August 19, 2008

I'm a closed minded, bible thumper, red stater...

...and I'm ticked.
Here's why. Yesterday our lovely, geriatric neighbor Eula Mae decided to apply a mail ordered hair growth gel to her very delicate, frail-thin scalp...the secret ingredient happened to be hot peppers.

After the trauma and drama died down a little, these are the things I realized.
  • False infomercials work.

  • People who watch a lot of TV watch a lot of infomercials...and believe their claims.

  • You never out grow vanity.

  • An 86 year old woman in pain knows words you never thought you'd hear.

  • Ground water in Oklahoma does not stay cold enough in the summer to cool chemical burns...no matter how long you run it.

  • No matter how much you plan, begin preparing and slowly start to teach your children about differences in the world...you can't shield them from the liberal media's aggressive advance to be politically correct. Even if it's wrong to do it the way they do.

Now, let me preface my next statements with these facts.

Compared to many of our family members, we are as Far Right Wing Conservative as you can get without actually taking feathered flight.

Compared to most of our friends, we are their Token Liberal Friends they can throw around in conversation. "Oh, I have this friend, and she thinks it's okay to drink alcohol and dance. Can you imagine that?"

So really we fall somewhere in the middle. We have some really conservative views on issues and we have some really liberal views (comparatively) on a few issues.

I say all that to explain why I was so ticked when I was asked "Why?!", "How come?" and "Is that true?" by my young children after they watched a news story while I dried Eula Mae off in the bathroom.

This was the story.


Before you start judging me for having a problem with these pics being broadcast all over the world, let me say this please.

  • I don't care what these people do.
  • I don't care how they want to celebrate their relationship.
  • I am not about to point fingers and judge. I am waaaay too guilty of my own sins. Thankyouverymuch.
  • As much as it Irritates the Fire outta me sometimes, I am all about American Freedoms. And Ellen DeGeneres is free to do what ever she wants within the laws. Whether I agree or disagree does not matter one iota. Judgement is not my gig. As Obama now infamously (read idiotically) recently justified, "It's above my pay scale."

However, I am not about the media's perceived right to flaunt their askewed morals in my children's face, during the dinner hour, on the NBC Nightly News. Damn NBC. Every 2 years when I have to watch NBC for the Olympics - I cringe. I have to convince myself it's worth it. They always win out in the end b/c they have the best Olympic coverage...but...arrrr. I hate being a sell out. I hate NBC. And, just so ya know, Girl Child would say, "hate is not a nice word, Mommee."

Big Shooter and I have been having many a discussion on puberty, marriage, sex, the world's view vs. the Shooter household view, sexual orientation (we have a large number of gay couples in our neighborhood, and several friends who are openly gay), and what, when and how much to start sharing with the Crumbs.

We do not want our children to become bigots and/or zealots. But yet, we do not want our children to think we agree with the homosexual lifestyle. On the other hand, we don't want our kids to think the people who take part in these kinds of lifestyles are bad people. The sins we all commit as people are bad. We want them to understand there are no perfect people. That role was full filled by Someone else. But we do want them to realize and recognize people make choices in their lives that have everlasting consequences. Spiritual consequences. And that they themselves, like every single one of us, will be faced with many such dilemmas daily. Some will be hidden temptations and indulgences. Some will be public. Some are enjoyable. (Oh, so enjoyable!) Some only cause misery. And one is not bigger than the others. But, all have consequences.

I say all the time, "Do not judge others by pointing them out...for when you point, you have 3 fingers pointing directly back at you. Look at your own heart. Is it pure? Let's worry about ourselves first."

It is a fine line to walk. This parenting gig. The stages and circumstances we must traverse to raise good, fair, kind and gracious citizens is rigorous, easy, hard, enjoyable and painful enough.

We, in the Shooter household at least, don't want or need the media deciding our family's time schedule for us in their race to be first in the Politically Correct event. Really, we don't. And it ticks me off.

Love Note to my Big Shooter: Thank you for being a rock. Our rock. One who is smooth, round and just perfect for skipping!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I get your frustration... I haven't yet broached the gay thing and I have a nine-year-old... and we're visiting family which includes a gay uncle.
I know I too want to be in charge of how the subject is introduced. But, I guess, the only disagreement I have is regarding the 'media agenda'. They're celebrities, homosexuality is a hot-button issue and, hey, it's a wedding... in this country that's just news, plain and simple.

