Saturday, December 3, 2011

Meet Jonah Mowry

If there's anyone who hasn't figured out yet that this is real, the problem is deep, and lives are being lost because of it, either you're not paying attention or you're living under a boulder.  The pain is pervasive, as witnessed by the sheer number of teen suicides today.

Meet Jonah Mowry.  Now, I don't know about you, but watching this video ripped my heart from my chest.  I'd advise you have tissues handy.  See, this is the type of struggle that young gay people are dealing with today.  Far too many of them are resorting to suicide as what they feel is their only hope of ridding themselves of the pain.  Thankfully, Jonah made the decision that he doesn't want to end his life...he just wants the pain to stop. As a call to your compassion, please reach out to Jonah.  Let's help him stick with his decision to work his way through this.  Thanks.

Legislated Hatred

See, we really don't have to look too very far to figure out two very important things as we redouble our efforts to combat the atmosphere hatred and intolerance in our country, that same atmosphere that fosters and supports the bullying which leads to suicides:  1.) there's no doubt where these young people get their intolerance and hatred from, as I've been saying; and, 2.) why so many young lgbt teens feel such a sense of despair and lack of self-worth.  When you have a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE denouncing the validity of gay-ism period, and effectively telling a lesbian teen that she is defected, when you have an ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL admitting to making anti-gay slurs on her facebook page, both the bullies and their victims are deeply affected.  The bullied gain vindication for their acts of ignorance and violence.  They gain the sense that it's ok because they see adults in power denouncing the very people they victimize.  Their victims hear, once again, that their lives are essentially invalid.  They learn a sense of being lesser-than-whole.  They get to see with their own eyes that, according to far-too-many adults (in many cases, adults from their own household), they will never be able to fall in love, marry, and live happily with their chosen spouse.

This is 100% unacceptable, especially in a day and age where we're seeing our young people end their lives because of the intolerance, hatred, and the violence that comes with it..