas like a battering ram instead of a holiday.  To me, Christmas means that school will be closed, that I get in the mood to listen to Christmas music, and that I’ll be able to enjoy the warmth of joy in contrast with the cold weather outside.  When I was younger, I used to watch the yearly Christmas movies that are released around this time of year.  (I remember being fond of I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998)[1] when I was ten years old.  Polar Express (2004)[2] was another one that made me quite happy and put me in the mood for the holidays, even though I was sixteen at the time.)

I do not wish to declare a “War on Christmas”; in fact, the religious conservatives who claim that they are defending Christmas are the ones declaring war on good cheer.  Although I have no disagreement with the holiday, I do have a disagreement with them.  Their actions are wrong when judged against the United States Constitution, the physical reality of the world, the history of religion, and the spirit of good will.  It is them I accuse of ruining Christmas for all of us who believe in the spirit of the season.

The First Amendment:  Separation of Church and State

There is a difference between being able to celebrate a religious holiday and having a religious holiday recognized by the government; the first is protected under the United States Constitution while the second is a violation of it.  The supposed defenders of Christmas equate government neutrality on the topic of religion with discrimination against Christians.  (Please note that they do not think that the lack of federal holiday for other people’s religious holidays is evidence of discrimination against these other religious groups.)  The government cannot endorse explicitly religious ideas or put up explicitly religious displays (such as nativity scenes) on government property.  If there are going to be privately-owned displays on government property, then any group should be allowed to put them up; one group should not be given sole access.

A fascinating aspect of Christmas, of course, is that it contains both a religious and secular component.  There are non-Christians who also enjoy and celebrate Christmas.  In fact, I think even those who don’t necessarily celebrate it have grown accustomed to having some time off during late December and early January.  So, although I am opposed to a federal holiday for Christmas as a religious holiday, I would not object if a secular holiday was to take its place and be recognized around this same time of year.

Again, the supposed defenders of Christmas don’t seem to comprehend why the religious aspects of the holiday being officially recognized by the government is not fair to people of other religions and also to nonreligious people.  Conservative religious groups will cite the fact that lots of people celebrate Christmas to justify government endorsement, while leaving out the crucial fact that many people celebrate the secular parts of Christmas while leaving out the religious parts (either because they are not Christian or because they believe in a more liberal interpretation of the Bible).  The secular aspects of the holiday can be considered universal, but the religious ones cannot.  A person should know and expect that a holiday observed by people of many faiths and no faith will be secular; if that person wants to celebrate a religious holiday, they should do so in a religious setting, without the endorsement of the government.  Greta Christina phrased it well in her recent article Why Religious People are Scared of Atheists, in which she wrote,

They still want Christmas to be a religious holiday, special to the Christian faith. Yet at the same time, they want it to be a government-recognized Federal holiday that everyone has to observe.

In other words: They want theocracy.

See, you don’t get have it both ways. You don’t get to have Christmas be a secular holiday, universal to the culture, recognized by government agencies and celebrated by people of all faiths and of no faith at all… and still have it be a religious holiday of the Christian faith. Not if you respect people’s basic right to worship, or not, in their own way. Pick one. If Christmas is a universal secular holiday, quit whining about it being secularized. If it’s a distinct religious holiday, quit trying to ram it down everyone else’s throats.[3]

While an attempt to share a secular holiday with others can be done with good will and happy tidings, the attempt to share (especially with government endorsement) a religious holiday with others is nothing other than proselytizing — which, in my view, takes away the good will and happy tidings.

Cashiers Do Not Have Telepathic Powers (or, Explaining the Obvious)

There is also the issue of business decisions being labeled anti-Christian.  Every year, we hear (usually via Fox News) about stores where the staff members say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”.  (I must point out that the same Christians who will complain about the greetings stores use at Christmastime do not seem to appreciate that their religious season receives attention while the holidays of other religions go completely unnoticed by most businesses.)  This is reported as an important news story, as “evidence” of an attempt by secularists to attack Christians.  In reality, this is not evidence of anti-Christian sentiment but evidence of business owners trying to appeal to as many customers as possible.  It is also evidence that business owners do not believe that their employees have magical powers.

I work in a retail pharmacy, and one of my responsibilities is being a cashier.  Having a job in customer service does not give a person telepathic abilities.  This may seem obvious, but evidently, there are people who do not realize this.  When I am at the cash register and people are picking up their medications, I cannot possibly know what the religious beliefs of a particular person are (unless there are clues from their jewelry or clothing).  If I know which religion you follow, I’m happy to greet you accordingly; however, if you are a stranger, I don’t know which religion you follow.  Even if one particular customer is Christian, the customer who is next in line may be Jewish or Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist or atheist or agnostic or deist or a believer in the Bajoran Prophets,[4] who have appointed Captain Benjamin Sisko[5] as their Emissary.