FIL said...

Hey SweetDIL,
Little fired up today aren't we?

Love ya
FIL

Queen B said...

I so agree. I hate when the media dictates when/what I share with my child.

And what about the commercials advertising raunchy tv shows during the Olympics? good grief.

Gordostyle said...

Amen Sister!

Jen

Fawn said...

I think kids are smart and they can work through alot in their little brains. They will encounter these issues in real life someday. I say, even though it wasn't based on your time schedule, at least it was at home with you.

This simply was not talked about with me when I was a kid so for years I thought it was ok.

We are here to tell our children, it's not ok. Don't judge, but it's not ok according to God's word.

Anonymous said...

I would like to start off by saying that I represent the much more enlightened half of the shooter family. I am sorry for any offense caused by the veiwpoint putforth in this post. I feel that it is time for me to come out of my closet and admit that I am in fact a Lesbian trapped in a man's body. There I have said it I feel so much better. Please pass the chocolate.

Big S.

Anonymous said...

news is news -- turn it off if you are into fabricating the Cinderella-perfect world for your kids.

I am a straight, married Christian, and a parent of four -- but this is life, this is reality, and you don't have to agree to it but ignoring it is like burning books, right?

I know you come from a good place. But if you're really not into judging? Why would you post this, and why make it specific to Ellen?

It's a wedding. It's legal. It's the country we live in. It's an opportunity to teach tolerance.

And they are coming closer and closer to proving it's often biological vs a choice.

Love is the answer.

Fawn said...

OUCH!
Guess there's more than one Straight Shooter 'round these parts.

Rachel said...

I totally and completely agree with you! Everyone has the ability to make choices for themselves and we should not judge others based on their choices. We should love and accept all people but we don't need to love and accept all their choices.

~ Straight Shooter ~ said...

I love the way Rachel put it! "you should love and accept all people, but not love and accept all their choices."

ThatGirl, it seems you missed the ENTIRE point of the whole post.

TG: "news is news -- turn it off if you are into fabricating the Cinderella-perfect world for your kids."
SS: Had I been in the room, instead of the bathroom taking care of Eula Mae,I WOULD have turned it off. But not to fabricate a world for them, but to sheild them from any more confusion until Big Shooter and I have a chance to give them some firm foundation. Just because it's out there does not mean it's news for all ages.

TG:"I am a straight, married Christian, and a parent of four -- but this is life, this is reality, and you don't have to agree to it but ignoring it is like burning books, right?"
SS: Did I say I was ignoring it? Or did I say "Big Shooter and I were having many discussions on when, what and how much to share?" I think that's what I said. The WHOLE point was we are not ignoring it, but slowly discussing differences in families, lifestyles, and choices with our children because "we have many neighbors who are gay couples and many friends who are openly gay". We are not going to just throw them in because "it's life, it's reality" in someone else's opinion. THEIR reality is it's not their lifestyle. Therefore, we want to instill the whole "just because some else is different, doesn't make them bad" idea. You referred to it as tolerance.

TG:"I know you come from a good place. But if you're really not into judging? Why would you post this, and why make it specific to Ellen?
SS: 1st, you have not walked in my shoes. You have no idea what I have experienced, or not, to get to the place I am at. Assumption is a very tricky thing. 2nd, to answer your two questions Why post? and Why Ellen? The post's subject was not homosexuals OR Ellen. It was the fact I do not care for the media's "that's life, it's reality, they're celebrities therefore it makes it news and of importance" in-your-face-regardless view. The coverage of Ellen's marriage just happened to be the bee that got in my bonnett and set me shootin' off.

TG:"It's an opportunity to teach tolerance."
SS: That's the point! We are already doing just that in a deliberate, thoughout timeline. No one is IGNORING the whole hot-button issue. We, as well as millions of other families, are trying to do it a little at a time. There is no rule we must throw our children to the wolves to defend themselves just because it's politically correct.
And tolerance, why tolerance is a two-way street my dear.

