The Pursuit of Happiness: An Introduction

On July 4, 1776 a very important document was signed. That document would change the world in every sense of the word. That document of course was the Declaration of Independence. In it are some very important ideas and words that had never been used before in the history of the world, well not beyond the mad ramblings of men that had in most cases died for daring to speak them. Among those ideas and words were the following:

We hold these Truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This concept of the “pursuit of Happiness” is not an idea novel to the Declaration of Independence. The Virginia Declaration of Rights stated:

That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

I find the added statement, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity. This is interesting because it clearly states that a group of people do not have the right to take away these unalienable rights. It specifically states “by any compact”, meaning that they cannot get together and form some legislation that would remove these rights. It is a shame this language was not adopted in the official Declaration.

I have decided after much time and thought to present an organized post on the subject of the gay and lesbian rights. This is a hot topic in our country and is argued at every level of our society. Just this last week I had a very intense conversation with somebody I hold very dear and love and respect very much. This person is extremely religious, extremely conservative and extremely Republican...a common combination. Despite these facts they are family, and I love them very much and respect them regardless of our differences in opinion. The point is that this subject is very controversial, and most of us have people that mean a lot to us that are on both sides of the controversy, which complicates it even more since attitudes run fairly hot and high when this subject is broached.

As you will find by the end of this post, this is a subject that even I am still evolving on. I have come a very long way, but there are still mental blocks ingrained from years of religious and psychological programming that are not easily dismissed or done away with. So if you are reading this and are gay or have someone dear to you that is gay, please keep in mind I am a work in progress, and if something is not worded just right, well please look at my intent and have a little understanding.

Another point I want to make is, I could just ignore this subject and not even write about. By writing this I am showing not only how far I have come but also how far I still have to go. Much of what I am writing shows a progression and evolving in my thought processes. However, some of what I write reveals my ignorance and reveals some points that I may need some input, so please feel free to comment, I can take constructive criticism, as long as it is not destructive in its delivery.

I hate doing posts in parts...but as My buddy John always says, I am quite verbose...and this one will take some time to write and present. I am afirm believer that it is just as important HOW you present something as what you are presenting. Indeed, it is actually MORE important. Any fool can present their thoughts (or lack of thoughts for that matter), there are plenty of blogs out there that prove THAT point. It is the mark of intelligence though to take your time and present your thoughts in a logical and organized, well presented manner. That is my intent in this series of blogs, so bear with me as I explore my own thoughts on this matter and share them with you.

I encourage comments, as does any blogger, but this is a subject I am still grasping an understanding of and that I am still exploring in my own intellect. So please, feel free to comment. Thank you.