When the owners or bosses of a particular store use generic greetings instead of a specific one in signs and advertising, it is most likely because they want to maximize their profits.  When employees say “Happy Holidays”, they are not attacking Christmas but rather realizing that they have a diverse customer base.  Some business owners may find it advantageous to tell their employees to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”.  If a store specializes in Christian products and has Christian employees, it would make sense to focus on Christmas.  Most stores, however, have employees and customers of different religions.  The managers of a big retail store (especially one that has stores all over the United States and even in other parts of the world) cannot possibly know the religious beliefs of all of the employees, let alone the beliefs of the customers.  For them, it makes sense to use a more inclusive greeting.  Is it really surprising that business owners will prefer using a generic greeting rather than a specific one, in order to appeal to more customers?  To believe that this is an example of persecution requires a person to be so accustomed to special treatment that equal treatment is interpreted as discrimination.

History, Diversity, and Similarity

Throughout the history of humanity, there have been and are many holidays.  Humans seem to have a talent for proclaiming special days.  Many religious as well as secular holidays have been created by humans, and many of them have similarities to each other.  People take older traditions and recreate them in a new way for their own cause or belief, so that we find similar details (such as candles, gifts, special foods, etc.) in many celebrations.

The mere existence of other people and their holidays should not be considered offensive, especially when non-Christians are not the ones whose holidays receive regular, official government support in the United States.  There are Christians who act as though they own the entire time period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve.  Instead of appreciating the fact that they live in a country where they can freely practice their religion and celebrate their holidays, conservative Christians pretend that a lack of special treatment is persecution.

The history of various holidays is a fascinating topic.  We can understand how different people have been inspired to create holidays and see the similarities between them.  Adam Brown, over at Atheism Resource, has written a blog entry advising atheists to steal Christmas back, pointing out that many Christian traditions have origins in other religions.[6] Ray Garton at Atheist Oasis has written a long entry wishing a Merry Christmas and explaining the origins of the “war on Christmas”, pointing out that it is just bigotry.  (He also points out that the people who once banned Christmas in America were themselves Christians.)[7] When one group tries to deny history or use a holiday to discriminate against others, it becomes a holiday of hate.  I cannot help noticing that any holiday celebrated by those who believe in a hateful version of God is likely to be used to discriminate against others.  Bigotry being the motivation behind the words of those who accuse secularists of declaring an imaginary “war on Christmas” is not a surprise; the people who pretend that Christmas is being attacked are the same ones who attack everyone else during the whole year.

Conservative Christians talk about preserving tradition but never bother to acknowledge the traditions of anyone but their own group; they recognize the contributions Christianity has made to Western society and culture but do not acknowledge that Christianity and Christmas have themselves been created from ideas that existed in other religions and traditions.  This arises, I expect, out of a desire to believe that while other religions may have been invented by humans, one’s own religion was created by the Almighty.

’Tis the Season

Although there are people who are reclaiming Christmas for Christian bigotry and although Christmas often contains the shallow aspects satirized by Ursula K. LeGuin in her description of The Holiday Plane™,[8] there is still something in his holiday that can be redeemed.  One of the people who had a good message for Christians celebrating Christmas was Reverend Barry Lynn (Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State), who is often targeted by the people who claim to be defending Christmas.  He wrote,

So, what’s a reasonable Christian to do in this season? How about cutting to the core of the Jesus narrative, and promote your favorite value in the story. Joseph didn’t have his spouse Mary stoned to death for a pregnancy without his involvement, but, instead, embraced her. Mary was not a rich or powerful person, a demonstration that birth into privilege is not a prerequisite for the future career path of you [sic] child. And then there was the angels’ message: “on earth peace, good will toward men”. Peace- not a bad principle for believers or non-believers. Why, there’s even a message for Tea Party Christians. Be skeptical of political authority. King Herod really didn’t want to locate Jesus to worship him; he wanted to kill him.[9]

Why not take from a story the good messages, instead of trying to make the story exclusive?  Isn’t one mark of a good person the ability to read a story and determine which parts contain the good ideas worth following?

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of Christmas is the music.  When I was younger, I used to love the song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.[10] I would sing it frequently, and (according to my mother) a lady in the grocery store heard me singing it one day and thought I was cute.  Just a few days ago, my mother asked me to sing it again because, in her words, it “makes me remember your childhood”.  I even enjoy religious music.  Earlier this semester, I was listening (repeatedly) to Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing.[11] There is something about religious music that I just find inspirational and moving.

So I hope that this holiday season is enjoyable for all.  Try to remember the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas,[12] find an excuse to watch the holiday television specials, eat good food, generally enjoy being with family and friends, and help others who are less fortunate.

And remember:  Peace on Earth and good will toward men is a universal statement applicable to the whole of humanity.

