Not to sound like the crotchety old lady down the street, but...

Right now there are children playing outside in the cul-de-sac near my house. I actually like the sound of children playing. It means summer's coming, and summer is definitely a good thing.

What I DON'T like hearing is shrieking.

I was always taught by my parents that I could make as much noise as I liked outside, but I was never to scream or shout "help" even in jest. Those two sounds were to be left for a real emergency, like someone kidnapping me or my breaking a leg.

Is it any wonder then that every time that little girl screams the hair on the back of my neck raises in terror???

I was reading this article on Google News just now, and I had to comment.

It's a story about gay and lesbian parents bringing their kids to the traditional White House Easter egg roll.

What I don't get is why some straight people feel so dadblastedly threatened by gay people. I know some people believe it is morally wrong to be a homosexual, and while I don't agree with that, I don't think it's wrong that people have that belief. Everyone is entitled to his beliefs.

Someone please give me a good reason why gay people shouldn't be allowed to marry. I have yet to hear any good ones!! I don't really particularly care if Bobby down the street has two mommies or two daddies, but I sure as hell will care if I see him sporting bruises and black eyes, regardless of who his parents are!

Some folks think that marriage should be reserved only for those who can procreate because to them the whole reason for marriage is to bear children. If this is true, then my sister needs to get a divorce: after eleven years of marriage, she and her husband are still childless.

Now who seriously is going to make her get a divorce just because she doesn't have any kids??

My point exactly.

Gay and lesbian parents can't have kids, obviously. But they do something that so many adults in the US aren't willing or able to do -- they adopt. There are so many kids in this country and in countries around the world that need loving homes with stable, well-adjusted parental figures. And for my money, I'd rather see them in a home with a gay or lesbian couple than in an orphanage in Russia, or a foster home with adults who may be stretched too thinly and not able to give the child as much one-on-one attention that they may need.

And as far as whether homosexuality is morally right or wrong, who are we to judge?? Last time I looked, I wasn't God. Therefore, it's none of my business what others do -- I have enough on my plate trying to keep myself out of trouble. I know it says in the Bible that homosexuality is wrong. It also says it's wrong to eat pork. It's wrong to eat shellfish (yum yum!!!). It's wrong to marry your brother's widow -- although that rule is contradicted in another passage where a man is urged to marry his brother's widow in order to protect her. The Bible says lots of things that are wrong that we in our busy-ness in keeping up with the modern world choose to ignore.

God loves us ALL. He doesn't love us because we've behaved; He doesn't love us because we did all the right things to make Him proud. He loves us. End of story. Like any good parent, He doesn't love all of our behavior, but He still loves us.

We're supposed to emulate God as much as we can, to be as good as we can, to be the best people we can. Why stain our goodness by being hateful to one group of people or another? Why not just take a page from God's book and love everyone?

Sheesh. Live and let live, is what I say. ;o)

PS -- Sorry to have gotten all religious on y'all. But I hate people using religion as a catch-all excuse for everything.