Ever Yell At A Book?

Granted, it's easier to yell at a book you're listening to versus one you're reading; it's like you think you can reason with the narrator or something. I've yelled at a couple of books in the past year; the latest was The Dogs of Babel: A Novel by Carolyn Parkhurst.

The basic plot of the book is this (with apologies to Ms. Parkhurst): a man comes home to find his wife has died after a fall out of a tree in their backyard. The only "being" to have witnessed the fall is the family dog. The man, a professor of linguistics, decides that, in order to find out what happened (and why), he will teach the dog to talk. He puts the dog in a fair bit of danger in his quest for the truth--and at that particular point in the book, I'll admit that I was yelling and crying.

Because here's the thing: very early on, you know his wife killed herself. The man knows it too. But he keeps trying to communicate with the dog, as if by knowing WHAT happened, he'll know WHY it happened. But it never works that way, and that's why I was frustrated and yelling--the people left behind will never truly know, and certainly never truly understand, why another person would choose to end their life. You could leave the most intricate, detailed letter with all the reasons why, and the people you leave behind would still have those niggling thoughts: "What if I had...?"

Still, I think if any book evokes emotions like that from its reader, it must be worth a look. Bravo, Ms. Parkhurst.

People Are Counting On You: A Reading by Kelly Corrigan

This woman is powerful.

OK, So Here's the Thing

First of all, if you haven't seen the interview Rachel Maddow did with Richard Cohen, I recommend it. She always does a good interview, and seemed to take great pleasure in debunking this alleged "expert". If you have no interest in watching the interview, let me quickly explain: Richard Cohen is an "ex-gay", who says he "helps" other people who also want to be "ex-gay". It's interesting that he says you can't "pray away the gay", which flies in the face of the teachings of Exodus International, a group of "ex-gays" who believe you have to "come to Jesus" in order to be "healed".
I've heard leaders of both groups claim they "love the gays, but want to help them if they want to be 'healed'". They look very caring and compassionate, and seem to be empathetic and sincere. They say over and over that they don't hate anyone; both groups have very lately come out against the proposed law in Uganda, which would put homosexuals to death. Their voices drip with sincerity as they say they "just want to help".
But here's the thing. What if there's nothing wrong with being gay? According to the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association (I could go on and on and on)....being gay is not a mental or physical disorder. It's not a disease. Not an illness. It's just who a person is. So, if it's not something that needs to be cured, why are there organizations trying to do just that? OHHHH yeah......because there's lots and lots and lots of money to be made. Yup, Richard Cohen and all the "false prophets" just like him are really no different than those snake oil salesmen of yesteryear. They are selling nothing, yet delivering hatred.
Why? Because God says so. Richard Cohen can try to convince us that he's not like those other guys who believe you have to "pray away the gay", but the idea that being gay is a disorder comes directly from the mouths of the fundamentalists of any religion AND from those who just need someone to hate. Just like we were told by these same folks that women, blacks, and ________ (fill in the blank with any minority in society) were less human in days of yore. It makes me sick.
If being gay is just who a person is, no more and no less, then these guys are out of business. If being gay is OK, then we'll have far fewer teens trying to commit suicide because of who they are. We'll have far fewer suicides period. If being gay is treated no differently than being straight, we'll have fewer anguished parents, seeking "help" for their "troubled" child. Less alcoholism and drug addiction too; fewer runaways, more families who still love each other. But the sad truth is, if being gay is OK, there will be one less group in society to hate. And far less money to be made by those snail oil salesmen. Far less money being donated to those churches that are comfortable preaching hate. Far less money donated to those politicians who cynically see a group that can be exploited for their own gain.
I could be flippant and say I want to make money too--I'm going to start my own group of "ex-straights" who want to use hug therapy to help those who are struggling with being straight. Those who still feel that opposite sex attraction. "I'm here to help you cope. It must be horrible for you." But that's just too ridiculous, isn't it?
And besides, I just can't muster the hate for a fellow human that's needed to make my "ministry" work.