Jamie Does The District

Amendment 1 Thoughts…albeit late

I don’t think it will come to the surprise of anyone who knows me that I am absolutely devastated by the news out of North Carolina May 8th. Given my social media love, I have compiled some of the things I saw people post and my reactions to them.

If you’re so ashamed of North Carolina then move

I’m ashamed of North Carolina and I already have moved! I’m allowed to be embarrassed or ashamed of my home state by putting this hate into their constitution. I know so many people (straight and gay) who are amazing and who will be negatively impacted by this amendment. I’m allowed to be ashamed because I expected so much more from North Carolina and the people who reside there. Being ashamed of North Carolina doesn’t mean I still don’t have love for it. I DO! But because of how much love I have for the state I grew up in, I expected so much better. And as someone who has been a proud North Carolinian, I am sick and tired of people coming up to me where I live now and asking, “What the Hell is wrong with your state?” Get your act together NC.

Quit your bellyaching, it does nothing 

The particularly ironic thing about the woman who posted this is notorious for “bellyaching” all over her social media. Usually about men. I think that “bellyaching” and showing displeasure over this amendment is more warranted than bitching about how there are no good men in the world. You know, it might not do anything in the long wrong, but it makes me feel better damn it, so I’ll continue to do so. If you can whine and complain about your “no good baby daddy” then I can complain about the implications this amendment will have. (Also implications it might have on you as a single mother)

Anger and name calling have no place here

I was angry. And I stayed angry days after the event (you know, real stages of grief shit right there). Anger can be a catalyst for change and there is absolutely nothing wrong with some healthy anger. Martin Luther King was angry. George Washington was angry. These men helped shape our country because of their anger (side note: as should be obvious from the previous examples, you can be angry without being a raging lunatic). A healthy does of anger gets shit done.

As for the name calling aspect. Yes, name calling isn’t nice. But if you’re sitting there calling those people bigots for calling you a bigot, then you aren’t solving the problem, you’re just adding to the lack of discourse. People say things in the heat of the moment they don’t mean, and they should be able to be forgiven for that. Besides, if you voted Yes on Amendment One, solidifying hate into the constitution then odds are you’re the real bigot there.