ShEiLa said...

ShocK & aWe.

I knew this was a comin'...
but I missed it yesterday. In fact I missed it til now.

You hit the nail on the head when you say in parenting you walk a fine line.

Prime time TV should not be about sensitive issues either... I difinitely agree with you there.

HanG in theRe!
my heaRt is feeling for you... and my chicks are all out of the hen-house.

ToOdLeS, ShEiLA

ShEiLa said...

ps.
When I left my last comment I didn't realize that you had been hit with some HARD comments. You handled yourself well.

Anonymous said...

This is just another reminder that we as parents need to have continual open discussions about sex in the proper biblical context. Just yesterday my middle boy child heard the word "sex" on a radio talk-show I was listening to and he said he didn't want to listen anymore (we were in the car together so he didn't have anywhere to go) I reminded him AGAIN, sex was created by God and is a great thing when it is between a man and a woman that are married. We MUST be constant and consistant to combat the overwhelming images and agenda's that are all around them. Soul Sis
PS to BS love the way you summed it up.

Flea said...

Your last line to BS cracked me up!

I totally get where you're coming from. I think I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said, including where you stand in your family and social circles. :)

faroutmom said...

Since I know you quite well, I am sickened by certain words in a certain comment. If anyone "fabricates a Cinderella-perfect world," it is definitely NOT you. You are very open and honest with your kids. They are aware of things that 10 and 9 year old kids SHOULD be aware of and also innocent about the things that they shouldn't have to be aware of yet. They don't get this...nor should they.

Way to go Momma. Thanks for Shootin Straight...as usual.

FerLee said...

HMMM...had TG sat in our church Sunday morning I'm sure she would have gotten up and walked out.

TOUGH!!

Here's my stand. I know you, my dear friend, and I know how you cherish your children and teach them exactly what you want to teach when you want to teach them. I am so behind you with this. Media...get out of our lives.

On the same subject you were on, homosexuality. I know you weren't coming out to talk against homosexuality, but if we're going to be Christ-like...truly Christ-like we CANNOT be tolerant!!!! That is conforming to the world not being transformed by the renewing of your mind (That's the WORD folks)! God, Himself, called this an abomination. Look at Leviticus 18, look at the passages in Corintians and many, many other books in the New Testament. It is WRONG. Does that mean I hate these people...I would be sinning just as much if I did. The WORD clearly states that we are to love the sinner and hate the sin. HATE the sin!!! I hate the sin of homosexuality. I mourn for those trapped by it. I know 2 men that are very dear to my heart that are trapped in this sin. It hurts my heart. According to the Bible...they're headed straight to HELL...Hell, people, that's something we fight against. So when my fellow Christians tell me I'm intolerant...it sets me on fire. READ your Bible!!!! If I'm intolerant and WRONG to be so, then God is wrong...and that's NOT possible.

Man...this got my blood boiling...

Oh, if you'd like to hear extremely Biblical teaching on this...check out the pod cast at www.churchonthemove.com for August 17th. It was a message specifically on this subject.

Oh, biological vs. choice...that's another worldly view to say "It's ok to be gay". I will NOT conform!!!

Anonymous said...

This kind of ignorance is what keeps America-- and any other area with leeches like you as part of the population-- from progressing and moving past the semi-barbaric mental state that that most of the world is in. The lifestyle choices of other people on this planet affects you in no way, so keep your white trash, ignorant, closed-minded opinions to yourself. Fuck you. There is no god. You will never have the chance to find out you lived your life in vain. When you die, you will be dead. No heaven, no god, no masters. Religion really IS the opiate of the masses, and you southern pieces of shit will overdose one day, and the world will be much less of a shitty place.

~ Straight Shooter ~ said...

GOD FREE ~
You say, "The lifestyle choices of other people on this planet affects you in no way, so keep your white trash, ignorant, closed-minded opinions to yourself."
I ask, "Did you even READ the post?"
The post was aimed at the media...not homosexuals.
Or do you just troll momma blogs looking for places to spread the light and love of your enlightened, open-minded, tolerant, and peace-lovin' self?

Anonymous said...

i enjoy exactly how you receive your level throughout.