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Edit

Two years ago, Adam Lee (a.k.a. Ebonmuse) wrote a blog entry about The Roots of the War on Christmas, showing that the Christian-right tactic of pretending that there is a “war on Christmas” and accusing minority groups of discriminating against the majority has a history of bigotry.

URL:  http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/12/roots-of-the-war-on-christmas.html

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References

[1] I’ll Be Home for Christmas (1998).  The Internet Movie Database.  Retrieved on December 22, 2010 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155753/.

[2] The Polar Express (2004).  The Internet Movie Database.  Retrieved on December 22, 2010 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338348/.

[3] Christina, Greta.  Why Religious People Are Scared of Atheists.  Posted on AlterNet on December 16, 2010.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://www.alternet.org/belief/149224/why_religious_people_are_scared_of_atheists/?page=entire.

[4] Prophet.  Memory Alpha.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Prophet.

[5] Benjamin Sisko.  Memory Alpha.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Benjamin_Sisko.

[6] Brown, Adam.  Hey, Atheists, don’t destroy Christmas… Just steal it back! Posted at Atheism Resource on December 14, 2010.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://www.atheismresource.com/2010/hey-atheists-dont-destroy-christmas-just-steal-it-back.

[7] Garton, Ray.  An Open Letter to Christians:  Merry Christmas From An Atheist.  Posted at Atheist Oasis on December 13, 2010.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://atheistoasis.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/an-open-letter-to-christians-merry-christmas-from-an-atheist/.

[8] LeGuin, Ursula K.  Great Joy.  Changing Planes.  New York:  Ace Books, The Berkley Publishing Group, 2005 (2003), p. 130-46.

ISBN:  0-441-01224-8

[9] Lynn, Barry.  Take a deep Christmas breath. Posted in the On Faith section of the Washington Post on December 22, 2010.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/Barry_Lynn/2010/12/take_a_christmas_breath.html.

[10] Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer – Lyrics.  Posted on YouTube by OuiiTisMoii on December 12, 2008.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONxKfG60CwU.

[11] Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing.  (As sung by Amy Grant)  Posted on YouTube by JC3Productions on December 23, 2007.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbdvo019mgM.

[12] The Twelve Days of Christmas (song).  Wikipedia.  Retrieved on December 23, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_ (song).

Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In

The United States House of Representatives and Senate have voted in favor of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.[1] It is expected that President Obama will sign the bill, since he has expressed his support for the appeal.  Words cannot express how happy I am right now.  This is an historic moment.  Homosexual and bisexual soldiers will be able to serve our country without fearing that they will be discharged due to their sexual orientation.  Our soldiers protect us, and it is only right that they should be treated fairly.

There are, of course, those who see progress in equal rights as dangerous and favor discrimination; they should be considered immoral human beings by all those who favor equal rights for all.  Those who support discrimination against soldiers don’t “support our troops”; they exclusively support only some soldiers and not others.  One of the most common arguments used in favor of discrimination is that it would hurt “unit cohesion”.  Whenever I hear this claim, I think to myself that the person who is citing “unit cohesion” is implying one of two things:  either (a) that non-heterosexual people are not capable of being good soldiers or (b) that soldiers are bigots who would not be willing to serve alongside a person with a different sexual orientation than theirs.  Either way, it’s an insult to the people in our armed forces.  This isn’t about disagreeing with politicians about specific foreign policy decisions; a person who believes that being sexually attracted to people of the same gender should disqualify a person for military service is insulting the actual soldiers themselves.

Imagine — if you will — the soldiers who are currently serving our country.  Imagine how they must feel being away from their families for such a long time.  Now imagine how concerned their loved ones are for them, how relived their loved ones are to see them again, how devastated the loved ones of dead soldiers are to attend a funeral, how dedicated the loved ones of injured soldiers are to helping them recover.  Do you really feel less sympathy if the soldier was homosexual or bisexual?  Does the gender of the person who greets them when they come home or the person who cries over their grave really matter?

Moving forward, there are still many more battles to win.  There is still much hatred against LGBTQI people in the United States and around the world.  Parents erroneously claim that equal rights will harm their children, religious leaders (seeming delusional) claim that homosexual sex causes the Almighty to punish entire nations, and politicians can actual gain support by promising to pass discriminatory laws against LGBTQI people.  Marriage equality, ending employment discrimination, and preventing bullying are just some of the goals we have yet to accomplish.

Yet, despite all this, I am happy today.  The repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a small step, but it’s a step in the right direction.  As a supporter of equal rights for LGBTQI people, I have grown accustomed to the slow pace of progress and the many setbacks, but today is a good day.  Remember to keep up hope, and remember justice will win out in the end.

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References

[1] Hulse, Carl.  Senate Repeals Ban Against Openly Gay Military Personnel.  Posted on December 18, 2010 in The New York Times.  Retrieved on December 19, 2010 from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/politics/19cong.html.