Proposition Eight, Proposition Hate

The second I heard about Prop 8 months back, I dismissed it as complete and utter nonsense. Last week I read this article (and the comments) and realized how much we stand to lose if Prop 8 passes. I know I must seem very naive that I didn't realize this before, but to me the very thought of Prop 8 is, was, and always has been ridiculous. And then I remembered that there are people in the world who are (for whatever reason) threatened by the idea of gay marriage. This is something that I truly don't understand.

Yes, I understand the fact that the Bible says that marriage is between a woman and a man. But honestly, the Bible doesn't mean jack to me. While I appreciate books and works of literature, I don't base my life on any one in particular. I understand that the Bible is supposed to hold more power and instill more reverence than the average book, but for me, it simply doesn't. This does not mean that I think that the Bible is worthless. Obviously it holds a lot of cultural and religious value, and I think there are some good things that are shared within its pages. But I don't believe it's the word of God. Inspired by God? Sure. But it definitely contains the word of men, those utterly fallible and judgmental beings.

So I don't understand when people constantly turn to the Bible as a way of explaining away their bigotry in connection with Prop 8. I am really trying to understand how, if Prop 8 doesn't pass, that it will threaten the institution of marriage and the family. I want someone to tell me in words that have nothing to do with the Bible, because in all reality, the Bible is supposed to have nothing to do with this. What is so horrible about gay marriage? (This isn't a rhetorical question. I honestly want to know what you think. Tell me in the comments or through email. But please, leave the Bible out of it. It simply doesn't hold any weight with me.)

I'm lucky enough to have two mother-in-laws, and together they are raising three young children (my nephews and niece). They have a happy home. Is it normal? Well, as my husband likes to say, "normal is a setting on my dryer." And I tend to agree. Why are we so quick to put labels on things? Why is "normal" considered good and anything other than that considered bad? What does "normal" mean, anyway?

There's a theorist I like by the name of Jacques Derrida. When I can actually understand what Derrida is saying, he makes sense (on some issues). One of my favorite quotes of his is "the center is not the center." Derrida is big on the deconstruction of binaries (white/black, straight/gay, sacred/profane, etc.). While many would (and do) say that homosexuality is inherently wrong (based on the the Bible and the teachings of the Church), Derrida points out that there is nothing inherent about this belief at all. An institution has decided for us that homosexuality is a sin, in much the same way that it was decided that a table is a table and not a chair.

And this is where the power of "the center is not the center" comes in. If you really think about what Derrida is saying, you may come to the conclusion that none of these judgments is handed down by God but that society has decided what is wrong and what is right. Thus, the being we have always perceived as the center is really not the center.

It's definitely something to think about.

Yesterday I read this blog entry and found that it really spoke to me on this issue. And through the author's experience, I realized, just as she did, that there's a whole lot at stake here. We are all human beings. How can anyone with any sort of respect for the human race want to deny someone the right to happiness and the right to have his/her own family? Homosexuality is not a problem to be solved, but our treatment of it definitely needs to change. Homosexuality is not going away, people. And there's no reason why it should. We love who we love. End of story.

Vote NO on Prop 8. Vote NO on hate.

My Life as a Slug

I was thinking about random things this morning and realized that November is going to be a very exciting and busy month for me. October has had its share of busy-ness and excitement, to be sure, but I've really slacked off on my blogging. To make up for it, I've decided to give NaBloPoMo another shot this year. It involves posting on your blog every day for the entire month of November. (Click here to read my entries from last year.)

I honestly just want to fast forward through the rest of this month and get on with November. There are so many cool things coming up! The election, for instance. And we found a cute little house to rent, so we'll be moving next month as well. Then there's Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season, not to mention a couple of shoots I've got lined up.

It's going to be awesome, a real picture of this slug's life. Care to join me?

Coronado Wedding

We went to our cousin's wedding on October 10 in Coronado, and I took a few pictures as a guest. I thought I'd share some here. Their Nightmare Before Christmas theme was a nice, fun touch. The lighting in these pictures isn't all that great, because I wasn't using flash.

The cake!



Cake table detail



Cutest flower girl ever!



Yours truly + the cutest husband ever



One of our absolutely adorable second cousins (sister of the flower girl)



Wish tree



Centerpiece details





Favors







Mother-in-law with our baby cousin Avery (sister to the two cuties above)



And lastly, the bride and groom!



Congrats, Tom and Cely!

Jessica + Glenda = Awesomest Mother-Daughter Combo Ever

First of all, I have to apologize to Jessica and Glenda for taking so long to get these up. It's been two weeks since I met with them, and it's definitely time I got this show on the road.

Secondly, this was the first session I did where I hadn't met either person ahead of time. I know Jessica from the blog world and the Nest, but we'd never had the opportunity to meet in person (although I feel like I knew her pretty well already from reading her blog). It was really nice to put the person to the words, so to speak.

And lastly, Jessica and Glenda are a super cute mother-daughter pair, and I really enjoyed this session. We started off at the Riverside Public Library, where Jessica spent a lot of her time growing up.





Then we moved on to the coolest building in downtown Riverside, the Life Arts building.









What's a photo shoot without a copy of Twilight?



Jessica + Glenda, thank you so much for being such gracious and understanding guinea pigs. I hope you enjoy your pictures. (And thanks again for your patience!)

Where is Leslie?

It's been awhile since I last blogged. And apparently, judging from the emails I've gotten, I'm actually missed when I'm not blogging! Thanks to those of you who sent emails or asked me where the hell I've been/what the hell I've been doing.

I've actually been doing the same thing I've always been doing. Work, school two nights a week, photo shoots on the weekends, etc. I think I sounded a little negative awhile back, but rest assured that I am not an unhappy camper - I'm just being a slug most of the time.

Anyway. Here are two things of note about today.

1) Today is my brother's birthday. Happy birthday, Wade! I'm pretty sure that he's 33 today. I sent him two cool things in the mail, so hopefully he'll get those soon.

Here's a picture of the birthday boy:



2) Today is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. I personally have never experienced this, but several people near and dear to my heart have.



The idea is for everyone to light a candle at 7 PM tonight, creating light for lost babies around the world. Sounds like a wonderful idea to me. I'll be in class tonight, but I will light my candle when I get home.

That's all I have for today. It's mid-October, life is good, and I'm tired.

Vote/Don't Vote

I actually don't like this video, but I like the message. So here it is. Vote, people!



We don't have TV channels at home (gasp!), but we still managed to watch part of the VP debate at a friend's house last night. Wow. Palin is a very unintelligent person. I shudder to think about McCain getting elected and then dying in office, thereby leaving the fate of the US in the hands of that woman. A woman who winks in the middle of a debate!

I'm scared of what the future holds for this country. This last month before the election is going to be very interesting.

I guess I have more to talk about than I thought...

Blahsville

Hello, hello...

I'm not sure what to say here, to be honest. There has been so much that has been going on lately but nothing that I feel prepared to talk about on here. I have been keeping extremely busy, and as a result, I am pretty worn out. I am surprisingly lacking in things to say despite the exhausting whirlwind that my life has become.

I am probably going to take a bit of a blogging break. Well, I have some photo sessions coming up, and I'll probably post some pictures from those. But honestly, I am feeling absolutely silent when it comes to this blog. I suppose that could change tomorrow, but I doubt it.

So I'm just going to enjoy the silence.