What Makes Me Uncomfortable

Scott Walker (R), the governor of Wisconsin, is under fire for a Tweet he posted over a week ago. Here it is:

Atheists and representatives from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation came out swinging. Declaring Governor Walker had "made them uncomfortable," they accused the governor of misusing his authority to “promote not just religion over non-religion, but one religion over another in a manner that makes many Wisconsin citizens uncomfortable.”

Well, here are a few things that I don't agree with, but I'm not insisting that anyone changes their ways:

1. Teaching kids to cover their coughs and sneezes in their hands.

It's gross. If I had my druthers, people would excuse themselves for a cough or sneeze in the same manner they would to pass gas. In my mind, there's no difference. It's gross. And people get a false sense of "doing the right thing" but all they've really done is transfer their germs to the one place on their body that touches more objects than anything else. BUT, you don't see me telling anyone (other than my immediate family) that it makes me uncomfortable.

2. Allowing men to wear flip flops, or really any kind of sandal.

Boy feet are not pretty. They're hairy, scaly, and the toes are inconsistent in length. The nails are rarely neatly trimmed and guys have a wanton disregard for sizes so you see them in shoes two sizes off in either direction as though they just strolled in a store and grabbed the first pair they saw. BUT, I'm not pushing for legislation banning dudes from enjoying a nice mandal.

3. Smoking

It's a filthy habit. It's proven to be detrimental to your health. It's expensive. It turns your teeth, your hands, and your skin yellow. It kills your sense of taste and smell. It makes you stand outside when it's hot, freezing, snowing, or raining. You don't get as much for your car when you sell it if you've smoked in it. You can't sell things on Craigslist and say the item is from a "smoke free home." You won't live as long and your last days will be spent in doctors' offices, in labs, and dragging an oxygen tank behind you like Marley's chains in A Christmas Carol. My Daddy smoked, as did my grandfathers, and probably their grandfathers. I tried it. I wanted to be cool and quickly found out that wasn't the way. It made my clothes smell and made my tongue feel furry. BUT, I'm OK if you want to smoke.

4. Gratuitous swearing (especially in movies).

If you know me, you know I like rap and hip-hop music. I like many forms of music and respect the trade. It's art and with art comes artistic freedom. If it's too vulgar, I turn it off.

Something that really irritates me, though, is going to a movie that is a perfectly fine movie but the actors toss in unnecessary cursing. It's as if they wrapped filming and the producers were told that the movie only qualified as a PG-13 and, if they wanted the desired "R" rating, they'd have to go back and add 27 additional curse words.  BUT guess what, if I don't like it, I grin and bear it, or walk out, or don't recommend it to friends, or don't buy the DVD when it comes out. I don't call up Hollywood and demand change.

These are just a few examples of things I don't particularly like but I understand something my Momma taught me a long time ago:  your rights end where mine begin.  Just because I don't agree with you, doesn't make me right or you wrong.

But here's one thing I know:  atheists are bullies. The freedoms they desire are the same ones they are so quick to snatch from those with whom they don't agree. Bullies.